The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-05-07
MALLORY WHARF FIRE.
Pier and Its Valuable Contents Totally De
stroytd Yesterday.
POLICE PLACE LOSS ATA MILLION DOLLARS
Most of the Freight Consume Il Con-
sited of Cotton-OnIy Life Lost
Was that of an Infant.

New York, May ga fire that starte
at the river end OF the Mallory line steam
ship pier at the foot of Maiden Lane an
the East river this morning completed
destroyed the pier and its valuable con
tents The police place the loss at $1,000,
coo. Several barges which where moore,
near the pier were also destroyed aft
man rescues of their captains and of tn
members of the families on board wer,
made. Only one life was lost The 8
months-old daughter of Captain Charles
Lochs OF the barge Sherwood wa
drowned.
The Mallory line pier was 200 feet Ion,
and fifty feet wide. The pier shed wa!
filled with valuable freight of mscel
laneous character, but mostly cotton
On the north side of the pier were mooret
number of coal and cotton barges. while
on the south side was the steamer Sar
Marcos and a number of barges.
/ No sooner had the work of fighting the
flames begun than the firemen and citi.
zens turned their attention to saving the
4 lives of those on the barges, which were
lying within the line OF danger.
On board the barge Sherwood were
Charles Lochs, the captain his wife and
their daughter Rosie. months old.
The Lochs family was awakened by the
flames. Their barge was already on fire
at the time they were aroused from sleep
The father took ten 9-mnoths- old baby in
his arms and with his wife jumped into
Nhn yutG al N INN thu an
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.
1t became question to him as to which
he should save, his wife or baby. He
therefore let the baby go, in the hope
that she would be picked up by someone
else, and he went to the assistance of his
wife. He managed TO hold her head above
water until Boglan reached them. All
three were then Nndei by lifelines. The
half-drowned captain and his wife were
removed to the Hudson street hospital
where later they recovered.
On the coal barge s. II. Hand which
lay alongside the other burning bargcs
were the captain, Joseph Plumb, his wife
and two children. All were rescued by
the police, but Patrolman jeremiah Gro
min was badly burned while taking 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 rescued
Three large vessels were lying so near
the blazing pier that their safety was en-
dangered. the steamer San Marcos and the
steam Neuces. which were towed out into
midstream and the bark st. James the
rigging Of which was burned before she
could be towed out OF harms way
The scene on the water was a most
exciting one. for the river was filed with
steamer craft engaged in towing the va
rious vessels and barges to safety from
their dangerous positions. Cotton barges,
others laden with corn meal and some
loaded with coal, caught fire and were
destroyed Some OF them were also sunk
to prevent the further spread OF the
flames
number OF buildings on South street
were scoTched and several were emptied
OF their tenants. who feared that sac
buildings would be burned
Henry Mallory said: Il have no idea
how the fire started, and l can form NO
adequate idea of the loss. The entire
pier is destroyed. together with the Offices
and other buildings on the bulkhead /
can not tell what our immediate plans will
be or when we shall begin to rebuild Our
hcols and other documents were de-
stroyed. positively can not fx the origin
of the fire, give the amount OF damage
or approximate the amount of the insur-
ance."