New-York tribune., 1904-05-31
PIER LOSS Sl,OOO,OOO.
Man in Charge Of Barge Chi chiU
Still Missing.

Twenty streams from wreckers and railway tugs
played yesterday on the snouldering ruins OF the
IaCkawaana Railroad Company's piers at Jersey
City. bat Il will be several days before the last
remnant spark of the angry blaze IS exuuguished
The heavy shower at the close OF the day aided
materially IN the work. 4 glance along the track
Of the flames reveals how ceverly the fire lighters
conbated the flames. Pier - the first 10 be-
come prey 70 the flames. Pier L and the float
station We're totally consumed, but the streams
from the engines on shore and the tugs wreckers
and freboats on the river steadily narrowed the
swath cut by the FIRE until it ended al a point on
the grain dock
The DAMAGE 10 the expensive coal dock. which
had been in operation only Two months. was less
than was estimated on Sunday night. The costly
hosting apparatus. which loads boats at the rate
OF q carload a minute IS intact This device IS
near the river end OF the long pier. ana rests on
steel piles and concrete. The flames reached the
woodwork that incIosed the engine and il was
badly charred but the blaze is not believed 70 have
been severe enough 10 have affected the stout
hoisting gear Several cars loaded with coal were
at the end OF the pier and escaped the furious
blaze, which seemed TO have enveloped the entire
structure About four hundred feet of the pier and
the cable which moved the cars and hoistCE plat
form were destroyed. but the damage can easily
be repaired. The loss by the supposed total de-
struCt!on Of this pier sunday night was est-
mated al S25l0o Il VIII probably not exceed
$0Go0. The total loss is rut a; Eeofo'- The first
calculation, that about twenty boats We're con-
surned. IS accurate. fifteen burned hulEs stl.l
foated yesterday between the burned piers. The
wrecking conpany's crew found considerable sal-
wage in the debris the piers The crews of tho
yErcckeTs-aHd tugs We're compelled frequently TO
turn streams the horde OF river pirates ard pot
hunters. one whom, a modest fellow, had four
bales Of partly burned cotton in the tow ~ als
small rewboat-
The fire emphasized the fact that the Iacla-
wanna company's officials had been dTato~y iu ea-
tabhshing adequate facilities FOR .NL-E.is,i.1E
fires. They employed Captain McJirath. a seasoned
fire company as fire marshal two months ago. He
had prepared plans for pumping stations and pipe
lines. and organized companies ard WAS drilling
them But the pipe lines had not been completed
the system perfected. Ir the lack of water
10 feed the boilers that delayed the Jersey city
nrzIncn II getting Effective streams on the flames.
The rLHor still rs.-Teut' vesferGav the
in charge OF the bar - Churchill in which the
FIRE began. had peTlsh-d the flames hr had
rot been since the fire started. II stated
that when last seen Dee Was goIuE aboard his
+ car-F-lE a presumed contain milk
alarm said positively that all aboard the burned
boats escaped. He ran 10 the barge Churchill when
the fre was first discovered. To aid in lighting the
flames. uut tlty too formidable ana inc forth
with gave the alarm. and warned the crews OF the
lying Pier i2 The badly
crippled the service 0f the LaCkaWauUa Railroad
Company but It's officials made arrangements yes
terday with lis ueiEhUDr the Erie company. 70
use It's float bridges. and switch the I-ackawanna
ana from the Erie yard. over the connect
ing spur which has been In for several years
for Transferring cars from one line 70 the other
The Iachawauua viii deliver coal the Erie
company's piers at Weehawken. The work Of re-
constructing piers viii begin early as prIc-
ticabie and be vigorously prosecuted.