Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-12-05
sERlous flaE IN JeRsgY cITN
In. peppsylvaniA's RAILWAYS Magnificent
New Depot Considerably Damaged
Ry telegraph TO tho Dispatcal


Lacey crry n. J.. December Am ex-
49,, os',,,t Of ras caused disastrous FIRE at
NJ Jersey CITY terminus of the fennstF
vania railroad this morning. Inc com.
nanv recently completed magnihceht
train-shed on grade with street eieyated
,nod constructed from the rlver 10 Bergen
All. and we're constructing new "hltlni-
rooms and ferry-houses TO CORES gon Ia
me old wooden ofiice-buildiIig that uene-
raj Superintendent +. Woleot JACKSON Os-
cupied IN the ferry-house was tuIne il, ~
sengera and the officials moved their deshs
into n fiys-story brick building fronting on
EXCHANGE Place. II was 10 this exit thbt
the explCslon occurred. The tearing uoWn
az tbe structure and the constant JaIIlns
carseI hv ferry boats entering tho SIPS
about 100 feet away are supposed 10 nav
broken or disconnected gas pipe ciosc ~
the main distributing meter. Inc o@ I,,.
sion took place at $40 O'CLOCK anu 'Ie sua
rounding woodwork was instantly " III, ~
The FIRE department responded quicAlf -
three alarms sent out. and the entire apPa-
retns of the city and harbor got 70 WoIih.
The result was that the riyer emu OF tno
terminus. including the feIy-slps, were
but slightly damaged. A.. do,ot
On the interior portion OF tne uSRos
building the flames spread rapluS' ny
flames Of the old Office building uounSIeu
upward until the wooden railing anu s aI.-'so
OF the unfinished waltlhg-Io.o,lIliS olonc, a
ablaZe. The FIRE was then carried alonE .
huge yellow-pIne processing TO the LEV
CfRca sfructure This consisted OF HNo
soIidlv- huilt structures of brick, ljO by -
feet and five stories high. The secouu
door of the easterly building was USED as q
baggage-room, the others beng mercy mercy
bare walls. Night-Baggage-m Master hesan
and his assistants succeedeu ~ sa' 49,. LIE
ali the trunks. The four floors ABOVE tne
bageooe-room and two buildings on the
west were Quilted. General-Superlntend-
ant Jackson5s Offices. with those OF DiVl-
sion- Superintendeut Crawford, Chiet-En-
gineer Brooks, and numerous otner ON
eials of the road, were also cleaned out.
From the Office buildings the tre spread
10 the train-shed in the rear, ana ATTACKED
the wooden interior ceiling. ABOUT ivy
feet Of the ceiling were destroyed anu
hundreds of glass roof-lights fell IN trag-
mems upon the concrete platform below.
dozen lines of hose were brought INTO
play. and the trsin-shed was saved from
further damage.
The flames were under control by 5:3O
o'clock. and at $50 o'clock tine hrst Terry
boat from Cortlandt street succeeded IN
landing at the upper slip. The Phlladel-
phia and Washington express, leaving JerS
sew City at $40 o'clock A. NJ, pulled OUT OI
the depot ten minutes late. The tram;
djspatcher's Offices escaped the tlre. and
the railroad wires were again working by
o'clock. Trains are now running regu-
iarlv on time, and the ferries are carrying
their usual thTongs. .,
The loss on office buildings Is estimated
at S45, 900, and on the traln-shed ana Terry {,
house at $4,000. 1t is more than covered
by insurance in the Pennsylvania Compa-
ny's floating policy.