St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-05
DESTRUCTIVE FLAMES.
The Pennsylvania Central Railway
Depot in New York Burned
Down.
Immense Damage Done to Piers, Ferry Slip
and Freight Cars.
The Fire Originates in a Gas Explosion
Several Persons Considerably
Injured

New YORK, Aug. 4.-The Pennsylvania
Central railroad depot, Jersey City, is ablaze,
and just now, II: 80, seems doomed.
New YORK, II :45.-The fire at the Penn.
sylvania railroad depot, Jersey City, is
spreading, and the heat is so great the fre-
men and employees are prevented from sa~,
ing anything on shore, while tug boats cannNJ
get in the rear to tow out the ferry boats and
freight boats, and these must go in the gen.
eral destruction of the depot. The
piers are also burning, and this
involves the loss of all the freight and
cars upon them. The wind is light, yet suf-
ficient to give the fire northerly direc-
ton. The loss will be very heavy.
New YORK, 1880 a. M, Aug 5.-The
Pennsylvania railroad depot and ferry
houses are destroyed, The flames, however,
burn furiously yet and have attacked the
Adams express pier. That portion nearest
the shore is on fire. Firemen are laboring
hard to save it, but fear the shed which
covers it will carry the flames its length
and breadth. The entire fire department of
Jersey City is at work pouring water upon
the flames, while the river boats are contri
buting a number of heavy streams. The
Pennsylvania railway depot and ferry houses
being of wood and stocked with every sort
of combustible material the flames made
sure and rapid work, mocking the COM
pany's fire department, an organization of
employees, and defying the labors of the city
fire department while there was a stick Of
wood standing for the flames to feed on.
NEW YORK, l "a m.-The fire was caused
by an explosion of gas in the ferry slips and
railroad depot. Taylor's hotel is saved thus
far by favoring wind. The Brooklyn an
mex slip and four ferry slips, the railroad
and ferry offices, with the waiting rooms,
are, burned. The flames are advancing upon
the main depot.
| JERSEY CITY, August AT II 80 tonight
an explosion OF gas, said to have been caused
by a leaky MAN, blew up the flooring and
overthrow the ticket boxes in the entrance to
the Pennsylvania ferry house, at the foot of
Exchange place, Jersey City. Robert NJ.
Jones, night ticket taker, and William C.
| Backus were selling and receiving tickets at
the time. Both were blown out of
their positions and slightly hurt. An
unknown lady and gentleman were
passing through the entrance at the time.
The woman was pinned down by an over
turned box and badly burned before rescued
and taken caarge of by her friends, The
force of the explosion was such as to break
the glass from the roof and sides of the 80
| by 100 feet waiting room beyond the en-
trance. The flames shot up in all direc-
| tions.
The alarm was promptly responded to by
the city fire department and fire boats OF New
York City and the Pennsylvania railroad. A
strong southerly wind was blowing at the time
carried the fire to all portions of the waiting
room and five slips of the ferry and immense
railroad waiting room. The entire structure
was frame, single story, with the exception
of few offices above the ferry entrance.
The steamboats, Richard Stockton, Penn
sylvana railroad Newburgh excursion
steamer, and Thomas p May, of Steele 81
Condit's Bay Ridge line, were lying at the
dock adjoining the most southerly Of the five
ships with two ferry boats laid up for the
night which were pulled into the stream by
tugs unnjured. Cars in the depot and on
the Adams's express pier, north of the ferry
ships, were pulled out of danger.
The fire has now consumed five ships and
the sheds connecting them. The ferry and
railroad offices and waiting rooms, with the
main depot, which have brick walls and iron
and glass roofs, will probably be saved.
Railroad passengers are landed at Wash
ington street three blocks west
| of the ferry, and trains will start from the
same point 1t is understood that ferry boats
will land and receive passengers at Harsimus
cove freight yard, where the company
have several floating bridges. No teams
can be transported until the ferry slips are
rebuilt
JERSEY CITY, "a. m.-The fire will be con-
fined to It's present limits. About 100 feet
of the main depot is destroyed. The re-
mainder Is intact.
DR.. S. H. Nehstrangs, 313 East Eighth
street, New York, is the man who was in the
ferry entrance when the explosion occurred.
| He was struck by timbers and glass and badly
hurt. His lady friend was seriously burned
and was taken to Christ's hospital. p.
Thorpe, of Marion, employed on the Brooklyn
annex, had an artery of one arm severed by
breaking glass. So far as known no lives
were lost.
Several hundred guests of Taylor's hotel
were greatly alarmed, but quoted down
when they were shown there was no danger.
| Occupants of small stores OH Exchange
| place. who moved their effects into the street,
are now returning. Garden truck men and
atbotto.r butte er5 are using e Chambers
street. ferry.
Firemen were unusually tardy in reaching
the scene Of the fire and by the time stream
was poured on sthe building the flames
had spread to the train despatchers
office and TO the Jersey City
horse car depot. A man in the ferry house
at the tmd of the explosion ran out through
the flames and was terribly burned. Harry
Thorpe, an employe of the ferry company, in
assisting to carry articles from the railroad
offices, drove his arm through window and
| cut an artery.
| RaiJwav EARNINGS