New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-02
THE INMAN COMPANY'S LOSS.
TOTAL, DESTRUCTION OF THEIR PIER.

RAPID SPREAD OF THE FIRE-A BRILLIANT SPEC
TAcLE-rHE LOSS ESTIMATED AT $5OOooo.
The fire which destroyed the Inman Pier, on the
North River at the foot of Cbarlton-s'., aj
broke ont in a small closet near the western Gnu
about 9 a. m. Probably 1t was caused py .h1 0i =;
lessness of some 1ongshoreman VINO VA ia not Seem
the closet contrary 70 %b .ne was first discovered
and had the Fire Department Deen .sad T6a
promptly the pier mig 9SDe ne was moored
t the south side of the pier and about Sixty long
shoremen we're at work transferring cargo from tne
vessel to the pier. About one hqnoreo men, eUn
Smith the engineer of the pier, who lives at NO. olZ
East Fourteeuth-st. was the first man 10 not ICE
face was nearly scorched by the flames which hlled
the place. Instead of sending an alarm al once
Smith called TO some of the other worHneh 10 ie S
The pumps In the englne-room were star,eu anu
a stream of water was thrown upon .he DurISS
closet Fifteen minutes w were check ' the
nrooress of the fire. which all that time was making
its wav under the flooring of the pier When the en-,
and his companions saw that their efforts were use
less Then alarm was sent out from the neaIes e
eboT Warning was fb sea fS 1nS en ram at
t to- food jos the boilers. Smoke rapidly. filled
with great difficulty that he made his way to the
ENTRANCE. He said afterward that he heard voices
about him. and he shouted to the persons 20
When fairly started the flames spread thr4hgn
the pier with great rapidlty. Inc VIM a olow
strongly from the rver IN atorg na .go could have
been devised for a great fire. The pier was ooO leet
in length and 75 feet wide, built entirely on woOoeh
spes 1t was two stories hlgn. me and ronf
Vas nartly of iron but the floors, SIDES ana r9oI
were of wood. Great heaps OF merchandise IN oales
and boxes lay the main oor wnlie on ene SCI
There was plenty of food for the flames anq plenty
of room for the fire to spread in. 1t required only
few minutes for the fire to mount mo tne seGonu
story and hurst through the roof at the end where
II had started Thence Its progress toWaIu Wy
shore end of the structure was eAceeClsIy Iabia
rbaro tho sitnatIon was growing alarming. The
crew was ordered to cut the hawsers ana push ny
vessel away from the burning iock. Gt 'I fono
6cer Pearson who was Ill command. nan MS laCo
badly scorched by the flames as ne sto3u OH tn1
bridge TO give his orders SuarteIhaSber o d
hands burned severely Others OF the crew also re-
ceived slight burns. The ice IN the me, SIP Was Mas
,vedoed so closely about the ships null that Inc
creW could not move it, Orders were given to make
signals of distress, and rockets anu pomT9 Nfdo
soon seen rising nigh above the names inc sly
nails were seen by the captains of several tugDOats
which sCon steamed to the rescue OF the SteduShlp
Ref1re bawsers could be passed 10 the VeSse, now
ever the intense heat had compelled most OF the
crow IN leave the deck. The sails were on
fire and all the rigging was smoklng. " hen Tue
tugbOats dragged the steamship OUT INTO the stream
the iron mates of the side next to the pier were so
bot that the pant dropping of. The masts
and spars we're of iron, but they were so hot that
flaye
thrown upon the vessel by the hreboat Havemeyer
until all danger was over -, =: =. a,
When the firemen reached the burning pier the
flames were within 100 feet OF the shore end, ana
If was seen that there no hope of saving the
structure. Three alarms had been sent out before
Chief Bates arrived at the fire. lie directed the
bremen 10 throw streams upon the front of the
@ tha nier Tueboats entered the
vessels. The Havemeyer took It's
station on the north side of the pier and threw ten
streams on the flames The Police BOAT faiTol soon
arrived and threw streams at the end OF ne per
For half an hour afterwards the ire MADE a display
seldom egualled. Along the entire Length, OF the
pier the flames rose Ill huge masses from the rooi
and sides sending up dense clouds OF smoke and
showers of sparks to great height Inc
glare was visible for many miles. FROM the boats
ON the river the spectacle was one OF extraordinary
spendor. Occasionally lloyd reports were heard on
the PIER caused probably by tHe exR2son o. cases
and after that there was constant crashing OF iai
ing timbers until the whole pier was IN ruins Ala
IN the lower floor of the pier was covered with the
bnrninq rubbish which was all that was left OF the
structure and its contents The flames In the debris
continued to make "A show all day long although
streams were poured upon the mass Dy the have
meyer and the fatrOl. e ,L ,eo. :; .ho
city Ii was built i'll 1850 at "A cost OF ABOUT S|OVoV
exclusive OF the shed. 1t was leased by the Dock
Department to the lnman Company on June l, 1851
for ten years. The cost oi tue tw3-sloIy s nno
erected by the Imam Company was about SS,OOO
1t was completed IN July last. lie structure con-
tanned offices for the superintendent, shore-captan
shOre-enRiIIeor ana vi Tue
the street There were also a blacksmith shop and
engine room on the ground hoOr OF the pier ana
dinnp-room for the cler6s and employees on the emu
next To the river The upper story was used for the
storage of incoming freight and was PROVIDED
with an elevator for hosting and lowering pack
ages n and from the trucks and the steamers BY the
terms of the lease the lnnan Company were 10 pay
$40 600 per annum and keep the pier IN gOOd re-
pair 1t was impossible 10 determine the losses ac-
curately Yesterday, because the books aud papers
in the office on the pier destroyed and 1t could
not be ascertained how much merchandise was
on the per. Mr.. Brewster, the superintendent,
said that he did not believe the losses would
exceed $4,000 The assurances on the pier
by the Inman Line to the Dock DepdTtment as
secnrty for the ten years lease held by them from
June |, 1881. They were placed as follows; I'm
perial of London, $4,000; Greenwich, $2'OO0
Liverpool and London and GLOBE, S0o oO;
Fire Insurance Association, OF England,
$4,000; Briish-American, of Toronto $9,-
600; Phenix, of London. $1,000; C0minerclai
S. 900 Manufacturers Fire and Marine Insurance
Company of Boston $4,000 and the Insurance
Company of North America, OF Philadelphia,
So 900. There were no assurances on the pier
The steamship Egypt brought to this port por-
ton of the cargo which was have been carried by
the CITY of Brussels, and about 5000 packages OF
various kinds of goods had BEEN discharged from
mated that the value of the goods taken from the
EQypt was about S250,00O. 1t was beheVed
by many persons that the goods already
OF the pier we're worth about as much more, ana
that the entire loss would be about $0oV'OOo ne
Eaypt was tOwed 10 the White Star Pier IN the
afternoon The damage to the vessel was estimated
at about So 000 the principal losses being the salIs
and paint. Slight damage was caused 10 tnc steanr
ship Chatahoochee, which lay at Tue pier SCUM ~
the one destroyed. There were rumors OF a Toss OF
life in the fire but they could not be verified.