Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-02-02
4 Big Wharf Fire

1 d.L n QT4aY
fire Is now raging at the foot of Charl-
ton street, North River, which lights uu
the whole city. The premises are occu-
pied by the Inman Liverpool line of
steamers.
The steamer wharves and vessels are
burning, and several of the latter were
towed ont OF danger, but no, until the
hsmes were succeeded by three fearful
explosions.
LATER--The fire now seems to be un-
der control. The steamer Egypt, of the
National line. has been towed. blazing.
into the middle of the rver. She only
arrived on Tuesday. The Inman and
Guion lines are in that immediate
neiohborhood.
LArEsT.-The I1man pier, in this city.
took IRE about 2:15 am. The steamer
Egypt, of the National hne, which an
rived yesterday with the cargo Of the
Arion steamer City of Brussels. was at
the pier and had discharged most of her
cargo, which had not been removed
from the dock. Guns and rockets were
fired for tugs, and the Egypt was towed
into the stream with her rigging some
what damaged. The warehouses, which
were built of pitch pine. and much
freight, were totally consumed in few
minutes. About l30 Iaborers were on
| the pier at the time the fire broke ont,
and 1t IS believed all got off, but there
are fears that some lives were lost. The
fire Il imposed to have caught from a
labOrer's pipe. Although smoking is
prohibited the men break the rule clan
destinely. and conceal their pipes in any
convenient place on the pier. The
Guion lines pier was threatened, as the
wind blew the flames IN that direction,
but all we're confident of saving that pier
| If the steamers Nevada and Alaska
| cOnld be got from alongside. The loss
| will not exceed 100000.
Another Account.
| The Inman line dock was burned this
morning. Loss, between $4,000, 900 and
| "a OO0,OOO. The fire broke out at 2:30
Am. The flames ran swiftly through
| the sheds and warehouses, and by 3
O'Clock the immense dock was one mass
of flames. From the remotest parts of
town, in response to frequent alarms,
| the tire apparatus came laundering
down. The heat was SO great that ef-
fective work from land or river was
nearly impossible. At 3a.m. the steam
ship Egypt, lying at the dock. was towed
out in the stream, all ablaze from steu,
1
spars, bore the flames To the rigging o.
numerous other vessels lying at anchor
| Nearly the entire Fire Department of
the city was on hand, but many engines
could not be utilized. At $3.50 the spec
tacle WAS grand in the extreme. The
river front, for many hundred feet, was
abiaze. All attempts to save goods Oh
| the lnman dock were abandoned and
| the work of the firemen was concen-
| trated on the Guion line dock, adioin
ing. The famous ship of that line, the
| Al ,ska, W q in the greatest danger. Tug
boats and ferry boats were making Of
forts to save her by hauling her into the
| stream.
At y am. the Inman dock was still
burning. Most of the buildings on the
pier and contents are now consumed.
The loss is roughly estimated at 81 ,0C0,-
600. The steamer Egypt, of the Ma
tional line, at the pier, caught fire, but
WAS towed into the stream and the flames
extinguished after she had been greatly
damaged. The Fire Department and
two fire boats are at work orfsthe flames
of the large covered sheds on the pier.
Nothing remains save fragment of the
framework at the entrance, that tOtters
in the wind and may fall any moment
/
I'd down to the piles upon which it rest
cd. Tho flames are yet playing hide
and seek amid the wreck, and licking
up the remnants of a $l.0O0,0C1 bonfire.
Great throngs of people surrounded the
scene of dssOlation. The National lines
steamer Egypt lies out in mid stream,
with her port side scorched aud her
J standing rigging burned and blackened.
STILL LATER.-Beyond the pier itself
! and contents, the loss proved inconsid-
cradle. The Egypt IL an iron ship, and
$1,000 or 5000 will mend her injury. In
iwonty-four hours she will be III sailing
order. The wind blew directly in from
the river and carried the smoke and
ashes in over the city, to the embarrass-
ment of the iiremen, but TO the advan-
ta2e of surrounding shipping, which
Was thereby saved from total destruc-
ton. The Savannah steamer Chatta-
noochee, which lay at pier %, was ex-
posed to the full effect of the flames.
She WAS badly scorched. Her crew was
ON hand with hose and pumps, and saved
her fron utter destruction. The OCEAN
Steamship Company's dock was not
damaged at all: At the pier on North
thirty seventh street the full-rigeed ship
Henry A. German was unloading soda
ash. She caught fire and was towed
out in the stream with her rigging
afiame. She, however, Was not badly
injured, and was tOwed over on the
Jersey flats. An Eris barge, loaded with
flour, caught from the ship, and vain ef-
forts were made to tow her ont. The
woodwork ON the deck caught fire, and
the deck load Of flour. in bags, was par
TALLY burned. A large quantity of
crockery in crates, carboys of acid and
other merchandise, WAS stored in the
warehouses, aud when the saving OF the
burning pier was given up AS hopeless
task the firemen concentrated their
whole energy To the protection of these
goods, and succeeded we'll. Although
the fire broke out again and again, the
bulk of the merchandise was neverthe-
less saved.
| About 60 'longshoremen were at work
on the steamer end of the pier. unload
ing the Egypt, when she tire broke out,
and il WAS feared some OF them had
been burned. This fear has, in a great
measure, been dispelled thus morning
by the statement Of the engineer, who
discovered and fought the fire till the
tiremen came. Amos smith, the ensi-
ussr, wss In the engine room, on the ex-
treDe end of the per, attending to his
duties, when the fire broke out, and was
the first to discover it. He fought the
flames for fully quarter of an hour,
and claims to have been tho last to leave
the pier. His hands and face were
burned, and his hair aud eyebrows
scorched.
Engineer Smith has made statement
, describing the manner in which he es-
, capped. He showed that he had mar
row one. He did everything p,ssible,
with the help Of Others, to subdue the
flames. bat findHg il Was useless, he
gave warning to those on the pier to
leave. He crawled cut to the street by
placing his hands on the rail of the
track which runs to the end of the pier.
Insurance policies were held by the
Dock Department. ON the buildings on
the pier. 10 tho amount of $4,000. The
: policies were arranged by the inman
. line to the Dock Department, as security
for the lesse held by them on the pier
frosn the Dock Department. The leass
Q is for ten years, and dates from June
: Lat, 1881. The pier itself, which is ths
a uuderstructure, u is stated, Is not in.
a | sur<d and tina damage To IL will moi