New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-27
WHEAT GOES UP IN SMOKE.
TEN THOUSAND TONS BURNED AT PORT
COSTA CALIFORNIA.
GREAT WAREHOUSE, THREE FINE SHIPS AND
FORTY CARS ALSO DESTROYED-THE
Loss ESTIMATED AT 100000
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRInuSr

lBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSEI
San Francisco, Aug 26.--One of the McNear
wheat warehouses at Port Costa, the largest on
this coast was burned carly this morning, with
about 10000 tons of wheat, while three ships
that lay at the wharvcs ready to take cargo were
destroyed, as well as forty-two cars belonging 10
the Southern Pacific Tho total loss is estimated
at s700, 900, but it will take several days to get
the exact figures Only hard work prevented the
destruction of two other huge McNcar warehouses
as well as the Nevada Warehouse adjoining
The fire was discovered by the night watchman
of Warehouse No. l, in which the flames broke out.
He said the whole end OF the building was in
flames before he detected anything wrong. An
alarm was sent out but few fremen could be had
and no tugs were at hand. As the wind was from
off shore it was seen at once that the American
ship Armenia and the British ships Honauwar and
Kenilworth would go also unless they could get
clear of the wharf. There were only four men on
each, and they could not manage the large vessels
in time. Almost in moment the fire was leaping
up the rigging, and by the time the vessels were
cast off they were floating pillars of fire drifting
away across San Pablo Bay and lighting up Marc
Island Navy Yard, Vallejo and the surrounding
county for miles. The ship Langdale luckily
escaped. The crews of the Others jumped over
board when the fire spread in order to save them
selves. Several japanese narrowly escaped suffo-
cation, and one Chinese cook is reported lost
Meanwhile on the shore the efforts of the fire.
men, led by young McNear, succeeded in stopping
the flames just before they reached the second
warehouse, that was piled high with new wheat.
One engine, which was at hand, was utilized to
save cars loaded with wheat, but the heat was so
intense the work had to be abandoned and forty.
two loaded cars went up in smoke
Mr.. McNear estimates his loss at $3.50 900.
mostly covered by insurance. His chief loss is
in apparatus for carrying the work of grading
and loading wheat. The Armenia was owned by
lloughton Brothers, of Bath, Me, and was worth
about 100000 She was wooden vessel. The
captain says he doesn't know whether she
insured or not, and the consignees are not in
formed keniworth is fine English ship built
of iron. She will not be total loss although
her cargo, cabin, etc. have been entirely destroyed.
1t is supposed that she is insured for her full
value, which is estimated at Sl50000. The
Honauwar was owned by Thompson d Co, of
st. john n. b. Her estimated value was S45, 900
TO $4,000. She. il is believed, fully insured.
The lire Is thought to have started from a wheat
grader and to be due to a spark from an engine
that smoldered all night in some bit of wood and
then broke out in the early morning. The ar
ran gements for putting out the fire at the ware
house were nearly perfect and comprised q system
Of perforated pipes the roof, but as in case of
Hotel Del Mond, which provided with the
same apparatus, the flames spread SO rapidly it
could not be used. Port Costa warehouses handle
fully half of the wheat crop of the State and three
quarters of the export.