Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-08-07
rHnJBRssr urrY DEPOT BURNED.
A Million Dollar Fire nc Midnight
Explosion OF tne Gas Tank-Tbe
Ferry Master and Ticket Agent
Said 20 Have Been Killed.

IN Nahhhh1M AFNhaeah GAhO 80
Explosion OF tne Gas Tank-Tbe |
Ferry Master and Ticket Agent |
said 10 Have Been Killed.
A quick, sharp report like the dis
charge Of . cannon, startled the people |
In Jersey City at IL O'Clock Mondi y night.
In moment or two Afterwsrd q bright
glare was noticed In the sky, which
quickly grew in intensity.
This report was caused By the explosion
Of the huge gas tank In the ferry house
attached TO the depot OF the PennsylvADla
railroad in Jersey City. The bright glare
came from the flames, which In au in.
oredibly short space Of time nproad
through the ferry house and depot, and
10 about an hour had almost totally con-
sumed both
From the New York side OF the river
the burning depot presented grsud Int
terrible appearance Back OF II the sky
al dark aud lowering, aud this served
=" ferds- She brillisuny Il the flames
mos / ,-'ss They dArlsi high into Il 9
air, lighthg ny tie lu'er psrt Of the city
snu trii IiYg uuI III rir iR feli the ont.
lioes OF AL The lars,r bulldogs Byery
pier ituu Canal stree 20 the battery was
GRO sded with pe' pc watching The havoc
OF tue Il .nes, ann II seemed a. Il half tue
pol ulation Of lhe lover wards had de-
apits tho nl dwight hour, turned ou, eD
maase to witness ,heo col Il grafton. Msny,
too, gathered upun tho Lousetops along
the river trout, from which they had
splendid view Of the fires terrible work.
The river was smooth as glass aud re-
Elected the light Of the flames as from
mirror. Frequsntlya tug dashed across
the stream to stop within short distance
Of the burning depot aud begin throwing
streams Of water upon the flames A
ferry boat, evidently one Of the Pennsyl
vAnia line, slowly moved up and down in
front OF the blazipg structure, and, as far
as could be seen from this side Ut the
river, seemed to have several engines on
her forward aud after decks, from which
water was played upon the fire.
After the outbreak ofthe fire the Penn
sylvania boats stopped running and tied
up In the slips az Cortlandt and Des.
brosses streets.
1t WAS 3 fortunate thing that the wind
which was blowing at the time the FIRE
broke ont came from the southwest. Had
It been blowing in the opposite direction
the whole business portion Of Jersey City
would have been In imminent danger Of
destruction.
THE BURNED STRUCTURES.
The depot was one Of the largest and
finest on the North river, and had but
recently received q thorough overhaul
ing. The ferry house had four splendid
clips. The depot proper was a wooden
structure 300 feet wide and 1900 feet
long, provided With spacious waiting
rooms and q restaurant, and also contain.
ing the Offices OF the superintendent Of
the road, the road masters aud various
other employees On the lower floor was
| the entrance for the teams for the Des-
brosses street boats. II separated the
two buildings. The rear Of the depot was
divided into waiting room and
an exit from the trains TO the
boats. The shed which covered
the entrances 10 the ferry slip was built
for passengers, and at the sides OF the
building were the entrances for teams
The structure was part Of the ferry
and shed or roof extended to the foul
terry slips. The depot was north Of th,
ferry house, and the roof Of the ferry
was built over the exit and against tn,
waiting room. Above the depot was tn,
freight yard filled with cars loaded will
freight The Adams Express pier wa
the next shove the upper ferry slip, sn'
above Il 10 we're the floats and ireigh
docks b.lJnging to the railroad company
l. was asCertSined that besides Ferr,
Master Jones aud Ticket Agent Brackett
woman who was in the ferry house q
the time OF the explosion ran out through
the flames, and was terribly burned.
An employee Of the company name
Harry Thorpe, in assisting to carry on
soms property from the railroad office
drove his arm through window, out a
artery and BLEED to dangerous extent
JERSEY Cry, August o "A visit to tn
scene Of last nights oonfsgratioD show
mass Of embsrs, twisted iron an,
blaokened timbars, where stood yesterda,
the depot and ferry house Of the Penn
sylvAnia Railroad Company.
The fire is still smouldering and tn
iiremen continue to pour steady stream
OF water over the smoking surface.
The entire liet OF the oasuAltiel is nc
yet possibly complete. 1t ia known ths
: lady who accompanied DR.. VehslAge q
New York received injuries which necei
STATED her conveyance to Christ hospital
The occupants of small stores on FL
change Place, who moved their effect
into the street, are now returning. Th
garden truck men and abattOir butcher
are using the Chambers street ferry.
The ruins of the Pennsylvanis passsr
, ger station at Jersey City continued /
! emoldsr Tuesday, and streams of wate
were poured upon them all day. Ate
, the smoke had cleared away II was see
that the flames had eaten away the ferr
! Of the Brooklyn Annex, portion Of tb
sheds belonging TO the Jersey CITY
,, Bergen Horse Railroad Company, I'll
/ long line OF ferry sheds and five brldgei
with the entire waiting room OF the raj
! road company, which was fitted up in
! most costly manner. The freight shed
, Of the Adams Express Company, secure
: by a two feet thick wall, were saved onl
n with great trouble,
. Early Tuesday morning Division Rt
, Pineer Brooke put at work gang Of mel
4 who fenced up the burned portions Of th
! depot and put together platforms for th
! passengers The ferry boats and train
! were run on schedule time after 8 o'oloo
, In the morning-the boats for Brookiy
and Cortlandt street landing at the 70,
OF York street and the boats for De-
brosses street landing at the Adam
Express dock.
Q The railroad officials promptly obtaine
new quarters. The brick building on Ii
q north side Of Exchange place, which wa
a the south wall Of the depot, was n,
/ wholly consumed, and offices wei
/. quickly arranged for the train di
/ patohers and others whose rooms ha
8 been in the destroyed portion Of IL
/ building.
0 Passenger Superintendent jackson
/. Chief Engineer Brooks and Mr.. HAYWOOD
Q superintendent OF motive power, who's
o oihce5 were In the ferry house, engage
quarters at Taylor's Hotel. Robert |
q Petit, superintendent of tho New Yor
division Of the road, arrived al the pcsr
few minutes sfter the Are started, an
3 assumed charge of the employees Of Ii
a company. He spent the entirs nigh, an
t 81 tuesday about the depot giving il
a auuotions. When the flames were md.
d control, at O'Clock Tuesday morning
r ne summoned tho several officers j
a oharge OF the various departments an
q arrangements were etfocled by whic
4 freight and passenger traffic was to be r,
a samed. ~
Mr.. Petit said that the FIRE would onl
Q prove temporary inconveni, nee TO thei
business. A large force OF workme
9 would be employed TO clear away III
, debris,And within 10 days the ferries an
. waiting rooms would be rebuilt. The
y would be replaced by temporary stru,
lures, and possibly some time woul
elapse before the company duo'dsd whs
8 sort Of permanent buildings would i
/ | oOpRtrnntad. Tha lnaa hn = ma nr.LI ,