Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-09-03
FIRE IN WASHINGTON.

instruction of the Steamer W W: COR
SSacalester Slightly Damaged.
,noot quarter 10 six O'Clock This morning
10 sfeamer w. W. Coroorsn, lying at
the soo,b street wharf, Washington. was
o ,ned 10 be Oh fire, and the flames gained
lO pab besdwsy that It proved impossible
su1n % the steamer and she vas loosed from
w. moorings and pushed out into the stream
NC, dor to save the Charles Manchester and
Il. H.sor steamers which we're lying close to the
o ~ ,ated boat. The tide was running up at
w. lime and what wind was blowing was
W., w, the south, and the burning steamer.
Ho mass of fame, WAS soon borne by
u";Od and tide in dangerous proximity to the
inner George Leary, which was lying a
'Sn,r distance to the north, and in few
sSiontes the after portion OF the latter Has
l uts The greatest CONSERVATION PEE
vsiIed along the river front, as there was
ar, reason to suppose Wholesale copta-
s's'ion would follow, nearly all the steam
nving on the river being punched to-
satbsr within radius OF two or three
ssnsres. The Are engines we're not long In
esrivIng upon the scene, aud having the
n'ssr to feed their apparatus lost no time in
aandipp copoDs streams upon the Corcoran
~ cell as upon the half dozen other boats
'S,satened. with destruction. The flames
,rs-e sneeaily subdued on the Leary, as we'll
~ m the Manchester, both OF which bad also
csoObt. but the damage to either was slight.
Tbs Corcoran, however, continued to burn,
,ba fire roaring and cracking through the
,oht good, turpentine. paint and oil, and
~ a abort time, after having been lowed by
,ba tnps Hanson Reyes and Potomac to the
onnoai,e flats che had burned down to the
wa,e,'s edge. Que casualty occurred, q COL
orad bow about fifteen years old. who was
aboard the Corcorau, having Jumped over
hoard and drowned. The unfortunate boy
had iunDed aboard to asssi In removing
the steamer from the dock and had been
carried ont In tbs river on her. He later
anpea,ed at one of the eangways, toward
which the flames we're then licking thsir
ssy with fearful rapidly, and the crowd on
the wharf, who saw his peril, shouted to
him TO lump overheard, but the boy, being
unable 10 swim WAS 10th to do 80.
His agony of mind was piteous 10
behold. Desth stared him 10 the tate
In TWO forms. He wss fully aware Ct
the fact that should he remain on the burr-
ing steamer he must inevitably perish, While
the terrible alternative of trusting himself
to the water offered but the ghost OF show
of escaping death. 1t grew hotter and hot
tar and the Games approached 80 close that
he was st leRrtn compelled 10 quit the eaue-
vsv, spd erssp!pg the iron hand-hod which
passed from the gapgway around the paddle
boxes Of the steamer he moved slowly alorg
the projecting guards. Doubtless the Iron
had become SO hea ed that 1t was impossible
for him TO hold on any longer, 30 needing
the advice of the crowd he jumped. but no
preparations had been made for his reacue
and he drowned 10 the sight OF q Thousand
people. His body was soon afterwards re-
covered by the police boat. The fire broke
out forward Of the wheel house and orlRl-
mated in the furnace room. The steamer
had landed an excursion party at her
wharf atcer midoighs and the fires had
been banked. Captain Eskridge, of the
ferry steamer City of Washington, was one
OF the first to discover the fire, and pro-
ceeded immediately to the Corooran's dock,
and with the aid OF others who subsequent
ly arrived showed the burning boat from the
dock. Had che been allowed to burn where
che lay terrible conf agration would have
followed. Not only would almost the entire
Potomac flotilla have been destroyed, bot
untold damage would have been done to
property on the river front. The Corcoren
was launched In Wilmington. Del, 10 1879,
having been bEilt specially for the Mount
Vernon route. She was comparatively 8
small steamer, intended for short runs. She
probably cost somewhere between thirty
and forty Thousand dollars. Forward of
the wheelhouse she bore striking resem
blapce to the steamer Wawsset, which was
burned short distance below Maryland
Point August s. 1873, by which disaster
about one hund7ed people lost their lives.
PERSONAL Mrs. Marye and her dsugh-
ter. Mics May, have returned from Cnlpeper
Mrs. P. J. Dempsey and her daughter
Miss Hester, have returned from Uppervilie.
Misses SalIie and Kate Stusrt have re-
turned from trip through the North.
MI. L ,aia Darru Of Indiana La visiting