The state chronicle., 1892-06-15

DESTROYS OVER 100000 WORTH
OF PROPERTY
The Heroic Efforts Of Capt. DARIUS j .
Eiill Nearly Costs Him
His Life.


By Telegraph to the State Chronicle
BALTIMORE, Md, June l4.-One |
of the most destructive fires that ever
visited the water f"ont of Baltimore
started at 2:25 O'Clock this afternoon
on the Bay Line wharf, at the foot of
Union dock. A workman saw a flash
among the thousands of bales of cot
ton stored there and gave the alarm.
Almost before the great crowd of
workmen OF the spot knew it, the en-
tire water endge of the Bay Line or
properly speaking, the Baltimore
Steam Packet Co., was roaring furn-
ace Three hours later the ruin was com
plete and "a damage, moderately com,
putcd at 100000 had been done. The
immense wooden freight sheds lining
union dock 800 feet, the basin front
400 feet and the small dock at the
west 25O feet were mass of debris.
Thousands of dollars worth of baled
cotton, hogsheads of tobacco, bags of
four, barrels of whiskey and rosin, and
miscellaneous freight were destroyed
and the large brick freight and general
Offices, cotton storage shed, laundry
and private fire and lighting plant that
we're clustered with their regular quad
rangle Of the wharves were burnt out,
leaving erect only their stout brick
walls. Everything was roasting with
the heat of the day when the fire start
ed How it began no one knows.
Spontaneous combustion was suggested
by a dozen theorists, but there is no
certainty about the matter. The fire
did not stop on the Bay Line property,
but went farther to the north, and de-
stroyed the oil warehouse of James
Corner u Sons with its contents. This
structure WAS about thousand feet
Spreading from it the flames attack
I'd pile OF rosin barrels lying
on Union dock. 1t is we'll that they
stopped there for on the northern side
of Corners rosin shed was bricl
wall dividing the fire from an immens,
warehouse in which, besides barrels 0
oil, was huge iron tank containin!
$500 gallons of turpentine. Captain
Darius J. Hill, superintendent of tn
Packet company, was on the secon
floor of the office building. He foun
himself surrounded by flames and or
dered that four cmployees-la laundr,
men-be taken out. His mex
thought was for the Norfolk steame
Carolina Capt. Hill gathere
the demoralzed freight rusher
where the steamer lay and ordere
her lines to be cast off and she wa
thus saved The people about th
place made good their escape, but Cap
Hill waited too long and was badl
burned about the face and hands. II
lost good deal of valuable person;
property. In the meantime the fam
savagely attacked the barrels Of los
and spirits on the wharf and spread
the -FOUR -masted schooner "Ausust1
Welt loaded with ice, at the Cocbr a
Oler dock. Everything abo'
the waters edge was quick
destroyed and the flames COZ
municated to some adjoining vt
sells, several schooners and lighte
being badly damaged. The furnitu
factory of Hollander x Co four bloc
from the pier, was found to be abba
at O'Clock a relay of firemcn W.
promptly on the scene but could L
Get control Of the flames The facto
was destroyed. The loss on the fur
ture factory is $4,000. The to-
insurance is estimated on the do
vessels, etc, at $l55,0O0.