New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-18
MORGAN PIER BURNS
STRIKERS AID COWPANY.
Damage of $500, 900 Uhen Structure
and Merchandise Ire Destroyed.

A IRE which caused damage or more tndn
half a million dollars and which was watched
by more than 10000 persons broke out last night
shortly after $50 o'clock the Morgan Line
pier of the Southern Pacific Steamship system.
at North River and Canal street. Before it was
completely eXt!nguished it destroyed the entire
pier. Hundreds of striking 'longshoremen, as
soor as the fire was discovered. ran to the pier
and helped save merchandise valued at thous-
ands Of dollars But this pier Is known 10 the
longsh0remen union pier they having
settled their differences with the company some
time ago. For time 1t was thought that the
Savannah Line pier would catch fire. but by
hard work this prevented.
The fire discovered by Jacob Holz,
watchman. it broke out at the extreme west
end of the pier, which stretches out into the
North River for $50 feet He informed ]. 7.
Wiclbart. the head watchman who sent in
private alarm from the offices of the company
on the pier BY the time the fremen arrived
the fire had gained much headway and Battalion
Chief Norton, who first on the scene i'm
mediately sent in n second alarm. The firemen
had a great deal of difficulty in reaching the
pier. owing to the condition Of West street at
this point. A long freight train of the New
York Central Railroad drawn across the
street, adding to the difficulty. BY the time
the fremen got TO work the flames were eating
through the roof of the pier and could be
for miles around
Moored on the north side of the pier the
steamer Proteus in yesterday from New Or
leans. AS soon the fire was discovered the
tugs El Chico. FL Poro and FL Amigo, of the
same line. ran alongside and towed her out into
midstream. The three-masted schooner Pc
nobscott also wss tied up to the pier. and She.
too, was tOwed out into the stream. Lying at
the Savannah Limo pier was the steamer city
of Columbus The wind carrying the sparks
toward her, and she was toxed to safety
Chief Croker, who had arrived on the scene.
sent in another alarm. and directed his men
protect the other piers in the neighborhOOd. The
Savannah Line pier got Il thorough drenching.
and this prevented 1t from catching fire. The
hreboats George B. Mcclellan and Abram S.
Hewitt up the river at full speed. and i'm
medately tied up alongside of the burning pier.
one on each side, and worked wonders with their
powerful streams.
While the freboats were busy at their work
the police boat Patrol. under the command of
Captain Hermann Schlottman. nosed her way
up into the slip. and. with the tug Eva May.
towed out the lighter Convoy. belonging 10 the
Southern Pacific company. The lighter was
laden with bales OF cotton. and 1t was discov-
cred that she ablaze The lighter
tammed in between the Mcclellan and the city
dumping pier south of the burning pier, and it
strain that the lighter finally was towed into
midstream. where the fire was extinguished
The fire by this time had eaten It's way the
whole extent of the pier. the flames reaching up
many feet into tho air. Shortly after T:3O
o'clock the roof of the pier fell in with a crash
but no hremen were within harms way Short
ly after ) O'Clock. Chief Croker announced that
the fire was under control. but that the pier
would be total loss. The origin is unknown
Of he
Line. who on the scene. said that the dam
age would amount to over 100000. He said
that he did not knew the cause OF the fire. and
II doubtful if IL ever would be known. He
said that hts company had had no trouble with
the striking freight handlers. they had settled
their difficulties some time before. More than
four hundred men were employed on the pier. he
said.
Deputy Police Commissioner Bugher early
the scene Captain "Bll' Hodgins
of the Macdougal street station. Commissioner
Bugher Immediately the need of more po-
nCemen, and sent in a general call for all the
| reserves of the Second Inspection District The
city dumping pier. next to the burning pier. on
the south, crowded with sightseers. and 1t
was feared that 1t would collapse The police
aided by the hose of the firemen quickly cleared
the pier after many had received good drenCh-
ing. Ferryboats crossing the river added their
whistles 10 the general uproar, and many of
them listed badly the crowds hoCked to the
rail nearest to the fire.
The action Of the strikers in helping
much of the valuable merchandise of lumber
oil onions cotton. etc, helped to cut down the
loss TO a great extent The of the destruction
of the pier was received with feeling of regret
at the headquarters of the strikers last night as
the Southern Pacific Steamship Company had
been one of the first to accede 10 the longshore
mems demands.
Men from engine companies - and II at one
time were fighting the fire from the lighter
river. once il became so hot that the f1remen
We're obliged to turn their pipes upward. so
that the water would fall back on them. To make
IL possible to maintain their position. No lives
are known to have been lost as the only ones
on the pier at the time were the watChmen and
they have all been accounted for.
The officials of the Jersey Central Railroad.
| which has pier next that of the Morgan
Line had some anxiety over the fire. and the
tugs Rosebelle and Flemngton, of that line
towed out upstream several heavily laden car
floats out of harms way. The river in the
neiehborhood of the fire was n network of tugs,
whose captains were evidently anxious to share
| in the salvage.
AmbuIancrs and surgeons We're on the scene
from St Vinceut's and the Hudson Street hospt-
| tails and the police surgeons and department
chnplains also responded on the third alarm.
The police patrol boat later reported that the
| lighter Eliza. laden with cotton. also took fire
! before she was towed into midStream The fire
| on the Eliza eXtinsuished without great loss
The schooner Prescott, from Belfast, loaded with
! pig iron, and the barge Mary Lewis, also were
| tOWed blazing out into the stream, but in both
| cases the fire was eXtinguished by the patrol
| boat.