Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1900-1903, 1902-11-11
a BIG BRIDGE ON FIRE.
Temporary Work of New East River
Structure Burned.

I
NEW YORK, Nov. 11.-Flames de-
stroyed all the woodwork on the new
East river bridge last night, burning
the temporary fcotbridge and destroy
ing all the cables except the four main
ones. OF these two were damaged, just
how badly could not be ascertained.
At midnight fireaen perched 800 feet
above the East river on the Manhattan
tower were drenching the structure,
which was still ablaze in parts. Chief
Croker places the loss at 100000. Fore
men of construction companies esh-
mate it at $500, 600.
During the fire q rain of redhot bolts.
nuts, clamps and blazing beams from
the footbridge fell into the river and
on the land near the bridge. Bolts and
pieces Of iron fell in the streets two or
three blocks away, and in some cases
fell into nearby buildings.
Battalion Chief Guerin and Kingsley
L. Martin, one of the city's engineers,
climbed to the top of the flame enyel-
oped tower to examine the cables. 1t
was feared that the four large ones
would part. Two of them were sound,
two damaged somewhat. Mr.. Martin
could not estimate the delay to the
completion of the bridge. 1t will prob
ably be from six months to year. The
chief loss will fall on the John A. Roe
bling's Sons company.
The blaze began in a fool shed and
storehouse on the very top Of the south
side of the tower. In it were four or
1 eT1oo III fnrs6 no fi11o rsiTy
cts on the bridge structure. 1t is
thought one of these FORCES set fire to
the woodwork of the shed and of
huge framework surrounding the pin
nacle Of the tower for the shelter and
safety Of the men employed there. In
the storehouse were a number of small
casks of OIL punches of cotton waste
and tar, with other stuff of a highly
infammable nature.
Spectacular beyond description was
the fire, and f1remen who worked
through it declare that it was danger
Gus to an appalling degree, yet, SO far
as the police were able to ascertain
only one man was. injured, although
three men were reported to have fallen
into the river from the top Of the tow
er. The police and, the members of the
Volunteer Life Saving corps have been
unable to find any substantial evidence
Of anybody falling.
The fire started about 3:4O o'clock in
the afternoon. At the time there were
a number Of workmen on the top Of the
tower. It is supposed that these men
all got safely out of danger by crossing
on the footbridges to the Brooklyn side
pf the bridge before the footpath fell in.
All traffic up and down the East river
was stopped. Ferryboats lay in their
slips, not daring to go out, and there
were numerous small collisions in the
river between small tugboats and the
big sound steamers lying about waiting
for a chance to get under the bridge
and proceed on their way.
Chief Engineer Kingsley Martin, in
charge of the steel construction of the
bridge, said after making an examina-
ton:
''The four cables, numbered from the
north and called 1, 2, 8 and 4, are on
saddles, each saddle weighing thirty
Jour tons and made Of steel Nos. and
were red hot, and No. was red hot
I'll the way through. The thirty -four
tons of red hot steel could not be APP
preached, and could get my hand no
where near it. ] could not get over to
No. l. The intense heat will not injure
the saddles, and they will need no re
pairing.
''The heat from the saddles however,
played havoc with the cables. That
part of the cables Nos. / and 2 resting
On the saddles will have to be entirely
replaced The heat makes the wires
brittle, and for fifty feet on each side
Of the tower the cables will have to be
replaced by new wires, which will be
spliced. The cables will not have to be
made over, and the splicing and replac-
ing will not injure them. 1t is done on
the Brooklyn bridge and on all bridges
and even while the bridges are being
used. 1t does not weaken the cables
There is not much probability that any
more than fifty feet of the cables are in
jured, and not all of the wires in that
space are damaged"
xfppincott Pleaded Guilty.
NTTryTT A y Nov q