New-York tribune., 1916-02-17
Pier 36. Destroyed and 8
Ships Damaged-Defec-
tive Wiring Blamed.
SKIPPER, ARM BROKEN,
DIVES AFTER WIFE
Tugs and Lighters Save Scores
Flames Under Control Al
ter Eight-Hour Fight.

Flames swept about the Atlantic
Basin before dawn yesterday. wiping
out Pier 80, nearly $2.000,000 worth
Of freight stored on it. and damaging
three steamships TO the extent Of about
$500. 900. No less than three hundred
persons were imperilled for time, but
toll of the damage reported last
night by the Police and Fire depart
ments showed that no lives had been
lost
Nearly every one who saw flames
leaping skyward at the end Of Pioneer
Street between o'clock and daybreak
yesterday thought that the hand OF
Germany had emblazoned the heavens
in promugation Of its bomb plot pol
lev. Subsequent investigation of the
fire tended to show that it was acci-
dental No circumstance indicated that
bomb or torch started il. Fire Marshal
Brophy reported that it was caused by
defective electric wiring.
The fire started in the Office OF Alex
sndor Nood, marine superintendent oi
the Barber Line, at the south end of
Pier SO. about 2:20 o'clock. II was dis-
covered by Henry Panning. n watch
man, and Matthew Sheehan, foreman
in charge of the unloading OF the "a
cifc Sheehan's first thought was o.
his men. and he had barely time to run
aboard and warn them. over the per
timbers soaked with creosote the flames
travelled rapidly, and a quantity oi
case oil. exploding from the intense
neat. hurled flames to places as YET uh-
touched. Within forty minutes the en-
tire pier was blazing strip, while here
and there on the waters OF the basin
lighters had caught ire.
For a time the piers Of the New
York and Porto Rico Line were in dan
ger. but the wind from .he northeast
freshcncd and kept back The flames,
saving the lives OF some forty men
from the Pacific, who had sought
refuge on the piel head. They huddied
together N the only spot on the wharf
tnat was not scorchcd. until rescued
by tugs Every available fire company
in the South Brooklyn district respond
Cd and. aided b. the iireboats New
YORKER and William jay Gaynor' fought
the flames for eight hours.
The Lascar crew Of the Bolton Castle,
Of the Union Castle Line. which was ~
the pier. leaped into the basin and
~are hauled out by tugboats and light
ers. An East Indian serang was OBJ
served perched on the forepeak of the
Pacific. also anchored at the pier. and
fremen shouted TO him to get ready 20
catch lire. He didn't understand
word of English. but in the emergency
he knew what they meant and. catching
the line or the first throw. made It
fast and slid like an ape to safety.
Captain B. " Smith, master OF tho
Bolton Castle, had a hard time saving
his wife, who was asleep at the time
the FIRE started. The couple rushed aft
over scorching decks and twisted
stanchions until they came TO cool
spot on the port side. Below them
were rescuers on a lighter that had
just come up 10 take off the Lascar
crew.
Captain Smith made fast line to
the ships rail I'm putting Mrs. Smith
over in loop his arm caught. and the
bone Of MS right forearm snapped.
Somehow Mrs. Smith slipped from the
lashiug and tumbled into the water.
Before hand could be reached out to
her from the lighter the disabled skip
per leaped over the side. cutting him
self badly on The ice cakes With his
right arm useless, he managed to swim
20 his wife and hold her up until men
from the lighter hauled her TO safety.
lie refused 20 90 to a hospital. and
after his arm was set remained by his
ship until she was out Of danger.
Captain MacLachlan, her master,
after reporting TO the Office OF Barber
&, Co., expressed the belief that the
fire was caused by an incendiary. He
said he saw no watchman on the ruined
pier when he returned TO his ship at
1890 a. m. about two hours before
the fire started. Officials Of the line
declared that the pier was well guard
ed, and confirm the statement Of Com
missioner Adamson that the fire was
due to defective wiring.