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APPENDIX H Guy E. Jones/The Naomi On the morning of May 21, 1907, Guy E. Jones returned to Muskegon and his home on Ada Street. Only hours before, he had narrowly escaped the inferno that claimed the Crosby steamer Naomi, becoming one of the last to leave the ship. Jones, who had worked as a painter on the Naomi, spoke with a reporter from the Muskegon Chronicle, recounting his escape and the scenes he had witnessed. His story appeared in that day’s edition of the paper. I was awakened at 1:25 [a.m.] by a violent coughing spell. The room was full of smoke. I could smell it although I couldn’t see it. It was still pitch dark at that hour. There had been a call from the cabin watch at every door. But I slept so soundly that I suppose I did not hear it. The lights were all out and the electricity refused to work. I made a dive for my clothing, got part of it and went immediately on deck. I was without underclothing and hosiery and was lucky to escape with as much as I did. Arriving on deck I found a large crowd of passengers, some fully dressed, others half dressed, and others still in their night clothes. By that time lots of smoke was pouring out of the doors and windows of the cabin. A small flame was coming through the floor of the forward deck. Three streams of water were being directed towards it. All of the passengers, especially the women, were very orderly and level-headed. There was, of course, a good deal of suppressed excitement. The women were asking if the fire was being subdued and the men were reassuring their wives. When it was seen that the fire was well under way the captain ordered the women folks into the boats. These were lowered by the crew and some of the passengers very promptly. Two boat loads were filled with the women, a couple of children who were on board, and some of the men, and put out into the lake so as to avoid the flames. By that time, the fire had reached the middle part of the steamship. The Naomi, in the meantime, had called for help and two passenger steamers and a coal barge were soon in sight. Eleven or twelve of us stayed on board, but only four were lowered, the rest of us waiting for help. When the coal barge came alongside, we simply walked on board. As we stepped off the fire was completely over the upper deck of the Naomi and the cabin was all aflame. Five minutes later there was very little chance left for anyone to stand on board that vessel without being burned. 175 appendix h I saw one of the men who was burned. Before we left the ship he stuck his head out of the port hole and cried for help. It was dark then, but from the reflection of the light of the fire from within we could see his head. His voice was full of agony. They told him that there was no chance of getting through the fire to him and asked him his name. He gave it, and said that his partner was dead. When they counted up afterwards, however, four men were found missing. From the coal barge we were transferred to the Kansas, which is accustomed to meet the Naomi at that point in the line of crossing the lake. The Kansas picked up the others from the life boats and took us on board. For an hour we remained watching the burning vessel. It was a solid mass of flames above its steel hull. Then they took the refugees below and fed and cared for us. 176 ...

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