Wilmington journal., 1874-07-24
THE FIRE FIEND.
Ehe Steamer k. T. Lee Burned to
the Waters Edge.

About half past 9 o'clock yesterday
morning, the steamer R. e. Lee, one
of the packets of the Express Steam
boat Line, plying between this city
and Fayetteville, was discovered on
fire. The alarm was promptly given
and the fire companies aud many of
the citizens hurried to the spot. At
the time she took fire the Lee was "
| ing at her accustomed wharf for re-
ceiving freight and passengers, Just in
! front of Messrs. Williams & NIurchi-
sons Office, between Market and Prin-
! cess streets. Her hawsers were parted
| or were cast off, and she drifted down q
few feet i'll front Of Il pile of pine wood
belonging to Messrs. B. F. Mitchell &
Son, which was soon i'll a light blaze
By this time the engines had arrived
en- the spot, as welt as Col. Davis, of
the Purcell House, with a long line of
hose connecting with the pump at
Mitchells mill. About the same time
Capt. Edgar Wi liams. with the little
tug Wna. Nyce, had run up alongside
the burning boat and succeeded in
making a line fast to her bow. He
then towed her out into the stream,
and, by careful management, SO as not
to get too close to the mass of flames,
towed her up to the flats in the North
East river, where she now lies burned
to the waters edge. The fire steamers
turned their attention to the pile of
blazing wood on the wharf and extin-
guished the flames, with but slight
loss.
There is some little doubt as to the
origin of the fire but tits conceded that
it caught either from the stove in the
cooks room or from tie ash pan. The
lee arrived here on Thursday night
from Fayetteville, with good cargo
of spirits of turpentine slowed in her
hold. This spirits leaked, moro or
less, and of course, when the fire
reached the hold the flames soon
wrapped the boat from stem to stern
and it was utterly impossible to save
her. Fortunately she had discharged
all of her down freight and had not, at
the time, taken in anything for the up
trip; hence the loss on board
was confined to the officers and crew,
who lost some few articles of wearing
apparel.
At one time the large warehouse
was in danger but luckily there was
its contents were injured.
The Lee was one of The Express line
and was valued at $4,000. She was
insured for 5000 with the Etna In
surance Company of Hartford, for
which Mr.. Il. G. DeRosset is the Agent |
in this city. The boiler and machinery
will be saved, but it is impossible to
say what they will be worth after their |
fore it is not easy to state the exact |
loss. Still it is thought that the in
surance will nearly cover it all.
Disastrous Fire I'm OnslOsv.
Our correspondent "Scriptor," writ
ing from jacksonville, sends us the
account of disastrous fire |
in Onslow county:
On the night of the Sth inst, about
II o'clock, there were totally destroyed
by fire, in Onslow county, the dwell
ing house, dining room, smoke house
and kitchen of Mrs. Caroline Y. Far
nell, wife of Aaron f. Farnell. Most
Of the contents of these buildings
we're an entire loss. Some of the house
hold furniture was saved, in very
damaged condition. Heroic efforts
were made by some of the colored
people on the farm to save the house
hold furniture and other property.
One of these, David Ward, was SO
jealous that he remained in the burn
ing dwelling to the last, and made
narrow escape from it by sliding
lown a piazza post. The loss is esti-
mated at s., 500, with insurance for
only 81, 400, in the North Carolina
Home Insurance Company.
It is almost certain that it was the
work of an incendiary. Strong cir
of suspicion point to n ne
gro hired Oh the place who has since
led, as the guilty party. Much sym
patly is felt for MIR. Farnell, who is
one of the best citizens of the county.