The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-01
BIG WHARF WRECKED
Baker & Co.'s Warehouse and
Dock Demolished.
THE DAMAGE ABOUT s25. 900.
Steamship Haytisn Republic Pulls the
Structure Over While Trying TO
Lxud Against the Wind.

completely demolished about 10 o'clock
last night while the steamer Haytian Re-
public was trying to make landing. The
wharf and the warehouse, which extended
along tie greater part of its length, went
over into the water on the north side and
fiattenet. out like pancake. The ware
house WAS filled with merchandise valued
at about $50, 900. 1t will cost at least So, 500
to replace the wharf and warehouse. SO
the damage will not fall short of 81, 800
The barometer bad been very low dur
ing the afternoon and about dark got
down to 2a9. A heavy gale was expected
Dut it did not come. About o'clock
stiff breeze sprung up and when the Hay
tian Republic entered the harbor at 10
O'Clock there was strong wind from the
southwest. The ship came in very slowly
and approached the wharf cautiously.
The Eaytian Republic came in from
Portland about $50 o'clock. The wind
was bloying stiff gale from the south
west, and. as she came in at an angle with
the wharf with her starboard squarely to
windwari, she drifted over against the
southwest corner of the wharf with con-
siderable force. though she had but short
DISTANCE to drift and seemed 10 come up
against It slowly. The structure shook
and swayed northward its entire length.
Wharfager W. F. Newell and two long
shoremeri named Jack Lynch and George
Melse We're out on the end of the wharf
taking the vessels lines and they did not
seem 20 anticipate any danger. The bow
line was made fast and the vessel then
began setting astcrn with the wind. The
men on the wharf were waiting for the
breast and stern lines. when the bow line
frightened up and the movement of the
vessel astern pulled the whole wharf and
the big warehouse on it over into the
water, total wreck. The building flat
tened out as soon as it struck the water,
exposing huge mass Of merchandise,
some of which hoated, while sugar and
other heavy commodities sunk imme-
diately.
The three men on the outer end of the
wharf were carried down with the wreck.
Had they been inside the building they
would probably have been killed when it
struck the water and collapsed. They all
escaped without even q scratch, Newell
being the only one who even got wet. DR..
+. S. Palmer. assistant health officer, was
for the boat to land to inspect her passen-
gers. Police Officer John Sanstrom and
Customs Inspector w. L. Meredith were
with him, and when they felt the wharf
going they ran like reindeer, just barely
getting outside the door when the collapse
came.
NJ. Harding, the night watchman, was
also in the building, but not so far. out, as
he did not feel safe in going out to the ex-
IRENE end to help handle the lines When
the boat first struck it shook the wharf so
it scared him, and he would not venture
out. He escaped from the building lust
ahead of Meredith, Sanstrom and DIR.
Palmer.
A rowboat was Immediately secured and
Newell, Lynch and Melse rescued from
the wreck. They were all badly scared
when they felt the structure falling, but
had time enough to compose themselves
before they were gotten out, SO they all
came up smiling.
The vessel then took circuit out in the
harbor and, after lying out there for some
time, she ran over to the City dock to dis
charge her passengers and freight. She
was quite Il while making landing there
against the heavy wind, though the wharf
is comparatively well sheltered. Capt.
Ross and Pilot Harry Strive both gave
substantially the same account Of the acct
dent as above related.
Capt. Ross said one of the men on the
wharf was standing squarely between the
boat and the corner of the building as the
vessel was drifting in, and he was afraid
the Tenders might give way. so the ship
would come up against the building and
crush him. The captain and pilot both
shouted at him to get out of the way, but
he did not seem to move until after the
boat struck. He then turned around as
il 10 run assay, but the captain told him
there was DO danger now and to throw the
line over the post. 1t was about two
minutes after this before the wharf fell.
Police Officer eanstrom, who was one of
the three who had such marrow escape,
said: Il was standing on the wharf be-
tween the freight house and the shore
when l felt the shock as the boat bumped
up against Il the first time. | walked out
into the house where DIR. Palmer, Mere
dith and Harding already where Then
the wharf began to shake violently, and
all OF us had foot race to get out of the
house, which was all in pieces quicker
than j can tell it. The walls fell outward.
the root canie tumbling in and the whole
thing went crashing down into the water"
Just before the accident some of the men
on the wharf noticed long white rowboat
pulled by Ole man just astern the steamer.
He pulled up alongside of her on the out
side. Then when the crash came the boat
shot out ahead, its occupant pulling TO the
south az hacd as he could Officer Glass
cock shouted at the top of his voice for the
man TO turn back and look after the three
men who went down in the wreck, but he
paid 10 attention and was soon out of
sight The officers are of the opinion that
he had pulled alongside to land some
smuggled opium.
The warels ouse was 40xl20 feet, and was
owned by David Gilmore. II was ex-
tended about sixty feet a year ago. and
covered pilas were put in throughout,
so the piles could not have been worm
eaten. Where the outer piles were driven
the water was over seventy feet deep, and
as the warehouse contained a large
amount OF freight. the wharf went over
very readily when ii once got started.
The structure cost about s., 800.
The STEAMER Wilmington DISCHARGED
about ., 400 tags of sugar from Vancouver
for Spencer Il Co.. on the wharf on Tues.
day. and this was the heaviest loss, as but
little of it had been hauled away.
About 400 or 500 rolls of paper
pulp from the Lowell paper mill, which
was stored there to be taken to Portland
by the Wilmington, were also lost. There
were Also aDout two carloads of canned