The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-05-07
The Captains and Members Of Their Families
Rescued With Difficulty.
CAPT. loCws YOUNG CHILD DROWNED
The Captain Jumped Inc tho Wafer With The Babe,
but Lot Il 60 10 Order 10 Save Ms Vile.
fIrsmsn Did Good Work.

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 yesterday
morning completely destroyed the pier
and its valuable contents. The police
place the loss at $l,000,000. Several
barges that were moored near the pier
were also destroyed, and many rescues
of their captains and OF the members
of the families on board were made.
Only one life was lost. The 9-months-
old daughter of Capt. Charles Lochs OF
the barge Sherwood was drowned.
The Mallory line pier WAS 200 feet
long and 80 feet wide. The pier shed
was filed with valuable freight OF
miscellaneous character, but mostly
cotton. On the north side OF the pier
were moored a number OF coal and cot
ton barges. while on the south side was
the steamer San Marco and a number
of barges.
No sooner had the work OF fighting
the flames begun than the firemen and
citizens turned their attention 10 the
work OF saving the lives OF those on
the barges, which were lying within
the line OF danger. Nearest TO the pier
was the barge Stephen b. EllSins. Her
captain. Frank Fox. and his wife. his
3-months-old daughter and a boy, were
on board and sleeping. A skid was
quickly run from the pier TO the coal
barge, the occupants on board were
awakened and were hurried from their
hunks to place or safety before the
fiames had reached them.
On board the barge Sherwood were
Charles Lochs the captain. 36 years old
his wife. Lena, 20 years old, and their
daughter Rosie. months old. The
Lochs family was awakened by the
Ilames Their barge was already on
fire, at the same time that they were
aroused from their sleep. The father
took the 9-months- old baby in his arms.
and with his wife. jumped into the
water Capt. Timothy Boylan. former
~ in command of the barge NewBruns-
wick. plunged In to save the woman.
who had become exhausted. Her hus-
band. who still held the baby I'm his
arms, saw that his wife was on the
point of going down. 1t became a ques-
fion 10 him as TO which he should save.
his wife or baby. He therefore let the
baby go. i'm the hope that she would
be picked up by soIhe one else. and
went to the assistance of his wife. He
managed 10 hold her head above 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.
on the coal barge = II. Hand. which
lay alongside the other burning barges
the captain, Joseph Plumb. his wife
and two children. were all rescued by
the police, but. Patrolman jeremiah
Cronin was badly burned while taking
one of the chidren ashore.
Michael Sheldon of the lighter Char
no was compelled 10 jump into the wa
ter, from which he was rescued.
Three large vessels were lying so
near the blazing pier that their safety
was endangered-the steamer San Mar
CO the steamer Nueces. which were
towed out into midstrsam, 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 q most
exciting one, for the river was filled
with craft. nearly all of which was en-
gagged in towing the various vessels
and barges u safety from their don
gerous positions. Four cotton barges,
Others laden with cornmeal and some
loaded with coal caught fire and were
destroyed. Some of them We're also
sunk to prevent the further spread Of
A number of buildings on South
street were scorched and several were
emptied Of their tenants. who feared
that the buildings would b. burned.
Henry Mallory said regarding the
fire: II have no idea how the fire
started and I can form no adequate
idea OF the loss. The entire pier is de-
stroyed. together with the offices and
other buildings on the bulkhead.
II cannot tell whaH our Immediate
plans will be. or when we shall begin
20 rebuilt. Our books and other docu-
ments are destroyed and / cannot say
anything about the insurance at pres
Snt. The only positive irformatio that
1 can give at presenh is that Fortunate
ly there was not the usual amount ot
freight on the pier. as the Comal sailed
at 3 o'clock on Saturday afternoon and
cleared up most OF the overflow. I pos
itively cannot fix the origin OF the fire.
give the amnurt OF damages or approx
innate the amount of Insurance."