Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1891-12-04
FIRE In NEW BUILDINGS.
l.Osa OF FORTY-EIGHT THOU
SAND DOLLARS.

An Ex pIOsiOn of Gas at the Jersey
city re, minus of the Pennsvlva.
MIA Railroad Causes a Big Blaze
Losses Covered by Insurance.
JERSEY CITY, N. J., Dec. Am explos-
ion OF gas caused disastrous fire at the
Jersey City terminus of the Pennsvlva'
MIA railroad this morning. The COM
pany recently completed magnificent
train shed on a grade with the street,
an elevated road being constructed from
the river to Bergen Hill, and were con-
structing new waiting rooms and ferry
houses to correspond. The old wooden
building that General Superintendent
F. Wolcott Jackson occupied in the ferry
boat was turned into temporary exit
for eastbound train passengers and the
officials moved their desks into a five
story brick building fronting on Exchange
place.
1t was in this exit that the explosion
occurred. The tearing down OF the
structure and the constant jarring
caused by the ferry boats entering the
slips about 100 feet away are supposed
to have broken or disconnected gas
pipe close to the main distributing
meter.
The explosion took place at $40
o'clock and the surrounding woodwork
was Instantly ablaze. The fire depart
ment responded quickly to three alarms
sent out and the entire apparatus OF the
city and harbor got to work. The result
was that the river end OF the terminus,
including the ferry slips, was but slightly
damaged. On the interior portion OF the
depot building the flames spread rapidly.
| 4 he flames from he old office building
mounted upward until the wooden rail
ing and sides Of the unfinished waiting
room were abaze. The hre was then
carried along huge yellow pine pipe
casing to the new office structure. This
OF brick $50 by 4S icet ana tlve stories
high. The second floor OF the eastcrly
building was used as baggage room
the ut hers being merely bare walls. The
iighl baggage master Regain and his
ASSISTANTS succeeded in saving all the
| trunns. -Four doors about the baggage
room and two buildings on The hrst
floor were gutted. General Superintend-
cnt Iackson's Office, with those Of the
DIVISION superintendent, Cmet Engineer
Brooks and numerous other officials oi
the road, were cleaned out.
From the olhce buildings the hie
spread to the train sheds i'll he rear and
attacked the wooden Interior ceiling.
About hundred feet OF the ceiling and
hundreds OF glass roof lights tell in frag-
ments upon the coucrete platform below.
A dozen lin.s OF hose were brought into
play and the train shed saved from iur-
ther damage.
The flames were under control BY $50
o. clock and at $50 O'Clock the first leiiy
boat from Cortland street succet ued in
landing at the upper slip. The Phlla-
delphia and Washington express leaving
Jersey City at $40 O'Clock this morning
pulled out of the depot ten minutes late.
The train dispatchers' offices escaped
fire and the railroad wires were again
working by seven O'Clock. Trains are
running regularly on time and the ferries
are carrying the usual throngs. The
loss on the office building is estimated al
$45 900 and on the tram shed and ferry
house So 1000, more than covered by IN
surance.