The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-04-28
BURNED TO WATERS EDGE
A S2,OOC,OOO FiRE ~ NEWPORT
NEWS SHIPPING.
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Com.
pany Los 100000 Big
Elevator Saved--list OF Cos.

Newport, News, Va, April 27.-Two
piers i'll smoulderlng ruins, three vessels
burned to the waters edge, large tug
boat completely destroyed and eight per-
sons more or less seriously burned, is the
story of to-day's contiagration in Newport
News.
The flames were discovered in pier five
about 4:15 this morning and spread with
such remarkable rap.dity that It was lm-
possible to make any headway against
them. A fierce north wind famed the
flames into a fury and swept them across
the docks to pier six, which was soon also
burning furiousy.
The British steamship Ciintonia, which
| was loading with oil, tobacco and general
merchandise at pier five was soon ablaZe.
Tugs pulled her out into the middle of the
river, where an Intellectual battle was
waged at terrible odds against the flames
| that were raging in her intlammable car.
go. She was burned down to the water
| line at 10 o'c;ock tonight.
I The Norwegian steamship Solveig.
which was load ding grain at Pier five, nexI
! caught fire. The crew of this ship man
aged to escape by climbing down the haw
| sers to the pier.
l. Meanwh>a the Chesapeake and Ohio
tug Wanderer which caught fire soon af
| ter the fire broke out had burned to the
| waters edge.
The German sailing ship ]. d. B;schoff
| taking on slaves. from the north side o.
| per six, caught fire. The flames obtain
I ed such hold on her that they could not
| be conquered and she went to the bottoms
at SIX o'clock this afternoon.
/ Tho arayy nf This vnScpl had q yary-
| row escape from being cremated. They
/ were aroused by a Swede named John
| Anderson. and were only rescued with
the greatest difficulty, after the Captain
| and boatswain had been badly burned
| The hard northwind and the heroic eff
| forts of the fire department saved the
| large grain elevator of the Chesapeake
and Ohio company from destruction. The
| fire was rapidly spreading across the con-
| yeyors that connect the elevator with the
piers, but with the aid of a locomotive
| and an immense chain, the conveyors
supports were pulled out, the conyeyors
| themselves torn down and this danger
averted.
| At one O'Clock this afternoon the fire
| had spent its fury and was well under
! control.
The injured so far as it is known are as
| follows:
Captain Forrest, of the tug Wanderer,
! slightly burned about the face and hands.
| John Diggs, mate of the Wanderer,
| badly burned about head and arms.
Captain Krite, of the ship B;schoff,
| perhaps fatally burned and the boats
| vain of the same vessel, who was terri
| bly, burned about the arms.
| There are vague rumors OF many per-
sons having lost their lives, but they cam
! not be traced to any reliable source
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Co.,
! put their loss at about 100000
which is fully covered by insurance. The
| total loss, including the three ships and
| their cargoes, the tug Wanderer and the
merchandise on the piers will iprobably
reach two million dollars. ,....-
! The principal insurance companies car
I rying policies on the merchandise on the
piers are the Virginia FIRE, and Marine;
| Aetna; New York Underwriters: North
American Fire Association of Philadel-
phia; Mutual of New York; st. Paul In
surance Company; Commercial Union
Queen; Lancaster; German American !,
+ Western Canada; Pennsylvania; Della
ware; Hartford FIRE Company; Hanover:
| West Chester; Liverpool; London and
Globe; Sun Fire Insurance Company;
Scottish Union; Greenwich Royal.
: The insurance on the piers is carried
bya large Insurance syndicate.
/ The steamship Clintonia was owned by
Robinson and Sons, North-Shields; The
Solyeig by G. Nicholson and Sons, Ber-
gen, and the ]. ID. B:schoff by J. J. Bis
choff Bremen