The Savannah morning news., 1902-11-11
BRIDGE IN A BLAZE
SPECTACULAR SIGHT OVER EAST
RIVER, NEW YORK.
WOODWORK OF STRUCTURE
BECOMES IGNITED AND DAMAGE
AMOUNTS TO $5OO,OOO.


over $50 Feet in the Air, to the
Imminent Danger of Shipping
Passing Underneath-NO Apparatus
Could Reach the Flames-At Last "a
Million Feet of Blazing Lumber
Fell with a Mighty Splash and
Hiss Into the East River, Far Be-
BeIow-NO Lives Lost.
New York, Nov. 10.-The new East
River bridge, in process of constpuc-
ton between New York and Brooklyn,
was damaged to the amount of at least
$500 900 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 reported to have
fallen into the river, but the proba-
bility is that no lives were lost.
owing to the enormous hight of the
tower, it was impossible to reach the
fire with any apparatus in the fire de-
partment, and the flames, after de-
vouring all the woodwork on the top
of the tower, seized on the timber false
work OF the two foot bridges suspend
ed from the main cables, burning
away the supports until near
ly million feet of blazing
lumber fell with a mighty splash ana
hiss into the stream. The fall of the
foot bridges carried away scores of the
lighter cables and guys, which trailed
in the water, rendering it necessary
for the police to stop all traffic up and
~ n
er Puritan 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 confia-
grafton that has ever been seen here.
The fire started in a tool shed and
from this spread to the great timber
framework. Within five minutes after
the first discovery of the fire the whole
top of the tower was in a blaze. Then
the foot bridges fell, carrying with them
many tons of bolts. rivets, nuts and
tools. At that moment the Brooklyn
fire boat was just below the bridge,
and heavy steel beam fell on her,
breaking her rudders and sending her
drifting helpless down the stream.
Sound steamers and all other up-river
navigation was stopped.
Daniel Brophy and his brother John
unknown man were "a work on the
tower when the fire started While
they We're helping the firennen to haul
up the hose the framework on which
they stood collapsed and the two
Brophys and the unknown man were
hurled in the river. Mcbride saved
himself by catching a piece of project
ing steel work. While the fire was at
its hight, party of firemen 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 resuced after several had
been severely burned. Brands from the
tower set fire to the big storehouse of
the Pennsylvania Steel Company on
the bridge. 1t was entirely consumed
and the contents were hurled into the
river together with two hosting der
ricks on the platform.
1t was IL o'clock before the flames
had devoured everything combustible
leaving only the steel tower, and the
four great 1815-inch cables stretching
across the river These cables were
recently completed, save for the steel
sheathing, and it is feared that they
have been badly damaged by the in
tense heat Should it be necessary to
replace them the labor of two years
would be lost
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
err three were red hot, but were I'M
damaged. OF the four cables resting
on the saddles, two, he found, would
have to be partly replaced by spIic-
ing. This will involve a delay of at
least four months The remaining Ca
bles suffered little injury.
The loss on the two foot bridges IS
estimated at 5000 900. The contractors
ere John A. Roebling Sons & Co.
The bridge extends from the foot of
Delaney street, Manhattan to the foot
OF South Fifth street, Brooklyn 1t
was designed to carry four surface
railroads tracks, two tracks for elevated
trains, two roadways for vehicles, two
footpaths, and two cycle paths at an
elevation of 1876 feet above the river in
the center of the main span. The main
cables had recently been completed and
the work of laying the main span was
soon to have been begun. The cost of
the bridge was placed at about $4,000
600.
1t was officially announced that no
lives were lost during the fire. the
three men reported killed having been
accounted for