Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-07-17
SEVERAL BADLY BURNED
AND TWO ARE LOST
Passenger Steamers. Barees and
Other Craft Are Victims to Rapidly
Spreading Flames and Monetary
Loss 10 Estimated to Reach Nearly
One Million Dollars.

NEW YORK, July 16.-Four hun
drod thousand spectators witnessed
This afternoon the most spectacular
pier fire since the Hoboken disaster
.oa years ago, IN which $50 lives
wore lost. As far as can be ascertain
ed. two men persisted during today's
conflagration. rne monetary loss
will run between ST50,0Q0 and 81
000, 900.
Pier IA, of the Metropolitan Steam.
ship Line. on the Hudson river at the
foot OF Fulton stree. was practically
destroyed. The structure cost
100000
The freight steamer II. +. Dimock.
OF the same line, whicn was lying
pbngside the pier. caught ire and
drifted. blazing, out into the river,
where fire boats and tugs extin-
euished the flames. Two of her
crew, all twenty-eight OF whom jump
ed overheard. are missing. The YES
sells upper works we're destroyed,
her cargo was soaked and scorched
and she was otherwise BABY damag-
ed.
Six 6ars>s Destroyed.
Six barges, lying between piers IA
and 15, were destroyed and the pas
senger steamship harvard, Of the.
Metropolitan Line. xaf bdd1 SCOTCH
I'd. She was towed 10 "a fE;at of
safety, however. and departed for
Boston on schedule time tbs evening.
For time IL was feared that the
entire water front north Of Fulton
street, was In danger. The blaze was
one of the stubbornest that the fire.
men have contended with IN years
and twenty-five land engines. six FIRE
boats and one water tower we're
pressed into service.
As the fiame5 swept through the
piers to the close-lying bsgss. the
crews we're forced to leap into the
water, from where ropes and boat
hooks pllled them into safety Two
men remained aboard barge too
Tong and were badly burned. but aside
from the missing members OF the
Dimcck's crew, no fatalities have
been recorded tonight.
Difficult TO Handle.
Chief Croker said tina; the fire was
enc of the hottest he had ever
If his men would be atle TO face the
heat. bat when the wind shifted to
the north, the firemen on land got
chance to approach close and play
their streams effectively. The police
arrangements were good and, not
wfthstsading the great crowd there
were no accidents of consequence.
During the blaze, adjoining piers to
the north were several times threat
ened and pier 10, occupid By the
Brunswick Steamship Company, caught
fire more than once. Sparks flew to
the Delaware, Lackawahna & yves
tern ferry house beyond. igBitfng
the cribs several times and suspend
ing ferry service. A host of ire
craft on the river and the massed
land forces kept the blaze from sweep
ing these structures.
Men Badly Burned.
At least one lighter. between the
two lower piers, was burned and sew
ersl others were damaged. Two men
on one lighter we're badly burned
tofore they jumped and were rescued
from the water by q fire boat
Accounts Of how the FIRE caught
vary. A case OF matches on the pier
caught. was one report. while accord
ing TO another witness. the fire first
started on the steamer Dimock and
communicated to the pier
The Dimock was hauled cut into
the river by tugs. her upper works
blazing forward amidships. A 1cef
OF FIRE boats and other craft gather
I'd around ner and dcluged decks and
rorehold as the steamer gradually
rrfrfad dorm fra river