Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-14

street and the Georg, Roberts by Horner &
Roberts coal dealers OF No S Wood street.
Tic three burned boats were side by side
opposite Market street in row of others
drawn up along the wharf last evening. The
wharf has been unusually crowded during
the past few days, most of the vessels wait
ing On coal, and they were sided in
close together. 1t was about o'clock
when somebody noticed flames creeping
Up out Of the engine room of the Twilight:
q few moments later the fire burst out all
ever her. An alarm was sent in from box
Nc. :, Market and Water streets. Engines
J, and had scarcely gotten started when
tie Chief called out companies 4, 10 and 10.
The River Seemed TO BE AbIaze.
In tl3c meantime the Twilight had become
Il -reav floating furnace her dry tinbeEs af-
forGing excellent fuel for the flames. Efforts
We're made to get some Of the other steamers
out of the way, but fen of them had steam
up and they could not be moved away. The
flames spread rapidly from the Twilight and
-Ee Eagle and George Roberts We're soon
uolaze. Tho moorings of the latter were
3o0sene1 and she was towed out into the
stream by the Dauntlcss. The wickets were
mp II Davis Island dam, and there was no
Current to carry the burning craft down the
river to DO more damage below. She was
soon beyond the reach of the 1irelnen, and
a. the flames were relieved of the half
q dozen streams that had been playing on
them, theysho5up with redoubleG briEiancy.
FIoatcd Ont Beyond the Engines.
When the George Roberts floated to the
middle Of tne stream the climax OF the scene
vna rcscacd. Down On the bank the other
two boats were burning 1lercel- in spite of
jl.c efforts of the iremen. Through the
heavy clouds Of smoke and steam roll
4rD=, 1oai 11ao +ad h,,11 fl,o
spectators could see the destruction of the
george Roberts going on unchecked in mid
stream. EycrytEin" above water was at q
white beat. The flames seemed to be coming
Ti-i;J cut OF the river The broad, ripping
surface OF tllc 1Tonongahcia flashed back
thousand CLEANS OF light, dancing fantastic
GldCcs 0yeG Tic water.
: dozen skifs soon put Off FROM the
shore and lowered around the dying river
gigDt. The wind once caught the burning
l.5at and swung it clean around. Then the
szits lgd to scamper. She finally dr1fted
10 IL south bank and a stream was put ON
her, but % little effect
Fought the Fire From the Barges.
BY this time the flames in the Twilight
8ud Eagic were gotten pretty well Ender
control b- the 1lreEen, who aimed their
streams from the surrounding stcameIs ana
barges. Another boat mcvet up the river
and turned a search iignt On the smoking
ruins, enabling the 1i:cm to quickly finish
their work. The Intensified rays penctIat-
sing the clouds of smoke cast :. ,8if. rr-per;
Tight over the waters. making the surround.
ing objects appear ghastly Ia the gloom.
While the lire was IL progress the wharf
was crowded with spectators. 1t is eSti- !
1Ma;cd that over 5000 people watched
The three boats burn. The red glare could
De plainly seen in all parts of the city and 1
Tor half an hour long trains of people !
sJrgcG along the streets toward the wharf. |
The crowds were enabled TO get a perfect |
view OF the 11re without interfering with |
the work OF the department. and they i
were allowed to satisfy their curiosity uI- |
molc-tcd. The George Roberts, while burn /
5nL. Gritted once against the coal bargeS of /
Joseph Walton Z Co, on the south bank, |
turned on them and the blaze eXtinguished. !
Histories of the Ruined Boats.
THE George Roberts is a comparatively |
new boat, and is owned by Horner & Rob I
eTts, NhO refused an offer of 600 for her |
few months ago. She was valued at SI5O0O |
and had no insurance, the reason being that /
fhc premium or marine insurance is so high
that the firm, owning q number of boats,
carries its OWn insurance.
The Eagle was built about four years ago
and is owned by Phillips & Mittenzwei who
valued her at $4,000 and carried $1,000 insur-
ance on her.
The Twilight was owned by c. lutte & Co..
and was valued Mt about $4,000, on which
there was 5000 insurance. The Twilight |
WAS built Tor the excursion trade in 1884, and |
her Iirst business was towing the excursion |
barge Alice. Later she was used as n tow
Scr the MaynOwer. and continued in that
Capacity for number OF years.
This last fire gives Chief Brown another
argument N favor of the city purchasing a
lire boat. Captain Marshall S. Reno an Old
Siyerulan. said last night:
'N9N Chief Brown VIII get his fireboatand |
fEis city ought TO have one by all means /
HEhY, ii there had been a stiff wind blowing |
they coaldnt have saved a boat below |
tie Smithfeld street bridge here tonight |
1T was simply a godsend that there was no
ETind. Even the bridge would have suffered, \
and it ig were winter and the river had been |
frozen up, as it ls sometimes in the winter |
It would have been next to impossible to have
saved solitary boat from the Point to the
3. S o. depot. 4 1ireboat there tonight |
would probably have prevented the loss of |
the Twilight and the Eagle and would have |
partially prevented the loss of the Roberts" Z" |
The last big river fire here was in 1857 |
when eight boats were burned up at the