Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-02-02

NEW 1ORk, FcDfuaIF l.-Al OCiOck
this morning the Inmau dock is still burn
ing. Most OF the buildings on the pier and
contents are now consumed. The loss is
roughly estimated at 81 DOC, 600. The steamer
Egypt, of the National Line, which was lying
at the pier, caught FIRE. She was towed out
into the stream and the flames extinguished
after she had been greatly damaged. The
FIRE department and two ire-boats are al
work on the fames. OF the large covered
shed. on the pier, nothing remains save the
fragments OF the frame work a. the entrance,
that totters in the wind and threatens to fall
at any moment. The pier itself, with all
upon il, is burned down to the spiles upon
which the structure rested. Along the waters
edge the flames are yet playing hide and
seek among the wreck aud licking up the
remnsn,s OF million-dollar bonfire. Great
ibrougs of people surround the scene of
desolatiou.
The National Line steamer Egypt lies out
in mid-stream with her port side scorched
and her rigging and sudding gear burned
and blscktnsd.
Beyond the pier lis II and its contents the
loss proved inc 5nsiderable. The Egypt is
iron, and 1900 or $1,000 will mend her in.
jury. In twenty-four hours she will be in
sailing order. Ihe wind blew directly in
from the river and carried The smoke and
of the iremen, but TO the advantage of the
surrounding shipping which that fact saved
from destruction. The Savannah steamer,
Cha,tahoochie, that lay st pier No. So, ex-
posed to the full extent OF the fl imes, was
hardly scorched its ere bein. on hand with
hose aud pumps. Tue Ocean Steamship
COMPANY. dock was not damaged at all.
At pier No. 81, on North river the full
Iigged ship Henry Girnlen, vessel loaded
with soda ash, caught Ere and was lowed out
in The stream with Tue rigging al ime. She,
however, il not badly damaged, and was
towsd over on the Jersey fl ais, where she lies
to-day. An Erie barge losdrd with -four was
caught in the slip. Vain efforts were made
to tow il out, bat il still remained where il
was. tue woodwork on The lick caught
fire and the deck load of fl ur in bags was
partly burned. On The bulkhead at the end
of the pier, a large quantity OF crockery in
crates, csrboys OF acid and other merchsn.
disc was stored. When The saving of the
burning pier was given up as hopeless task
the iremen concentrated their whole energy
| upon the protection Of these goods, and sue
ceeded well , catching FIRE again, and again,
the bulk merchandise was nevertheless saved.
1 About sixty longshoremen were at work
on the stream end Of the pier unloading the
Egypt when the fire broke GU, and il was
| feared that some of these had been burned,
1 This fear has in a great measure been dis
| PEELED this morning by the statement OF the
| engineer. who discovered and fought the
| fire iii the frenren- esme.-It is still f,os-
| sible that some may have been caught and
have lost their lives, but il is not probable.
| The engineer on the pier is Amos Smith.
| He was 10 the engine room In the extreme
end of the pier attending 10 bis duties when
the fire broke out, and was the first TO dis
cover it, He fought the flames for fully a
quarter OF an hour, and claims TO have bet u
the last who left the pier. His hands and
face are burned, and his hair and eyebrows
scorched.
Engineer Smith made a statement descrio-
ing The manner in which The men escaped,
which shows that they had narrow one.
He did everything possible with the help Of
others to subdue the flames, but finding it
useless, he gave warning 10 those on the pier
to leave. He crawled out to the street by
placing his hands on the rail OF the track
which runs from the end OF the pier. He
believes all got out.
Insurance policies held by the dock de-
par ment on the buildings ON the pier amount
| 10 S60, 900. These policies are assigned by the
Inman Line to the dock department as
security for lease held by them on the pier
| from the dock department. The lezse is
| for ten years, and dates from June /, 1881.
| The pier itself, which is the understruc; uIe,
it is stated, lie not insured, and the damage
| 10 il will not amount to much, unless the
spiles should be destroyed. The cost of the
shed on the pier will be between $75, 900 and
10000.
Superintendent Brewster, of the Iuman
dock, stated to day that the loss will amou at
to at least 100000. He believed the COM
| pany was partially insured on the pier,
which was built only last year at a cost of
$150, 900. All the books, papers and docu-
ments are gone. The only property on the
dock, with the exception Of the EgypPs
cargo, consisted of old ropes, sails and luni-
Der. He considered that nearly all the cargo
OF the Egypt had been destroyed.
w. ]. Hurst, of the National Line Com.
pany, said the Egypt wss not SO much d SIN.
aged "a she might have en-. Ii is expected
that her sails aud running rigging were all
burned away. The 10 as and siudding rigging
being Of iron and wire, remained intact. The
vessel was eighty damaged below by water.
| She will be hauled into the White Star pier
to-day and her cargo fully discharged, after
which she will be thoroughly overhsuled.
TIE National Line Company did not in
sure its vesselp, and extra precautions are
| therefore taken to prevent fire. The Losses
on the cargo, which was general one,
would fall upon consigness il they were uu-
| insured.
At meeting Of the Board Of Fire Under
writers to-day, com missioners were appointed
10 adjust the losses on the pier, building,
machinery and merchandise. The amounts
of insurance are: Pier, $4,000; machines y,
SCI 900, and merchandise, $4,000.