Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1892-06-16
A MILLION DOLLARS.
losses by Fire at Baltimore Noar-
ly That Amount
STARTED IN The AFTERNOON.
business Lively ON Dock and River When
ConilagratiOn Disoovered-spon-
taneous Combustion In
the Cotton.

BALTIMORE, Nd, June IS. One Of the
largest fires that over visited tho water
front OF baltimore started few min
utes after ? o'clock yesterday afternoon
on the Old Bay line at the foot Of Union
dock.
The loss, as near as can be estimated,
is nearly 81 100000
II was just the busiest time of the
day, and steamers, schooners and tugs
We're plying the river in all directions.
The fine Old Bay line steamer Virginia
was anchored at the wharf and the
freight steamer Castor was beside her
A four masted schooner belonging to
the Cochran-Oler Ice Co was close to
the right side of the wharf. The freight
shed Of the Bay line was fully stocked
with wines, whisky and general mer-
chandise consigned to foreign firms
The fire is thought to have originated
In the cotton by spontaneous combus
ton. Quick as flash the flames spread.
Intense excitement reigned along the
entire water front Tho bay line wharf
was totally destroyed 1t was about
800 feet long and 200 feet water front.
The wharf stood on large warehouse,
a big laundry and newly erected office
building. Before the schooner Carolina
and the Gnston could be towed from the
wharf they were badly damaged. Lying
at Cochran-Oler's wharf. Just southeast
OF the burning pier, were the fine four
masted ice schooners, Wesley, Oler,
Mamie Howard and William Writ The
flames caught in the rigging Of the Oler,
and then the other schooner, eating at
the masts and sails Tugs were quick
ly on hand and towed the burning YES
sels TO safety. The streams from the
tugs were turned on the schooners and
the flames were quickly conquered, but
not until considerable damage had been
done.
Lying nt the Cochran-Oler wharf Just
north of the three schooners was the
four mastcd schooner Augustus Welt
A sheet of flame shot from the burning
wharf, and soon the schooner Welt was
a mass Of flames Her rigging and cord
age were burned away, her masts and
huh charred aud the new and handsome
vessel was soon a blaclSened wreck.
-Four Of the sailors wero on the cross
trees when the fire broke out and they
hastily scrambled 10 deck They lost
their effects which wore in tho bunis
The estimated damage 10 the schooner
is 5000; insured by tho individual
owners The ice Is valued at ~ ton,
of which there werc 600 tons on board
All around the Bay Line wharf were
warehouses, stored with tons OF the
most iniiammable material, and the
iremcn worked like beavers TO prevent
a spread of the flames Tho heat at
times was distressing and many Of the
hremen We're compelled 70 strip TO their
skin Many OF them were exhausted
10y the heat
During portion Of the time the work
was impeded by streams OF molten resin
that flooded the stree Is and ran into the
water At the office OF the Bay Line
co. the officers were unable 70 state
definitely the loss. I'VE cannot tell
what Is the loss" said Treasurer Bell,
'hccausc we don't know what was on
the wharf We DO know, however, that
there were 5000 bales Of cotton there,
worth from $40 to $50 bale, and 1000
barrels Of whisky, worth from 900 to
SIS a barrel The whisky came from
the Peoples Warehouse Co, OF Louis
Vile, KY The other freight and our
wharf property will bring the loss up
10 nearly 81, 200, 600. The insurance was
placed by Franklin Dubois of New !
York, and can't begin to tell the
know we always carry
very good line Of insurance"