McNaught’s Wharf Collapses Into the Harbor
A collapse of a waterfront warehouse leaves a local fish merchant with a total loss as scavengers claim the debris.
The story, cleaned up
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McNaught's wharf collapsed into the harbor at midnight. Owners McNaught and Schwabacher have declared the debris worthless, inviting the public to haul away the remains for use in building shacks along the waterfront. C.G. Johnstone, who operated a fish curing and preserving warehouse on the pier, estimated his personal losses at $1,200. With no insurance to cover the structural failure, Johnstone's inventory is a dead loss. Owners stated that the wharf was not worth repairing due to the damage caused by the teredo, a shipworm that destroys timber.
“The owners consider it a waste of money to renew the wharf until it is leased, as it would simply be eaten down again by the industrious teredo.”
The collapse of aging wooden piers was a common event in 1890s Seattle. Today, the city’s struggle with aging maritime infrastructure, like the Pier 58 collapse, continues to reflect the inherent vulnerability of building over water.
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