The Washington times., 1917-10-31
THREE DEAD,
26 MISSING,
IN DOCK FIRE
ATBALT|MORE
Continued from First Page.)

Continued from First Page.)
Of incendiary origin is strengthened
By the quick spread Of the blaze.
While q great deal of the freight
stored on pier No. was wood pulp.
say the fremen, would no: explain
the rapidity with which the FIRE
spread.
Driven ny Heavy Wind.
There was a heavy wind blowing
directly from the west at the time
the fire broke out, and, as the steam
er was tied to the eastern end of
Pier No. its deck and Lighthouses
were soon ablaEe. The sailors and
stevedores could not jump to the
dock, because great flames were then
shooting out to the dock edge. Their
only choice was tho cold water.
Whether any of them lost their
lives by the leap corId not be as
certainsd last night, as the stevedore
agencies stated they had no record
Of the number at work, and no way
Of checking up the names OF thoee
who did escape.
Around the end OF Piers and and
tied to one side OF the steamer were
about half q dozen scows, all OF which
were destroyed. On at least three Of
these lighters there was freight.
1t was less than an hour after the
IRE was first seen that the first explo-
sion was heard from the vessel. One
OF the seamen said the first place to
catch was that part OF the deck i'm
mediately over the magazine, in which
-
sent to the firemen at the end Of Pier
8, and as two or three other explo-
sions followed in quick succession, the
hremsn were compelled to draw back
their lines to the east side of the pier
building and hght the flames from
there.
Blazing Pulp Borne hy Wind.
Shortly after midnight the wind
increased in velocity, stiII blowing
toward the east. At that time Pier
No was in ruins, the wood-pulp
and other material which had been
stored in 1t blazing fercely. Great
chunks Of blazing pulp and other
material were picked up by the wind
and carried over the top OF Pier No.
8. and fell on the piers further TO the
g-cN eAA NS"u dG AAI a. LnG new
Immigration Station at Fort Nc
Henry.
The intense heat thrown off by the
flames. which could be felt four
blocks away. together with the great
flaming sparks which were flying
about, created 4 ncar-panic among
the residents of Andre, Cuba, and
nearby streets. At the outbreak of
the fire scores of these residents be-
gan to move their furniture from
their homes to the streets. They
were Quieted by the hremen and
police, however. and although they
left on the sidewalks the furniture
they at first moved out. they left the
rest OF their belongings In their
homes.
Pier was one Of the most modern
in this section of the country. 1t was
equipped with the TelfrAge system OF
loading steamers, and was erected 1T
q cost OF 5000. 900. II was a double
deck steel structure.
The cargo, consigned almost entire-
ly to the allies, was OF much greater
value than the pier.
Pier was the Oldest OF the Balti.
more and Ohio structures at Locust
Point II was built OF wood, at the
cost of about $4,000 The cargo
stored there was Of a miscellaneous
nature, and an accurate estimate Of
fits value could not be made. The
loss, however, It was said. will prob
ably aggregate several hundred thou
sand dollars.
This pier formerly was used by the
North German Lloyd line as an immi-
grafton pier. Since the war IL has
been used for exports exclusively.
The piers were about 300 feet in
length, with a capacity for the berth
ing of two steamers on each side of
the two structures.
The two piers were the largest Of