New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-06
THE BURNED FERRY-HOUSE.
CLEARING AWAY THE wRECKAGE.

breakfast IN Jersey City entered Exchange place
Yesterday morning they looked in vain for the
fcrry-house of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Beyond
a hiackeued space where IL had stood they could
see the slip racks, ~ there were no ferry boats
m them. At the foot of the street they found
lanes fenced with ropes and were directed to the
lett through the depot to the right through the
brooklynannex entrance. ~ they desired to goeithcr
to Deshrosses-st. or to Cortlandt-st. The fire Of
Monday night had razed every structure between
the Adams Express pier on tho north and the York
ST. pier the south and from the slips back ~ Ex-
change place. The annex ferry y-house StIll stood
but IL was a skeleton, and the posts sustaining IL
were 80 badly burned that tug-boats run into
tine slip and hawScrs being made fast to the roof
gir'lers Il was quickly pulled down. The buildings
destroyed IN addition were the ry-house, the
covered gangway nearly 600 feet long, the railroad
walting-room, about fifty feet of the roof of the
depot and about thirty feet OF the long two-stOry
brick building the west side of Exchange place.
The area which they covered is about
1000 by 250 feet The greater part Of these build
ings We're erected over the water on piles. The
hooring Is mostly burned through. and many Of the
piles ar" badly burned. Beneath the waiting room
hoormg the piles heavily capped with iron
and are mostly unlnjured. The racks in the slips
are only slightly injured a few Of the piles at their
shore ends beng considerably charred. The fog
bell tower funds in the middle of one of the slip
tenders ike ighthOuse The bridges in the slips
are all destroyed except the one in the annex
slip. The Adams Express pier saved by the
excellent fire service of the tugboats and Engine
No. 9 Of the Jersey City Fire Department. In the
early morning, as soon as the flames were subdued,
men were set at work to clear away the wreckage
Of timbers, TN roofing pipes and other litter at the
end of the depot. Big pile drivers towed into
the slips, and were used 70 drag ont the heavy
timbers and burned bridges. A gang Of men
cleared away the rubbish from the Annex
bridge and repaired it so that by dark
the Cortlandt-,t. boats able 10 land
at it. A railroad ticket office was put up in one of
the stores Of the brick building, and the ground
was cleared at tie lower end OfExchange place for
the erection of a wating room, which the wOrkmen
had been engaged upon throughout the night by
the light of many locomotive headlights. The
electric light wires were recOnnocted with the
lamps in the depot and with the addition of num-
bers of lanterns the way from the ferry to the
trains was almost light as by day. The ferry
boats To Cortlandt-st. began running at o'clock
yesterday morning while the fire at its height,
from the end Of the York-st pier, gangways being
cut in the ratings of the boats just forward OF the
hood for the passengers to board them.
TIE rIcEEr AGENTS EXPERIENCES.
Robert NJ Jones, the ticket agent who was
al first thought to be killed. dangerously injured
was IN thc mprovised ticket office receiving fares
for the first trip. having borrowed some pennies
with which to make chage He gave a TRIBUNE
=. I... +s,, ,r li. nv
,erenee al the time Of the explosion: Il had Just
sold two tickets TO a gentleman and lady, and
turned in my chair when there was a flash and ex-
plo-iou. was blown "ul OF my p"& anu ld'utu
against the receiver oo4 doVpl - A'Jt aN 'y. ~
trcG 10 rise SICK 9t limDer I s,IIgh IA Z ne ~ n me
i JAZZ ~, liv n I, EIIiie yropIng nv wnv into
= V'sisi, w W"' -, [ ~ r.,r pgy5ipst William
, ,i' p "'",."t tt tai,-r fhop rubbed
". ii' I N"s, -, , o. ,'J fiupJ tb4lo ,Ii rlgIt'
W. went or @ and helped the gate ticket .elier to
M. ' -, ,.,. ,,.r.t.J iii d1v from tha p,ors
] i-J r,1 ire,lIiI,r trims of from 20 To- 30
'-,,,.e. = are was taken however to have boats
,,,.- ina, ,.itI tr..if,a4 nearly ou time as pu--l-
i" i" - -. i,.,..r.r aoI. .il Ic carried ~luDrlD-
.,..,r.t- r "A p.t,ir eaiI:
~. 3r,. running our trains near 10 the schedule.
sometimes tn,.v ,I. from = to IL minutes be-
hi1l-uor more. WMlc the me wa, going ON
'.,Lt y ram ouf the trains nearly
", .,, and tb.y came Inn In tine same way This
.1,,5r,, H., rao.r tr.lir ald the Boston train,
,, i, rolii,I from Nott Haven both went out
m t. iii t,e fr,. llt trains are running usual.
and There is uo httcu anywhere. lhe baggage Is
all attended to aud full .,comp.eWY'nt
ot u'.a, t ,r. Trains for awhile
b., tbe morning. brt they are back again now.
There wa no. bla4a 90 lost lu the ire and not par
urle oi express matter ferA"p' mere "tl' '',o
''i l'N"-,@ ~ ,-', ,. m tbe varIur-roon.
Ibr total Io-s Will be- about t3JO,OOO, as near
%, ! can estimate IL now. We -l1L .,
i''N.l' g''' ''." t u .i,,,, Tb. old one was
f,r below our requirements. / can't say whether
DO viii "e oi ron or not william II. prov ~, !lg
-A.'. ..,5l,', Oh .H' me- went bacI ~
.,1b., n, consult with the other officers AID
mar. 49,. mann. for fine. new structure.
+fili, t1,. fr,. eri1rrlted from au explosion of
-, -, I..,,.- ,.,tir, nr tI,. north side oi the
-rr,- ..,fr.1.. .ifo tiDc from the g., TANKS runs
I.,d.r1,.,ru D. AID -bere was undoubtedly "a leak
IT,; .,. ,,,. yii.n ,iIied rbe office with sas until
o.. r.,,1ad tina iar when lt iEuItrd
I f o,,,,5a tIe evpIosion followed.
r-.rt. ty.t