Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-10-31
GERMAN AGENTS fire BALTIMORE DOCK
Is MISSING; $4,000,
600 LOSS REPORTED
Baltimore, Md, Oct. German agents are
believed to be responsible for the S., 100000 fire
which swept Baltimore harbor early today

~A SAA> *~SSSOSNSS 40 ~
harbor early today.
Chicago gunner Brown
and the rest of the sailors
from the British Steamer
Kerry Range which burned and sank.
are said to be dead. Between 20 and
rs other members Of the crew had
not been accounted for up to noon to.
day and it is feared they. too, may
have been lost. Michael ]. Hand, q
clerk, was also missing today.
One suspect was taken into Gus.
tody today. He gave his name az
John w. Hitterman.
Eighty shells stored on the vessel
for the antisubmarine gun. exploded
below decks, endangering the lives OF
the firemen.
The fire broke out at five different
places simultaneously. Piers eight
and nine were completely destroyed.
They represent loss Of $500 900.
Thir contents. mostly war materials,
awaiting shipment to the allies, were
valued at $3.OOO00O. The steamer
which was lost and Its cargo were val.
ued at $5OOOO0.
The flames spread to pier ten, which
was loaded with wheat, but heroic
work by fremen saved that structure
from destruction. 1t was damaged
but not seriously.
}. NJ Davis. operating vice.presi.
dent OF the Baltimore and Ohio rail.
road. who visited the scene OF the iire
early today, stated that In his opin.
lon the blaze was without q doubt
of incendiary origin"
y believe the man or. the men who
started the blaze. reached the pier in
a boat" said Davis. All OF the steve.
dores and other employees have been
under surveillance and their records
were searched before they were EN-.
pioyed. do not believe any one could
have approached from the land end,
But do believe the fire was started
by an incendiary or by incendiaries."
Chief of Police Leigh of the Balti.
more and Ohio system, and the local
police officials began Immediately an
investigation of report of their
watchman who saw five or six men
Jump from pier nine just as the flames
broke out.
Positive evidence that the fire was
of incendiary origin was given by the
Baltimore and Ohio guards and fire.
men stationed at the pier. These
men said that few seconds before
the flames broke out in five sections
of the pier they saw what appeared to
be rockets going up in half a dozen
places on the pier. Muffled explosions
followed and the flames came lmme.
diately.
The chief watchman of the pier
stated that five minutes before the en-.
tire structure was in flames he had
made a complete round of the pier
and had found everything to be in
usual shape.
While the police were pushing their
investigation into the big fire another
blaze broke out in the Baltimore and
Ohio shops at Riverside Park, about
a mile from the scene of the first fire.
This blaze was quickly extinguished
without much damage.
These may have been stevedores.
The piers have been patrolled by
armed guards for the last year as
just such disaster has been feared.
Several months ago q quantity of
dynamite was taken from loaded
grain car in the Baltimore and Ohio
grain elevator. The car was intend.
ed for one of the allies The car was
traced back to its loading point In
the west and found to have been
loaded by a number Of Austrian steve.
doros.
The fire was still burning at several
places early today but 1t was under
| control The old immigration build.
ng, which adjoins pier 8. was dc.
,troyed The Baltimore and Ohio's
great grain elevators are only short
| distance away from the destroyed
piers and the tremen's efforts were
chiefly directed to keeping the blaze
away from these.
| For time 1t looked as tho stiff
northwest wind would defeat their Ell.
forts, but the flames finally were
brought under control
The British steamer which was lost
was the Kerry Range of the Johnston
line.
Twenty or more men jumped into
the water from the steamer, some OF
them members OF the crews and
others stevedores. II was believed
early today that all Of these except
zen had been accounted for,
| u. g. Sends Special investigators.