The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-05-06
MIDNIGHT BLAZE
Traffic Blocked on Two
Railroads by Fire in the
Erie West End Re-
pair Shop.
FIFTY CARS BURNED
Three Hundred Men Thrown
Out OF Employment
Great Need Of In
creased Water
Service.
FIFTY CARS BURNED

| A fire that completely destroyed the
Erie Railroad car repair shops and adj
joining offices at the West End, burned
about fifty cars, threw over three hundred
men out of employment and for several
hours blocked the traffic on two railroads,
broke out shortly after eleven o'clock last
I night in the dead head between the
west end Of the tunnel and the Hacken-
sack River.
The confiagration was most spectacu-
who viewed the sea of seething flames
from points of vantage on freight cars
and the adjoining hillsides.
The first alarm was sent in at IL: % from
box NO. 4e3, at St. Pauls and Tonnele
avenues second alarm was sent in a
quarter of an hour later, but as the fire.
men were unable to do any effective
work by reason of the long distance be-
tween the fire plugs and the burning
buildings, no third alarm was rung and
the flames were practically allowed to
complete their work of destruction I'M
molested.
The fire again demonstrated the need
of additional plugs in this section of the
city, and soon after the members of the
department arrived on the scene they
realized that all the burning buildings
were doomed ard devoted the main part
of their efforts to preventing the con-
Migration extending to the big mill of
Dodge & Bliss, on the south, and the
New York, Susquehanna and Western
Railroad bridge over the Erie tracks on
the east.
The strong southeast wind prevailing at
the time carried the flames away from the
office building adjoining the car repair
shops on the north and for time it was
thought that the structure might be
saved. but the flames steadily gained un-
til it was mass of seething flame and
soon in ruins.
The high winds carried the flames to the
rear, of the old st. Peters Catholic Ceme-
terry, facing on Tonnele avenue. and a
number of trees and the wooden fence
soon caught fire. The flames were ex-
tinguished by volunteers. when it was not
. iced that the Susquehanna Railroad
bridge over the Erie tracks. on which an
engine of the latter road had been play
/
caught fire. Railroad men succeeded in
extinguishing this blaze and the attention
of the spectators was again directed to
the flaming car shops and offices.
Not stick in either was left standing.
The former was filled with cars under re-
pair while number. lacked up, stood on
the adjoining tracks outside the building.
The flames quickly extended to these,
while the railroad engines pulled many of
those on wheels TO places Of safety.
The infammable materials, including
paints oils and pine wood. with which the
shops were stocked. fed the fierce flames.
and the numerous slight explosions
caused the nearest spectators to flee to a
place of safety.
The nearest city fire plugs were on Ton
nele avenue, nearly quarter of a mile
distant, and the streams of water obtain
ed from them were little more than use
less to check the spread of the confiagra-
ton The Fire Department was assisted
in fighting the flames by the Erie Rail-
road Company, which sent three of its
fire locomotives to the scene. Almost all
they could do was to play small streams
on the adjoining bridges and stalled cars
to prevent as far as possible the spread of
the fire.
All traffic on the Erie and Susquehanna
roads was for time suspended because of
the danger in passing the fierce sea of
flames.
The reserves OF the Third precinct. un-
der Captain John Kelly, did admirable
work in keeping the large crowd of spec
tators in order and not single accident
occurred.
The firemen under Chief Conway fought
brayely but useiessly, as no power avail
able could check the spread of the flames
until they had destroyed everything in
fiammable in their path All their hose
was out, but so fierce was the blaze that
little could be accomplished.
1t was after two O'clock this morning
before the flames had completely destroy
ed the buildings and cars and there was
nothing further for them to feed on
No. engine remained al night jouring
streams on the smouldering embers and
the hremen watching to see that the
blaze did not break out in some new
quarter.
A large number of the employees at the
car shops were discharged over week
ago and a rumor was prevalent to the
effect that the railroad company planned
to have the work done in the future at
Port Jervis or Buffalo. Among the cars
entirely destroyed were twelve passenger
cars and one Pullman, No. 1,O5I which
had been entirely repaired and were ready
for service The other cars burned were
in different stages of repair
This morning an immense waste filed
with smouldering embers is all that re-
mains to mark where yesterday far
reaching frame buildings, the scenes of
much activity, stood.
COURT CALENDAR