The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-02-01
A Bill Reported in Regard to Military
Reservations.
THE FIRE FIEND.

NEW 1 ORK, Feb. 1.-At O'Clock this
morning the Inman dock was still burning.
Most of the buildings on the pier, and
their contents are now consumed. The
loss is roughly estimated at a million dol
lars. 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 depart-
ment and two fire boats are at work on the
flames of the large covered sheds on the
pier. Nothing remains save a fragment
from the work at the entrance that totters
in the wind nd threatens to fall at any
moment. The pier itself with all upon 1t
burned down to the spiles upon which the
structure rested. Great throngs of people
surround the scene of desolatIon. The
National line steamer Egypt lies out
in mid stream with her port
side scorched and her rigging
and standing gear burned and blackened.
Tie Egypt is of iron, and thousand dol
lars or two will mend her injury in TWEEN
ty-four hours and she viii be in sailing
order. The wind blew directly in from
the river and carried smoke and ashes in
over city to the embarrassment of fire
men, but to the advantage of surrounding
the ship which that fact saved from de-
struction. The Savannah steamer, Chata-
ttahochee that lay at pier thirty five and
and exposed to the full extent of the
flames, was hardly scorched. its crew be-
ing on hand with hose and pumps.
1t is possible that some may have been
caught and have lost their lives, but it is
not probable. The engineer on the pier is
Amos Smith He was in the engine room
in the extreme end of the pier, attending
his duties, when the fire broke out and he
was first to discover it. He fought the
flames for fully quarter of an hour, and
claims to have been the last who left the
pier. His hands and face are burned and
his hair and eyebrows scorched.
The steamer Alaska; of the Guion line,
which arrived from Liverpool to-day. as
well as the Nevada. of the same line, were
thought to be in much danger at one time
They were lying at the pier ad joining the
Inman compunys. but the wind fortunate
" being from the southeast drove the
flames beyond the Guion company's pier.
AS to the origin and discovery of the fire.
it is said that the watchmen on the pier
were Thos. Burns at the west end, and L.
Leach at the east end The smell of
smoke attracted the attention of
Burns, and on making investi
gatien he found the large gear
locker at the extreme west end of the pier
emitting smoke. When it was opened the
flames rushed out and Burns gave the
alarm, which brought all 'longshoremen to
his aid, and the clerk in the Office was sent
to pull the alarm bell at Chambers and
West streets, while the house on the pier
was rugged and the attempt made to throw
water on the locker. It was, however.
full of tarred rope and other articles, and
the supposed origin of the fire was tobac-
co smoke. Whoever violated the rules and
took quiet Whit at the end of the piers
thought he had oYerstaid his time and put
the pipe, with an ember in it, in the locker
After towing the RBremen gsteamer to
point of safety the tugs set to work to re-
move the canal boats from the dock of the
north Inman pier as their docks were Gov
cred with embers and their crews had de-
serted them. The crafts in the dock south
of the Inman pier were not in any great
danger, as a strong southeast wind blew
from them to the pier.
The widest excitement prevailed on the
neighboring piers and it was feared at one
time that thousands of casks filled with
liquor and goods on the bulkhead opposite
the 1nman dock would be destroyed. The
fear among the captains of the various
boats was intensified, when large ember,
carried by wind fell into the main sail
Of three masted schooner and sci fire to
the mast. sailor with bucket in hand
ran NY to the rigging and put out the
blaze. But other similar fires occurred;
till the busy little tugs had emptied the
docks of vessels. They were mostly all
towed down toward the battery but large
number sought safety on the Jersey shore.
Engineer Smith crawled out to the street
hy placing his hands to a rail track which
runs TO the end of the pier. he believes