The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-11-11
FIRE ON GREAT bridge
New BrOokIyn-New York
East River Structure
Damaged a Half
Million Dollars.
FLAMES RACED FOUR HOURS
$50 FEET. IN AIR AND IMPOSSI-
BILE TO REACH.

The Most Spectacular ConfiagrHtiOn
Ever Seen In New YO.k-FOOtbridges
Fall Carrying With Them Tons of
Bolts, Rivets, Nuts and ToOIs-Fall
River Steamer Plymouth and Other
Craft Have Narrow Escapes Running
Fiery Gnuntlet-PrisciI!a Turns Back.
New York, Nov. 1O.-The new East
River bridge in process of construction
between New York and Brooklyn, was
damaged to the amount of at least half
a million dollars tonight by fire that
for four hours ragged 355 feet in the
air on the summit Of the great steel
tower on the New York side. Three
men who were at work on top Of the
tower when the fire broke out are re-
ported to have fallen into the river.
Owing to the enormous height of the
tower it was utterly impossible to reach
the fire with any apparatus in the fire
department as the flames, after devour
ing all the woodwork on the top of the
tower, seized on the timber false work
of the two foot bridges suspended from
the main cables, burning away the sup
ports until nearly a million feet Of blaz-
ing lumber fell with a nightly splash
and hiss into the stream. The fall of
the footbridges carried away scores of
the lighter cables and guys which
trailed in the water rendering it neces-
sary for the police to stop all traffic up
and down the river. The Fall River
steamer Plymouth and several other
craft had narrow escapes while running
the gauntlet of fiery brands that fell
in showers from the burning bridge.
The fire was the most spectacular con-
Migration that has ever been seen in
New York the great body of flames
being visible all over the city and light
ing up the river and shores for miles
up and down the stream.
The fire started in a tool shed in
which there were several forges used
for heating rivets and from this spread
to the great timber framework in which
were many casks Of oil and tar and
other inf1ammable material. Within five
minutes after the first discovery of the
fire the whole top Of the tower was in g.
blaze. The firemen succeeded after an
hours struggle in dragging 700 feet of
hose to the top of the tower, but the
pressure repeatedly burst the hose and
the firemen were forced to reteat to the
steel frame of the structure and watch
the woodwork burn until the footbridges
fell, carrying with them many tons of
bolts, rivets, nuts, and tools. At that
moment the Brooklyn fireboat David
A. Boody was just below the bridge and
O. heavy steel beam fell on her breaking
her rudder and sending her drifting
helpless down the stream. The Fall
River steamer Priscilla, which followed
in the wake Of the Plymouth turned
back rather than run through the rain
of fire and steel from the bridge. She
put back to her dock and her passen-
gers were forwarded by train.
Daniel Brophy and his brother John
of Montreal, A. P. Mcbride and an un-
known man were reported to have been
at work on the tower when the hre
started While they were helping the
firemen to haul up the hose the frame
work on which they stood collapsed and
the two Brophys and the unknown man
were hurled into the river. Mcbride
saved himself by catching piece of
projecting steel work. While the fire
was at it's height a party of ffremen
were cut off at the base of the tower,
where they were exposed to torrent
of brands and red-hot pieces Of STEEL
They were rescued after several had
been severely burned. Brands from
the tower set fire to the big storehouse
of the Pennsylvania Steel company on
the level of the main roadway of the
BRIDGE 125 feet above the water. The
storehouse was entirely consumed and
its contents of nuts, bolts, rivets and
tools were hurled into the river, to-
eether with two hosting derricks on
the platform.
1t was II o'clock before the flames
had devoured everything combustible
leaving only the steel tower and the
four great eight -one-half-inch
steel cables stretching across the river
These cables were recently completed,
save for the steel sheathing, and it is
feared that they have been badly dam
aged by the intense heat. Should it be
necessary to replace them the labor of
two years would be brought to naught
Chief Engineer Martin, in charge of
the bridge construction, said tonight
that of the four steel saddles (weighing
thirty-four tons) on the top Of the tow
er three were red-hot, but were undam-
aged. Of the four cables resting on
the saddles two. he found, would have
to be partially replaced by splicing.
This will involve delay of at least
four months. The remaining cables
suffered little injury. The two foot =
bridges cost 100000 They are half
destroyed, which means loss of $780,
900. The cables cost $1,225, ,00O, and the
loss on them will fall on the contrac-
tors, John A. Roebling Sons & Co. Mr..
Martin said that there was no danger
of the falling of the tower or the ca
bles.
The bridge extends from the foot of
Delaney street, Manhattan, to the foot
of South Fifth street. Brooklyn. Tt
was designed to carry four surface rail-
road tracks, two tracks for elevated
trains. two roadways for vehicles, two