New Britain herald., 1916-02-16
TWO STEAMERS AND PIER ON
 BROOKLYN WATER FRONT A ARE DESTROYED BY FIRE
Third Steamship and Twenty-Five Scows and , Lighters Partly or Wholly Burned--Loss
 More Than $3,OOO,0O0
INVESTIGATION FAILS To PROVE THAT
 BLAZE WAS OF INCENDIARY ORIGIN

BoiIers Aboard Bolton Castle and
 Pacific Blow Up When Confagra-
 tion Was at Its Height-Officers
 and Crews Aboard Doomed Craft
 Forced to Jump Ovcrboard-Sailors
 Rescue Captain Smiths Wife.
 New York, Feb. 16.-The steam ships Bolton Castle and Pacific, and ? 900-foot pier belonging to the New I fork Dock Co.,, at the foot of Pioneer Street. Brooklyn, worc destroyed early today by the most disastrous fire on tho Brooklyn water front in years. Another steamer, Pallazio was dam aged, about twenty-five scoWs and lighters were partly or wholly burned, and two coolie3 from the Boston Cas- tie and Pacific were missing after the fire. The property loss is cstin- nted at moro than s3.000,00o
 The origin of the fire is unknown but suspicious that it was incendiary were aroused because of the fact that some of the steamers were loading with war munitions some of which TSas intended for shipment to the Rus sian government and to be delivered at Eladivostok.
 Blaze Spread Rapidly.
 4 watchman aboard the Bolton Castle discovered that the buildings on the pier were on fire soon after 1 o'clock this morning. The blaze spread so rapidly that the officers and crews of the steamers and lighters ly- Ing at the pier after vain effort to pSevent the spread of the flames to ! their vessels, were compelled either to [ leap overheard or to seek safety | aboard other lighters or tugs which ] hastened to the rescue:
 The three steamers lying at the ! pier were surrounded by fieet of about thirty lighters and barges on each side of which was one man or rRore. On some of the barges were : the wives of the captains.
 Had To Jump Overheard.
 Some of them were compelled to 1 jump overheard to escape the swift l onrush of the flames. Bremen and l policemen dragged many of them out 1 of the water adjoining piers and oth | CTS were rescued by tug-boats or fire l bdats It was not known early today | whether all had escaped death.
 Capt. Benjamin Smith of the Bo1- | ton Castle and six of his crew made l their escape from the burning vessel l by crawling hand over hand on a rope l to a barge. Mrs. Smith fell into the | water but was rescued by sailors. All l the rescued persons were given shelter on a nearby pier.
 Pier Blazing Furiously.
 When the first company of firemen reached the scene the pier was blaz- ing so furiously that they could not gain access to it. The Pallazia was lowed into the stream 200 yards or more off the dock but it was impossi- bIe to move the other two steamships. Fire boats saved the Bellgrano but could make no progress against the flames on the other two vessels.
 The Bolton Castle was loading with gasoline for Russia and this fed the blaze. The boilers of both the Bolton Castle and the Pacific blew up when the fire was at it's height completing tho work of destruction. Several barges loaded with gasoline lying near tho steamers were destroyed.
 Fireboats prevented a spread Of the fire to adjoining piers and before day light lad it under control.
 War Munitions OH Pier.
 Tie Bolton Castle, a British vessel of 3,6S9 tons, arrived here on Feb. 6 from Singe pore, Port Natal and St. Lucia. The Pacific, of 2,612 tons, ar rived from Hull, England, yesterday. Both belong to the Castle Line. The eburned pier was leased to Barber & 5 Co, steamship agents and is believed to have been filled with merchandise. Including war munitions.
 statement issued on behalf of the owners of the contents of the steam ships Bolton Castle and Pacific said that their investigation thus far has failed to develop any evidence which VsouId lead to the conclusion that the fire WAS of incendiary origin"