Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-05-10
A PIER DESTROYED.
A Fire at New York Burns the
Mallory Pier.
SEVERAL BARCES ALSO DESTROYED.


New York, May IA fire that
started at the river end of the NAL
lory 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 Sl,OOO,OOO. Several barges which
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 nine-months-
old daughter of Capt. Charles Lochs,
OF the barge Sherwood, was drowned.
The Mallory line pier was 200 feet
long and so feet wide. The pier shed
was filled with valuable freight of a
miscellaneous character, but mostly
cotton. On the north side of the pier
were moored a number of coal and
cotton barges, while on the south side
was the steamer San Marcos and
number of barges.
No sooner had the work of fighting
the flames begun than the firemen
and citizens turned their attention to
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. Elkins. Her
captain, Frank Fox, and his wife, his
tIEee-months-old daughter and
baby were on board and sleeping. A
skid was quickly run from the pier to
the coal barge, the occupants of the
boat awakened and were hurried from
their hunks to place of safety be-
fore the flames reached them.
On board the barge Sherwood were
Charles Lochs, the captain, So years
old; his wife, Lenna, 80 years old,
and their daughter, Rosie, nine
months old. The Lochs family was
awakened by the flames. Their
barge was already on fire at the time
that they were aroused from sleep.
The father took the nine-months-old
baby in his arms and with his wife
jumped into the water. Capt.
Timothy Boylan, formerly in com
mand of the barge New Brunswick,
whose home is at Rondout, N. Y,
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 a 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 some one else,
and went to the assistance of his wife.
He managed to 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 re-
covered.
On the coal barge S. H. Hand, which
lay alongside the other burning
barges, were the captain, Joseph
Plumb, his wife and two children.
All were rescued by the police, hut
Patrolman Jeremiah Cronin was bad
ly 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 endangered. The steamer San
Marcos and the. steamer Neuces,
which were towed out into mid
stream, 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 filled
with steamer craft engaged in tow
ing the various vessels and barges to
safety from their dangerous posi-
tions. 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.
A number of buildings on South
street were scorched and several were
emptied of their tenants, who feared
l..