The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-11-02
GERMANS BLAMED
FOR BLAZE
Three DEAD, 26 MISSING
I'm MUNITIONS FIRE PLOT
British Steamship Is Sunk and
Warehouses Are Destroyed,
In Baltimore Fire.


Brownley and two sailors of the Brl-
tish steamer Kerry Range are known
to be dead and twenty-six sailors
and employees on the piers of the Bal
timore and Ohio railroad which were
wrecked by fire are missing. 1t is
believed that some of these made
their escape and the number of dead
probably will not be definitely es-
tablished today, but officials of the
railroad are convinced that more
than fifteen persons lost their lives
when the big piers burned.
Tha tthe fire was of incendiary orl-
gin has been established beyond a
doubt, and one suspect has been ar
rested and turned over to the United
States authorities. He is John Wit
terman, said to have been seen run
ming away from the pier a few mo
ments before the blaze. The federal
authorities expect several other ar
rests this afternoon.
All doubt as to the origin OF the
fire was removed by statements from
the Baltimore and Ohio's guards and
firemen stationed at the pier. A few
seconds before the flames broke out
in five sections of the pier these
men saw what appeared to be rock
cts going up from half a dozen
places on the pier. These were fol-
lowed by muffied explosions and the
flames came Immediately. Less than
FIVE minutes before the entire struc-
ture was in flames the chief had
made a complete round of the pier.
- Officials of the Baltimore and Ohio
this morning fixed the loss at $5,-
100000. This is covered partly by
the railroads replacement fund and
policies with insurance companies.
Declarations that the fire was of
incendiary origin, probably started
by German spies, were made by Sc
cret service men and the police.
Huge quantities of American NUM-
tions were destroyed. p,
While secret service operatives
this morning were pushing their
probe into the disastrous blaze that
last night and early today destroyed
vast quantities of grain and NUM-
tions of the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road piers at Locust Point. another
blaze broke out in the Baltimore and
Ohio shops at Riverside Park, about
q mile from the scene of the first
blaze. The blaze this morning was
promptly checked.
Latest estimates place the loss in
excess of s5,000,O00.
Vice President J. M. Davis, of the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad, said it
was the belief of the railroad Off
cials that the blaze was of incendi-
airy origin, as credible witnesses stat
ed that they saw flames leap from
piers 8 and 9 at five points almost
simultaneously.
The total loss will be over $4,000,
600. Of this, which is said to be a
conservative estimate, the piers rep
resented value of s1,500,000, the
goods stored on them $S,OO0,O00,
and the steamer and cargo $500, 900.
The steamer. which docked yester-
day afternoon, had on board eighty
anti-submarine shells from British
port. These exploded with loud re-
ports when the ship took fire. The
ship was scuttled and sunk.
Chief of Police Leigh, of the Bal
timore and Ohio, began an investi-
cation Immediately of the report of
the pier watchman that he saw five
or six men jump from pier 9 just as
the flames broke out. The piers
have been under guards for a num-
Der of months.
Several months ago a quantity of
dynamite was found in a loaded
grain car in one of the elevators of
the railroad at Locust Point. The
grain was intended for one of the
allies The car was traced to it's
loading point in the central west and
found to have been loaded by Aus
trian stevedores.
Pier 10, loaded with wheat for ex-
port, was in danger of being burned
early today, and only a fire wall
stood between the fire and this pier
and two others. Baltimore and Ohio
officials felt confident of saving these
piers.
number of departments of JUS
-