The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-07
One Life Was Lost and Many Persons
Had Very Narrow Escapes from
Death by Fire or Drowning.
PREDICAMENT OF A CAPTAIN
HAD TO SACRIFICE HIS BABY IN Or
DER TO SAVE HIS WIFE.
Policeman Badly Burned I'm Making q
Rescue-Exact Loss and Insurance.
Not Available to the Public.


at the river end of the Mallory line steam
ship pier at the foot of Maiden lane on
the East river. early this morning COM
pletely destroyed the pier and its valua-
BILE contents. The police place the loss at
s1,0co0OO. Several barges which were
moored near the pier also were 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 fifty feet wide. The pier shed was filed
with valuable freight of a miscellaneous
character, but mostly cotton. On the
north side of the pier were moored a num-
Der of coal and cotton barges. while on
the south side was the steamer San Marcos
and a 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 three
board 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 place OF
safety before the flames had reached them
COULD NOT SAVE Roth.
On board the barge Sherwood were
Charles Lochs. the captain. thirty-six years
old; his wife, Lena, thirty years old, and
their daughter Rosie. nine months old.
The Lochs family 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 command OF the barge
New Brunswick. whose home is at Rom
dout, N. Y, plunged in to save the woman,
who had become exhausted
Her husband, who sill held the baby in
his arms. saw that his wife was on ths
point of going down. 1t became question
to him as to which he should save. his
wife or his 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
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 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, but Patrolman jeremiah Cronin
was badly burne,- while taking one Of the
children ashore. All hands board the
lighter Arno got ashore safely. Michael
Sheldon, of that boat. was compelled TO
jump into the river. from which he was
recued.
Three large vessels were lying so near
the blazing pier that their safety was en-
dangered The steamer San Marcos and
the steam Nueces were towed out into
midstream. together with the bark ST.
James. the rigging of which was burned
before she could be towed out Of harms
way.
EXCITING SCENES.
The scene on the water was most ex-
citing one. for the river was filled with
steamer craft engaged in towing the vari-
GUS fcsStiS anu Ddfbcc 10 cdltit lIotu lutif
dangerous positions. Four cotton barges;
others laden with corn meal and some
loaded with coal caught fire and were de-
stroyed. Some OF them were also sunk 90
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 that the build
ings would be burned.
Henry Mallory said regarding the IRE:
81 have no idea how the fire started. and
I can form no edaquate idea OF the loss.
The entire pier is destroyed. together with
the Offices and other buildings on the bulk
head. My brother Charles sailed for
Europe on the Teutonic, ten days ago.
and he will remain abroad two months.
Notwithstanding this catastrophe. I cam
rot tell what our immediate plans viii be.
or when we shall begin 10 rebuild. Our
books and other documents were destroyed.
and 1 cannot say anything about the In
surance at present The only positive in-
formation that / can give at present II
that fortunately. at the time OF the fire.
there was not the usual amount OF freight
on the pier, the Comal sailed at o'clock
OF the overflow. i positively cannot fix
the origin OF the fire. give the amount OF
damage OF approximate the amount OF the
insurance..
FertfIirer Factory burned.