The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-06-15
DESTRUCTIVE WHARF FIRE
One Million Dollars Worth of Property
Eaten by Flames at Baltimore.
Cotton, Whisky. Ships AMI Findings Quickly
Burned-0il 1t amer Struck by lightning
Twenty OF tie Crew Mis- ing.


Wharf, Freight Sheds, Goods and Ships
Burned, Causing u Loss of 81 ,OOO,00O
BALTIMORE, Md. June 14.-ODe of the
largest fires that ever visited the water
front of baltimore started few minutes
after o'clock this afternoon on the old
Daytime wharf, at the foot of Union dock.
The loss, as near as can be estimated. is
nearly s1,O0).Oo0. 1t was just the busiest
time of the day, and steamers. schooncrs
and tugs were plying the river in all direc-
tions. The fine old Daytime steamer Nlr-
ginia was anchored at the wharf, and the
freight steamer CASTOR was beside her.
fOur-masted ioe-schooner belonging to the
Cochran-Oler Toe Company was close to the
right side of the wharf. The freight-shed
OF the Daytime Company was fully stocked
with cotton. whisky and general merchan-
disc, consigned to foreign firms. The fire Is
thought to have originated In the cotton
by spontaneous combustion. Quick as q
flash the flames spread. Intense excite
ment reigned along the entire water front.
The Daytime wharf was destroyed. 1t
was five hundred feet long. with two hun
dred feet of water front. The wharf had
on it a large warehouse, big laundry and
the schooner Carolina and the Gas
ton could be towed from the wharf
they were badly damaged. Lying
by the Cochran-Oler wharf, just south
east of the burning pier were the fine four
mnsted ice scboopers. Wesley Oler, Name
Howard and William Writ. The flames
caught the rigging of the Oler. and then
the other sohoOners, eating at the maStS
aDd sails. Tugs were quickly on hand and
IN nH ha hnr tya.f Ia n % ar
streams from the tugs were turned upOn
the schooners and the flames were quickly
conquered, but not until considerable DAM
age had been done. Lying at the Cochran
Oler wharf. just north of the three schOon-
ers, was the four-masted schooner Angus
tus Welt. sheet of flame shot from the
burning wharf, and soon the schooner Welt
was a mass of flames. Her rigging and
cordage was burned away. her masts and
hull charred. and the new and handsome
vessel was soon q blackened wreck, Two
baroes laden with cotton were moored TO
the Bay line harf. and before relief could
reach them the cotton was loss and the
barRes burned.
All around the Bay-line wharf were
warehouses, stored with tons of the most
infiammable material, and the fremen
worked like beavers to prevent spread OF
the flames The heat at times was distress
ing. and many of the tiremen were COM
PEELED to strip 20 their skins Many of
them were exhausted by the heat. During
portion OF the time the work was i'm
peded by streams of molten resin that
flooded the streets and ran into the water.
At the Office of the Bay-lIne Company
the officers were unable to state definitely
the loss. I'VE cannot tell what the loss is"
said Treasurer Ball, because We don't
know what was on the wharf. We do
know, however, that there were five
thousand bales of cotton there. worth from
$40 to $50 bale. and one thousand barrels
of whisky, worth from $50 to SIS a barrel.
house Company of Louisville. Tho other
freight and our wharf property will bring
the loss up to nearly 81 100000. The insur-
ance was placed by Franklin Dubois. of
New York, and cannot begin to toll the
amount. know we always carry very
good line of insurance, however"