Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-02-02
A BIG BLAZE.
Half 4, nIIllol worth Of lasias
Property Destroyed.
The lnman Dock Totally Destroyed -Ihs
Steamer Egypt Not Such 0amaget
Other Vessels Seorehed-no
Loss Of Life Reported.
OTHER FIRES AND ACCIDENTS.

INV hobAt ASSaeeay e@eS Ss~~~
out at . few moments past O'Clock this
morning on the pier occupied BY the In.
man Steamship Company at the foot OF
Canal street and North river. A quantity
OF yitriol was on the dock and - the car.
boys exploded and the flames spread with
great rapidity all the engines In the do.
partment were summoned. Il soon DO.
came evident that the pier and its contents
were doomed to destruction, for the fire
gained every moment despite the volume
OF water thrown on them. The tirsmsn
we're fighting hopeless. task, and IL WAS
not until the frN caught tho eeoaner ngype
and wrapped her bowsprit and forward
deck in flames was Il recognized that the
only thing 10 do. was to save -
much Of the surrounding property
as possible. The fire boats surrounded the
Egypt and after Q stubborn fight extin.
gushed the flames The slip was filled With
small vessels, many OF which were wedged
in the ice, and a. the tugs dartsd through
the flames to pull them out into the safety
OF the river, the scene was an exciting one.
Among the vessels thus threatened Was the
large steamer Chattagoochc, OF the savan.
nah line, which arrived on Monday, and
~ ~ A Marrow E.csPs
from burning on the voyage. Steam Was
got up in ticipation Of the flames might
reach her. All the police reserves in tue
city were on duty under Inspectors Byrnes
and Murray. The greatest fear was that the
, fire might reach the thousands upon thous.
ands casks Oh the bulkhead opposite tho
deck.
or the thirteen largo covered sheds on
the pier, nothing remains save fragment
of the frame work at the entrance that
letters in the wind and threatens to fall
any moment The pier itself, with oil on
it, was burned down 10 the spiles upon
which the structure rested. Along the
water edge the flames are yet playing hide
and seek amid the wreck, and licking up
the remnants OF the million dollar bonfire.
Great throngs OF people surround
The seeae Of the Desslstiea.
The National Line steamer Egypt lies
scorched, and her rigging and standing gear
burned and blackeLed.
Beyond the pier itself and It's contents,
the loss proved inconsiderable. The Egypt
is iron, and thousand dollars or two will
mend her injury, and In twenty four, she
will be in calling srder. The wind blew
directly In from the river and carried the
smoke and ashes In over the city 10 the
embarrassment Of the hremen, but - the
AuyuntNR0 Oh Lu0 buFTouuutbk uhlppIuks
which that fact saved from destruction.
The Savannah steamer, the Chattahoochcc.
that lay at pier IS, exposed 10 the full eK.
tent OF the flames, was hardly scorched, iu
crew being on board with hose and pumps.
The Ocean Steamship Company's dock Was
not damaged ut all. At the pier on the
north. No 81, . full rigged ship. the Henry.
q German vessel, was unloading soda ash.
she Casght Fire
and wss towed out In the stream with her
rigging aaame. She. however, w&s not
badly damaged, and was towed over on the
Jersey fats where she lies to-day. An
Erie barge, loaded with -four, was caught
in the slip. Vain efforts were made 10 toW
Il out but Il still remains where II was
The woodwork on the deck caught fire.
and her deck load OF -four, In bags. was
partly burned. On the bulkhead nj the
end Of the pier q large quantity OF crockery
in crates, carboys Of acida and other mer.
chandise were stored. When the saving VI
the burning pier was given up n
A Hopeless Teak,
the frcmen concentrated their whole
energy upon the protection Of these goods.
and succeeded we'll. Catching fire again
and sgain, the bulk OF the merchandise vas
nevertheless saved. About sixty long.
shoremcn were At the extreme end OF the
pier unlosding the Egypt when the hrs
broke out.
Engineer Smith made q statement de-
scribing the manner In which the men
escaped, which shows they had Q marrow
one. He did everything possible, with the
help Of Others, to subdue the flames. but
those on the pier 10 leave. He crawled out
to the street by placing his hands on ths
railroad track which runs from the end VI
the pier. He believes oil got out.
Loss and Iasusssee.
The insurance policies held by the Dock
Delar ment on The buildings on the pier
smonm TO $4,000. The policies ere as
signed by the Inman line 70 the Dock Do.
psrin ept ~ security for the lease held By
thu ~ on the pier, from the Dock Depsft.
ment The cost Of the shed on the pier 10
sisted to be between t75, 200 and 190, 900.
suI eriBt, ndsnt Brewster, OF tbs Inmsn
doct stated tbst the total loss will amount
10 1T least tGyJ.OO0. He believed tie COM
p ny was partially insured on the pier,
witch was built only last year, atb cost ~
1000. All the books, papers snd docu.
ments ere gone. The only property on the
dock. with the exception Of the Egyprs
cargo, consisted Of old ropes, sails and lum-
Der: He considered % & that nearly al The
w. J. Hurst. Of the National Line Com
pspy, said the Egypt was not 20 much
damaged ss might have been sIpectsd.
Her sails and running rigging were
AL Bagnea Away.
The masts and stoking rieging being Of
iron and wire. remained intact. The vessel
was slightly damaged below by water. She
will be hauied into the White Star pier %
day and her cargo fully discharged, alter
which she will be thoroughly ovsShsrlsd.
The National Line Company did not insure
It's vessels, and extra precautions are fhsrs.
fore taken 10 prevent fire. The lossss- On
fall upon the consignees n they wsee usin-
snred. Ata meeting OF the Board ,ofistss
Underwriters to-day comnittsss were ap-
poidted 10 adjust the losses on the pier,
building. mschinery snd merchandise. The
amounts OF insurance are: Pier, $4,000;
machinery, t2i, 900, and merchapdiss, $50.
OCg.