New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-12-19
/. |. TERMINAL BURNS.
HELP FROM MANIA TT4N
Traffic To Be DiUerfed to BrooEIun
Temporarily.

The terminal station Of the Long Island Rail-
road at Long Island City was destroyed by fire
last night The fire burned brightly for a time
and SO rapidly that within half an hour after the
FIRE started the station falling in
The building was large one. constructed of
red brick, with a tower on one corner. In the
huiIding were the waiting room, and above it
in ealleries the offices Of the company. On
fbe north end were the information office bag
rage room and telegraph Office. The ticket Of
sce was in the middle of the room In a booth
The fire started in the telegraph office about
Sis o'clock. The operator left the office at 3
o'clock George Leek, the doorrnan. saw the
flames first. He shouted a warning and called
70 all in the station to get out. They fingered,
not thinking the fire amounted to anything.
From the room where they started the flames
burst into the baggage room, and then up pri-
vate stairway to the office gallery.
In an instant the whole gallery was a mass OF
fire and all in the building rlade rush for
the street. Before all were out the flames
were close them The operators in the train
djspatcher's office had to leap from window
on the second story. One of them sustained a
su-ained ankle. Nothing saved from the
building except the ticket rack and the cash
taken in by the night ticket agent. He carried
these out when he fed Five minutes after
Ieek made the first discovery of the fire the en-
lire interior burning. and the flames were
bursting from the windows and roof
An alarm had been turned in, but by the time
the first engine arrived from Vernon-ave., two
blocks away there was hope of saving the
b1jlding Other alarms were turned IN in quick
succession bringing all engines in Long Island
CITY, and several from Brooklyn. Later Chief
Croker sent apparatus from Manhattan, ana
freboats also helped later.
he To4r oxte- rrp
out from the station were lined with trains of
cars made up ready to go out over the various
branches There were plenty Of engines in the
ward and as soon as the danger was recognized
the engineers backed down and hauled out the
cars but some of them were scorched and two
destroyed.
When the glass in their houses and IN the
stores beneath began TO crack in the heat, the
tenants in the houses the north side of Bor-
den-ave opposite the station. began to rush out
with their goods and many moved out entirely
away Third-st.
When the fire was at its height passengers
continued to arrive hy way Of the ferry from
Thirty-fourth-st but they were advised TO
cross the river and then. by means of the bridge
and elevated railroads. reach the Flatbush-ave-
station. in Brooklyn. It was said by the rail-
road officials last night that much pos
sibe Of the traffic would be diverted TO Brook
lyn this morning and that what trains it would
be absolutely needful TO send TO Long Island
City would have to stop in the freight yards, and
the passengers would have TO walk to the ferry.
Nothing as To the origin Of the fire could be
learned last night.
It was learned late last night that the man in
jured by jumping from a window H F.
Woodward. thirty-rine years old, Of No iSs
Remseu-st Brooklyn. He employed in the
audit department Of the railroad. He is in
St Johns Hospital, in Long Island City.
The losses viii be heavy. Much will depend
upon how many safes in the various offices
stood the heat. They are filled with valuable
papers The cost of the station was S6oOoD, and
it was in excellent condition. Besides this the
train sheds platforms, rails and ties were de-
stroyed IN the yard. adding greatly to the total
loss to the company
Across Borden-ave. the loss will also be heavy
The loss on plate glass alone will amount TO
$1,000 and this with the fact that the heat
damaged much of the stock in the windows and
N the store will run that end of the loss up
te S20ee1
II was said BY an officer Of the company late
last night that as the construction gangs work
ing on the new improvements near Jamaica re-
ported this morning they would be sent 10 the
tcene Of the fire with ties and tracks, and that
by noon. or at least before the rush home began
In the afternoon, there would be plenty of ter
minal facilities. lacking waiting room, tut
that heated csrs would be kept always on the
tracks to shelter those who arrived before their
trains were made up
The station WAS built in 1891