The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-06

SAo 600 worth OF Cotton Destroyed in .
Lighter.


The passengers on the Fall River line steamer
Puritan, which left her pier at the foot OF Muir
ray street go o'clock yesterday afternoon,
were entertained for nearly two hours before
the steamer sailed by a fire aboard a steam
lighter in the adjoining slip. The lighter was
owned by the Manhattan Lighterage and Trans
portation Company. and was freighted with
l,2s7 bales OF compressed cotton in transit to
Fall River and Providence from Galveston and
New Orleans. The cotton was loaded on the
lighter on Friday from one of the Morgan line
steamers at the foot Of West Houston street.
The lighter was towed into the slip between
Murray and Warren streets early yesterday
morning. and the cargo was to have been trans
ferred to-day TO the Fall River steamer City OF
Fall River, which was lying in the slip. 1t
was covered with tarpaulins, and Nicholas
Lorenzen was stationed aboard as Waterman.
He was lying down in the cabin OF the lighter
yesterday afternoon when a gang of wharf rats
came on deck preparatory to taking a swim.
LorenZen had chased them away a short time
before, but they returned as soon as he entered
the cabin. They were loungins around on the
tervals into the river. One o: the Puritan's
passengers who was watching the youngsters
from the steamers deck noticed smoke curling
out from one OF the cotton bales under the tar
paulins. A lighted cigarcie stump thrown
Sarelcssly aside had evidently started q blaze.
ton was on fire, and told them to throw over.
board. the bale that was burning. They paid
no attention TO his mma but scampered
The passenger quickly told the men on the
Fall River wharf. and in less than five min
companies were at the scene. The DIRE had a
start on them, however. and was a lrcady eating
its way through the heart OF the load. sending
clouds OF pungent brown smoke from under the
~tarpaulins. The freInen realized that they had
a difficult task on their hands, and reintorce-
ments were called. The ireboat Zophar Mills,
the wrecking tug Chapman, and one OF the
PENNSYLVANIA fire tugs came TO help the New
Yorker on the water side, while ha.f a dozen
streams frou. engines on the land side were
poured upon the cotton.
Tho fremen ripped the tarpaulins open and
pushed a score OF burning bales into the river.
and although the tireboats were now throwing
eleven powerful streams, the representatives
o. the lighteraSe company said that the fire
had too great Roadway Tor the cargo 10 be
saved. and arrangements were made to tow the
burning lighter out into the stream. The slip
was cleared. and the tireboats, hooking on 10
the lighter, towed her away, blazing more
icrcely than ever. although she had been flooded
with tons OF water. As she went out she listed
TO starboard suddenly, Jet:isoning a fourth OF
her cargo.
Basin breakwater, where they opened up her
cargo and drowned out the fire. turning her over
atterward 10 the wrccking tug Chapman. The
cargo was badly damaged. and the salvage
will be small. The cotton was valued al about
10000
While the hreboats were towing the burning
lighter into midstrcam one OF the wharf rats
who stood in the group on the Fall River pier
remarked:
"Hully smoke, she must have been set on fire
be a spark from tn am
Several men in small boats rounded up the
burning bales that were floating in the river
and took them 10 places where they could
shoulder TO the waters edge without danger
OF setting fire to piers and ships. During he
fire a spark set fire TO an awning on the third
West streets, but the fircmcn quickly put out
the flames with hand eNtinguishers.