The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-02-07
THE DOCK FIRE.


The Loss Estimated Between $500, ,ooe and
1,OO0,o0o-The Damage to the Egypt
Possible Loss of Life.
NEW YORK, Feb. 1.-At o'clock the In
man dock, which caught fire at half past ?,
was still burning. Most Of the buildings on
the pier and their contents are now con-
sumed. The loss is roughly estimated at
1,OO0000 The steamer Egypt, of the
National Line. which was living at the pier,
caught fire, and she was towed out into the
| stream and the flames extinguished after
| she had been greatly damaged The Fire
Department and two fire boats are at work
on the flames.
OF the largecovered sheds:or the pier moth
| ing remains, save fragments of the framework
at the entrance that to.ter in the wind and
| threaten to fall at any moment The pier
itself, with all upon it, burned down to the
piles upon which the structure rests. Along
the watrrs edge the flames are yet PLAYING
hide and seek amid the wreck, aud licking
up the remnants OF a million dollar bonfire
Great throngs OF people surround the scene
of desolation.
The National Line steamer Egypt lies out
in midstream with her rtside scorched
and her rigging and stadding gear burded
and blackened. Beyond the pier itself and
its contents the loss proved inconsiderable
The Egypt is made of iron, and $1,000 or
50, 900 will mend her injury. In twenty
four hours she will be in sailing order
The wind blew directly in from the river
| and carried the smoke and ashes in over the
city TO the barrassment of the firemen
| but TO the advantage of surrounding ship
| ping, which that fact saved from destruc.
ton. The Savannah steamer CAattahooches
that lay at Pier 30, exposed to the full ex-
| tent of the flames, was hardly scorched, its
crew being On hand with hose and pumps
The Ocean Steamship Company's dosk was
| not damaged at all. At the pier on the
north, No. 81, the full-rigged ship Henry, a
German vessel, was unlosding soda ash. She
| caught fire and was towed out in the river
| with her rigging atlame. However, she is
not badly damaged, and was towed over on
the flats, where she lies to-day.
An Erie barge loaded with flour was
caught in the slip, and vain efforts made 10
tow it out, but it still remains where it was.
The woodwork on the dock caught fire ard
the deck load of flour in bags was partly
burned.
On the bulkhead at the end of the pier a
| large quantity of crockery in crates, carboys
of acid and other merchandise was stored
When the saving of the burning pier was
given up as hopeless task, the firemen con-
centrated their whole energy upon the pro-
| ltCbiOu VI tlc SOOuS, duu SuCCcCucO Mcll
Catching FIRE again and again, the bulk of
the merchandise was nevertheless saved
About sixty 'longshOremen were at work on
the stream end of the pier unloading the
Egypt when the fire broke out 1t was
feared that some of these had been burned
The fear has, in great measure, been dis
PEELED this morning, Dy the statement of
the engineer who discovered and fought the
fire till the firemen came.
1t is possible that some may have been
caught and have lost their lives, but it is not
probable. The engineer of the pier is Amos
Smith. He was in the engine room in the
extreme end of the pier, attending to his
duties. when the fire broke out, and was the
first to discover it. He fought the flames for
fully a quarter of an hour, and would have
been the last who left the pier. BIS hands
and face are burned and hls hair and half
the eyebrows scorched.
Engineer Smith made statement describ-
| ing the manner in which the men escaped,
which shows they had a nerrow one. He
did everything possible with the help of
others to subdue the flames, but finding it
was useless he gave warning to those on the
pier to leave. He crawled out to the street
| by placing his hands on a rail track which
runs from the end of the pier. He believes
all got out The insura ce policies held by
| theDock Department on buildings on the pier
amount to $50, 600. These policies were as
signed by lnman to the Dock Department as
security for the lease held by them on
the pier from the Dock Department. The
| lease is for ten years, and dates from June
l. 1881. The pier ITSELF which is the under
structure it is stated, is not insured, and
| the damage to it will not amount to much
unless the spiles should be destroyed by
| fire. The cost of the shed on the pier is
said to be between s75 600 and $50, 600.
| Superintendent Brewalter, of the 1nman
Dock, stated the otal loss will amount to at
least $500, 600. He believed the Company
was partially insured on the pier, which
was built only last year at
a cost of $500 All the books, papers
aud documents are gone. The only prop
erty on the dock, with the exception of the
Egypt's cargo, consisted of old ropes, sails
| and lumber He considered nearly all the
cargo of the Egypt had been unloaded-
| w. ]. Herrat, of the National Line Com
pany, said the Egypt was not so much dam
| aged as might have been expected Her
sails and running gesr were all burned
away. The mssfs and stalking rigging, being
| of iron, remained intact The vessel was
| slightly damaged below by water. She will
be hauled in to the White Star Pier to-day
and the cargo fully discharged, after which
she will be thoroughly overhauled.