Iron County register., 1900-05-10
FIRE IN NEW YORK HARBoR.
FreiRht-Covered Pier and Barges
Burned-StruggIes for Life and
Gallant Rescues.

New York, May IA 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 yester-
day morning, completely destroyed
the pier and its valuable contents. The
police place the loss at 100000. Sew
eral barges which We're moored near
the pier were also destroyed, and
many rescues of their, captains and of
the members of the families on board
we're made. Only one life was lost.
The nine-months-old daughter of Capt.
Charles I.ochs, of the barge Sherwood,
was drowned.
Rich Field for Flames.
The Mallory line pier was 200 feet
long and so feet wide. The pier shed
was filled with valuable freight of
miscellaneous character, but mostly
cotton. On the north side Of the pier
were moored Il number of coal and
cotton barges, while on the south side
was the steamer San Marcos and a
number of barges.
More Precious than Freight.
No sooner had the work of fighting
lhe flames begun than the frenen and
citizens turned their attention to saw
ing the lives of those on the barges
which were lying within the line of
danger. Nearest to the pier was the
barge stephen B. Ellins. Her captain,
frank Fox, and his wife, his three
year-old daughter and a baby were
en- beard and sleeping. A skid was
quickly run from the pier to the cOal
barge, the occupants of the boat were
awakened, and were hurried from their
hunks to a place of safety, before the
flames had reached them.
To Choose Between Wife and Babe.
On board the barge Sherwood We're
Charles Lochs, the captain, SO years
old; his wife, Lena, 80 years old, and
their daughter, Rosie, nine months
old. The Lochs family was awakened
by the flames. Their barge was al
ready on fire at the time that they
We're aroused from sleep. The father
took his nine-Iuonths-old baby in his
arms, and, with his wife, jumped into
the water. Capt. Timothy Boylan, for
merly in command of the barge New
Brunswick. whose home is at Rondout,
New York, plunged in to save the
woman, who had become exhausted.
Her husband, who still held the baby
in his arms. saw that his wife was on
the point of going down. Tt became
a question to him as to which he
should save, his wife or the baby. He
left the baby go in the hope that she
would be picked up by someone else,
and went to the assistance of his wife.
- ~
water until Boylan reached them. All
three were then landed by life lines.
The half-drowned captain and his wife
were removed to the Hudson-Street
hospital, where later they recovered.
A Rescuer Badly Burned.
On the coal barge S. II. Hand, which
lay alongside the other burning barges.
were the captain, Joseph Plumb, his
wife and two children. All were res
cued by the police, but Patrolma:l
Jeremiah was badly burned while TAX
ing one of the children 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 res
eued.
TOvyed to Places of Safety.
Three large vessels were lying SO
near the blazing pier that their safety
was endangered. They were the
steamer San Marcos and the steamer
Neueces, which were towed out into
1nidstrean., and the bark st. James,
the rigging of which was burned be-
fore she could be towed out of harms
way.
Most Exciting Scene.
The scene on the water was most
exciting one, for the river was filed
with steam craft engaged in towing
the various vessels and barges to safe
ty from their dangerous positions.
-Four cotton barges, others laden with
cornmeal and some loaded with coal
caught fire and were destroyed. Some
of them were also sunk to prevent the
further spread OF the flames.
Emptied of Their Tenants.
A number of buildings on South
street were scorched, and several were
emptied of their tenants, who feared
that the buildings would be burned.
TURKISH INDEMNITY MATTER.