Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-02-16
Loss Of Nearly $4,000, 900
Caused by Fire on Brook
lyn Water Front.
SCORES OF MEN
UNACCOUNTED FOR
Members Of Ships Crews, Mostly
Coolies, Missing and Believed to
Have Been Lost-Two British Ves-
ssis Laden With GasoIene Consigned
to Allies Destroyed, With Large
Number Of Tenders and Barses.

New York, Feb. 1s.-The steamships
Bolton Castle and Pacific and a 900
4 foot pier belonging to the New York
Dock Company. at the foot Of Pioneer
street, Brooklyn. were destroyed early
today by the most disastrous fire on
the Brooklyn water front in years.
Another steamer, the Pallazia, was
danager, about twenty-fiv scows and
lighters were partly or wholly burned
and upwards of forty Of the coolies
from the Bolton Castle and Pacific
were missing after the fire. The loss
is estimated at considerably more than
S2.000.0o0.
lnesndiarism Suspected.
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 intended for
the Russian government, to be de-
livered at Vladivstok.
watchman aboard the Bolton
Castle; discovered that the buildings Of
the pier were on fire soon after /
o'clock this morning.
The blaze spread so rapidly that the
officers and crews OF the steamers and
lixhters lying at the pier were COM
PEELED either to leap overheard or to
seek safety aboard other lighters or
TUGS which hastened to the rescue.
Many Men Rescued.
AI,st vfa I,,tvHu
were surrounded by a fleet Of about
fifty lighters and barges, on each of
which there were one man or more
Some Of them were compelled to jump
overheard.
FIremen and policemen dragged
many from the waters to adjoining
piers and others were rescued by tug
boats or fire boats.
Two Missing Police Say.
Six hours after the fire started the
police said they had accounted for all
but two OF the missing persons. It
was then believed the loss Of life would
not exceed that number. Late reports
placed the estimated property loss at
$3.000,000. A statement issued on be-
half OF the agents for the owners Of
the steamships Bolton Castle and the
Pacific said their investigation thus
far has failed to develop any evidence
whichNleads to the conclusion that the
fire was Of incendiary origin"
Many Unaeeounted For.
The captain OF. the Bolton Castle was
able after the fire to account for only
forty-two Of the sixty three persons
composing the ships company, while
the captain Of the Pacific could ac-
count for but thirty-five of the sixty
members Of his crew. Most of the
missing were coolie stokers.
Capt. Benjamin Smith, Of the Bolton
Castle, and six Of his crew made their
escape from the burning vessel by
crawling hand over hand on a rope to
a barge. Mrs. Smith fell into the wa
ter but was rescued by sailors. All
the rescued persons were given shelter
on q near-by pier.
Hest Drives Firemen Away.
When the first company OF fremen
reached the scene the pier was blazing
SO furiously that they could not gain
access to It. The Pallazia was towed
into the stream 200 yards or more of
the dock but It was Impossible to move
the other steamships. Fire boats
saved the Pallazia but could not make
progress against the flames Of the
{ other two vessels.
The Bolton Castle was loaded with
gasolene for Russia and this fed the
flames. The boilers Of both the Bolton
Castle ana the Pacific blew up when
the fre was at its height completing
the work Of destruction. Several
barges loaded with gasolene lying near
the steamers were destroyed.
Bolton Castle British Vessel.
Fire boats prevented the spread OF
the fire to adjoining piers and by day
light had 1t under control.
The Bolton Castle, a British vessel
of 1859 tons arrived here on Feb. s
from Singapore. The Pacific. Of 2.612
tons. arrived from Hull. England, yes
terday. Both belong to the Castle
line. The burned pier was leased to
Barber q Co. steamship agents, and is
believed to have been filed with mer-
chandise. Including war munitions.