The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1900-05-10
BIG PIER BURNED
New York Fire That Cost
About $I,ooo,o 900.
MANY PERSONS BARELY ESCAPED
Several BarEes Moored Near the Pier
Were Destroysd-Child Drowned
-Buildings Scorched.

New York, May S.-A fire that start.
ed at the river end of the Mallory Line
steamship pier, at the foot Of Maiden
Lane and the East river early this
morning. completely destroyed the pier
and its valuable contents.
The police place the loss at $1,000.
600. Several barges, which were
moored near the pier, were also de-
stroyed, and many rescues of their cap
tains and of members OF the families
on board were made. One life was
lost. The 9-months-old daughter OF
Captain Charles Lochs, OF the barge
Sherwood, was drowned.
The Mallory pier was 200 feet long
and so feet wide. The pier was filled
with valuable freight. mostly cotton.
On the north side of the pier were
mOored number of coal and cotton
barges, while ON the south side was the
steamer San Marios and number of
barges.
No sooner had the work of fighting
the flames begun than the fremen
turned their attention to saving the
lives of those on the barges which were
lying within the line of danger. Near
est to the pier was the Darge Stephen
B. Elkins. Her captain. Frank Fox,
and his wife and 3-months-old daughter
were on board sleeping. A skid was
quickly run from the pier to the coal
barge and the occupants of the boat
were awakened ana were hurried from
their hunks to place of safety before
the flames reached them.
On board the barge Sherwood were
Charles Lochs. the captain. 36 years
old; his wife Lenna, 80 years old, and
their daughter, Rosie, 8 months old.
The Lochs family was awakened by the
flames. Their barge was already on
fire. The father took the 9-months old
baby in his arms. and with his wife
jumped into the water. Timothy
Boyle, formerly in command of the
barge New Brunswick, whose home is
at Rondout. N. Y, plunged in to save
the woman, who had become exhaust
ed. Her husband, who still held the
baby in his arms, saw that his wife
was on the point of going down. 1t
became q question with him as to which
he should save. his wife or baby. He
let the baby go, in the hope that she
would be picked up by some one else,
and went to the assistance of his wife.
lie managed to hold her head above
water until Boyle reached them. All
three were then landed by life lines,
the child being lost. The half drowned
captain and his wife were moved to the
Hudson street hospital, where they re-
covered. On the coal barge II. III.
Hand, which lay alongside the other
burning barges. were the captain,
Joseph Plumb, his wife and two chill
dren. All were rescued by the police.
Patrolman jeremiah Cronin was badly
burned while taking one of the chill
dren ashore. All hands on board the
lighter Arno got ashore safely. Michael
Sheldon, of that boat, was compelled
to jump into the river. from which he
was rescued.
Three large vessels were lying so near
the blazing pier that their safety was
endangered. They were the steamer
San Marios and the steamer Neuces,
which were safely towed out into mid
stream. and the bark st. James, the
rigging of which was burned before she
could be gotten out of harms way.
The scene on the water was a most
exciting one. The river was filled with
steam craft engaged in towing the vari-
Gus vessels and barges to places OF
safety. Four cotton barges, others
laden with cOrnmeal and some loaded
with coal caught fire and were de-
stroyed. Some of them were also sunk
to prevent the further spread OF the
flames.