The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-11


where the fire was burning, only 10 find that
their hose was not strong enough to carry
water so far into the air. After an hour
and twenty minutes in the heart of VIII at
was practically a gigantic ,,eacon they
counted just twenty minutes in which
water was flowing through the nozzle of
their hose
Later they dragged hand fire ex,in-
euishers up into the tower and fought the
flames with them. They were led in this
last rally bv Engineer Kingsley Martin,
SON of c. {. Martin. engineer OF the East
River Bridge, and Battalion Chief Ahosrn
BURNED iTsELp OUT IN poUR HOURS.
The net result of the fremen's efforts
was the keeping down Of the flames that
were blazing around cable No. 4, the most
uortherly Of the {, u main cables, 81 that it
Is probably much less injured than the ot her
three.
A. 70 the other thrae. Fire Chief Ahearn
reported. when the frs had practically
burned itself u AZ o'clock last night
that while there was no sign at the saddles
az the top Of the tower that the cables had
stretched, many Of the strands composing
the big 1871 -inch rops had fra zzled out
and the saddles had moved so that the
cables sagRed two feet at least
rANGrE or FoorBRIpoEs.
All the platforms between the top and
the bottom Of the structure were knocked
to bits by falling iron. and those on the
southern side of the pier were burned
The two footbridges on the river side are
a wreck from the Manhattan anchorage
out 10 nearly;the middle Of the liver. They
hang there now. as much Of them as was not
burned near the pier, swinging In loops
Of the suspending wire ropes by which the
permanent roadbed of the bridge was to
have been suspended from the main
cables
II is the danger OF the breaking Of some
Of these suspending cables, which were not
yet ready for the imposition OF any load.
that endangered navigation under the
bridge.
HAIL - BRANDS on CsA1r UNDERNEATH.
Sound steamboat whose captain took
her under the structure while the fire was
at its height was struck by several fire.
brands, but was not seriously damaged The
Priscilla q the Fall River Line stayed sou, h
81 the bridge for an hour and a half. but
finally had 10 turn back.
The steering apparatus Of the fireboa%
David l.. Body was disabled by a falling
bolt. bur was repaired in time 10 get In
action again toward the end Of the FIRE
Several ferryboat captains declined to
take their boats under the bridge and landed
their passengers at the nearest convenient
slips. A a matter of precaution the ferry
boats from Forty-second and Twenty
third streets to Broadway. williamsburg,
stopped running for the night. Their
course is under the bridge. The only
ferryboats running from Williamsburg last
night were those OF the Grand street line.
FORCES on THE TOWER PROBABLY CAUSED n.
The police and the firemen we're unable
to explain how the fire started except by
the inference that the two FORCES on the top
platform which we're used for heating rivets
had something to do with it. There was
a fire several months ago. but that was ex-
tingiished without much damage. There
was a strict rule against smoking on any
part of the structure.
sHANTIEs PILL or TAR AND OIL
Twin steel towers make up what IL know n
as the Manhattan tower. These have
cable work on tho Manhattan side Of the
river II was in one Of the two wooden tool
houses built on the tower that the FIRE
| started
These houses were mere shaniies, each
| 20 bv 20 fee, in size One was built over the
saddles over which the two south cables
pass and the other over the saddles OF tho
two north cables. They were also above
the temporary cables support ing the four
footbridges, two on the landward side and
two on the river side of the tower. which
were put up preparatory to stretching Tire
strands Of the permanent cables.
These shan'ies were filed with tar ano
lubricating oil used in wrapping the strands
| Of the permanent cables, preparatory to
putting on the outer steel covering Beside.
these materials there were in the shame,
| tho FORCES and MANY tons of big steel bolt.
weighing about 400 pounds each The-.
we're in barrels piled ~ on the platform
| covering the top Of the towers.
ONE HUNDRED MEN At WORN
One hundred men or moro had been work
| ing AZ tho cables and on the tower all dav
About sixty of these were employed /,
wrapping the cables, some being out owe
| tho river ahou, 200 feet toward tho Rroo<
| lyn side All ~ the bridgemen quit worl
| at 40 o'clock
| Mos, Of the men had put their tools ava,
| and descended 10 the ground by the tempo
rary wooden stairway which winds arounC
| the tower before anything wrong wa
| noticed. According to Foreman Mex ,nl
| the fires in the two forges in the shsntie
| had been banked and everything seernet