New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-20
FIRE SWEEPING OVER SHIPS.
DESTRUCTION ON THE WATER FRONT.


A disastrous fire. involving the loss Of two lives
and possibly more injuries to eleven firemen some
of whom seriously hurt and the destruction OF
property worth half million of dollars, occurred
on the waterfront of Brooklyn. between Fulton
and Wall Street Ferries, yesterday. The fire was
caused, 1t is believed by q spark from hosting
engine on the pier on the west side of Harbeck's
Stores, while the fireman was engaged in raking
out the ashes. The spark fell among some bales Of
jute butts under the shed the pier. They burned
with great rapidity and the entire contents of tho
shed. which was $50 feet in length and
90 feet in width, were soon in flames. Be-
fore the gjnes could get to work. the fire had
spread to the vessels alongside the pier On the
south side lay the ship Lawrence Delap of Annap-
oils Nova Scotia, and alongside of her the bark
Perseverance, of Aberdeen, Scotland, while on the
north side was the bark Colonel Adams OF Liver
pool. All were laden with cOmbustibe cargoes, or
jute, hemp and saltpetre, and the fire spread In
them with startling rapidity. The hives OF all on
board the vessels were in imminent danger and
those who saved themselves had exceedingly mar
row escapes. Heavy clouds Of black and yellow
smoke were soon piled up in great masses, and below
them the swiftly advancing flames could be seen
covering an extensive area.
Three fire alarms called out all the available
city, and the streams of water from the
engines Nos and were first poured upon tho
burning shed. The 6rebost Havemeysr and several
tugboats went alongside the burning vessels and
poured streams upon them. Several more engines
were soon at work. Meanwhile those on board
were trying to save themselves. Captain Grover, OF
the Deap, was his vessel with his wife and little
daughter. When they got en- deck they found
flames all around them. John Tully. who
was ono Of the men at work inn
SlOading the vessel urged them to jump overheard.
The little girl did 80. and Tully swan ashore with
her. Captain Grover and his wife fed from their
vessel to the bark Perseverance,. and thence on
board of tugboat. About twenty 'ongshoremon
were at work on board of the Deap, and rushed foe
the wharf as soon as they could get out of the hold
1t was not certain that all of them succeeded
in getting out before the smoke and flames made es-
cape impossible, as they were new men. who had
been secured at Castle Garien on Monday to take
the places of longshoremen who were upon .
strike. One of them, William Carberry, was cut of
from getting upon the stringpiece OF the wharf BY
the fire, and jumped overheard. boat went to his
rescue, as he was seen swmmingin the dock but it
failed to reach him before he sank. 1t is believed
that all those on board the Perseverance and Adams
escaped. Captain Grover, of the Delap. threw
overheard before leaving the vessel his trunks in
picked up and the money was found to De safe.
Captain Grover said it was his all.
THE SHED FALLS IN UPON THE FIREMES.
The fire had spread to the three vessels swiftly
that they were all abaze almost at the same in
slant. Immediate efforts were made to tow them
away from the wharf. Tugs were attached to tho
Perseverance and tho Adams, aud they were forced
away from their fastenngs and out into the stream.
I'll. -, hul md MI
timed to burn out in the bay. Meanwhile tho
fury of the flames on the Delap caused the
manmast to fall. 1t came crashing down
upon the shed the pier, by the side of which tho
vessel lay. The fremen Of Engines Nos. 3 and
were hard at work trying to some OF the pro-
perty from the flames. Several of them were in
side the shed and the rest were as close TO the hro
as they could get. The shed a was
crushed in by the falling mainmast and
eleven of the brave were buried in the ruins
All of them were severely and some dangerously
hurt. The one most seriously injured was Robert
McDougall, of Truck No. g. who in the burn
ing shed. He was found buried In a of the
blazing debris burned nearly from head to
foot. -Ambulances were speedily called and
the injured men removed to the Long
Island College, Brooklyn. and Cumberland Street
Hospitals.
After the two barls had been removed from the
pier efforts we're made to tow out the ship Delap.
but both of her anchors down and it was not
until about two hours after the fire broke QUE
that the tugs succeeded In pulling her
loose. the anchor-chans breaking She was
towed to shallow water near Governors Island,
where If she sank, the hull could easily be raised
The Perseverance was left i'll the Buttermilk Chan-
mel and the Adams was towed to the jersey fiats.
Each vessel will prove nearly total loss The fire
H. l,rl.t tt0 W. w
unloading jute from the Colonel Adams.
In the effort to tow her out she
was capsized in the dock. The
tugs continued TO pull at her, and she was turned
around so that her masts swept along the wharf
north of the pier Engine No. 10 was right in the
path of the masts and woud have been Knocked
over had not the vessel suddenly tilted so mat the
masts passed over it. The foreman saw the danger,
and called to his men to run, and escaped himself
by lying Hat on the wharf.
HEROIC WORK IN SAVING LIFE.
Many narrow escapes were reported. John Tully.
who saved the life of the daughter OF the captain Of
the Delap, has four medals for life saving one Of
them being recently given to him by Congress.
When he saw the sailors and 'longsh0remen jump
ing into the water to escape the fire, he went to their
rescue After aiding two men to reach
the wharf he tried TO save third.
but the desperate man clung too closely
to his rescner. In describing this incident Iully
said 4" caught him under the arms, but he turned
and grabbed my head, catching my cheek and
month knew il would be all up with me unless
he let 90. so struck him in the head and he had TO
let 20 Before could catch him again he went
down and was drowned Tully saved three
more men afterwari. HIS home is at
No. 1S Tallmau-st., Brooklyn. Several
lives were saved by Joan Muiligan, OF No. l20
Twentieth-.t.. Brooklyn. These heroic men were
aided in their work by two other men who made
uss OF small raft lying along the wharf, ana
towed Il to the side of the Delap where severa
81 ha