New-York tribune., 1904-05-31
CITY NEEDS SAFE PIERS.
CROKER TELLS D4NGERS.
Freproof Construction Is Erpen-
sire Hazrkes Sdus.

The fra on the waterfront Of Jersey City and
r5orole7 On Sunday evening, which destroyed
civ rackawanna piers recalls n the minds Of
many persons the awful fire al the North Ger
,,s1 IJovd piers in Hoboken four years ago,
and arouses public comment on the necessity of
4rep-oof piers for New-York. The North Ger
man LLOYD Company recognized the value OF
steel Areproof construction, and after its loss Il
built freproof piers
The new piers Of the North German Lloyd at
F5oboken are doubly protected They are virru-
ally huge burglar proof and freproof steel safes.
4 fire cannot get into them from without, and
fire starting within cannot get outside. Built
mostly OF steel and with nothing inhammable
in their construction except the spiles driven
into the mud as supports, they are believed 10
be safe against destruction by flames.
.'Fireproof piers are the only safeguard
against great water front fires Fire Chief
Croker said last night. The land force has no
opportunity 70 get at pier fire. and the entire
work must be done by the freboats. It wouldn't
be bad idea for Jersey City 10 have a couple
OF hreboats and I should think Il would be ad-
yisabe for the railroad companies whose piers
are likely 10 burn AZ any moment TO have
full equipment II the way Of fireboats TO get at
the flames in the right way and at the start
] understand that they have a few tugboats
equipped with pumps. the streams they
play amount 10 practically nothing. In the fire
Of Sunday these tugs kept on the south side OF
the fire, position from which their service was
useless They were not built to fight fires.
Naturally they We're turned and kept 10 the
south well out Of the way OF the flames.
I saw the freboat George 3. Mcclellan to
day and from her condition II was more than
evident that she had been up against a hot
fight The eyes and faces Of the men on the
Mcclellan and the New-Torker showed how
close they rad held up 70 the ere Il is not
always advisable 10 send our boats away from
Manhattan. as We leave ourselves in danger
This situation recalls the fire in Hull, ont
The city oS Ottawa sent its engines 20 Hun. and
found itself confronted by local fire and a
burned h-i5Ea-the only avenue by which their
engines could return-and al their apparatus
in Hull. The result was that the city 4 Ottawa
was nearly destroyed"
Edward E LOOMS ice-president Of the Della
ware, LacEawarna and Western. said last night.
81 was over 10 the burned piers today and 1
think We win be able To save the new coal pier
by recappirg The spiles. With regard 70 re-
building with dreproof piers. I don't believe il
viii De necessary. We have all our sheds on
the piers covered with steel sheets, which is a
sufhcier; protection. We have made arrange
ments with the Delaware and Hudson road 70
use their t-esLie In moving our coal
The passengers and freight VIII be handled
Just as Il the fre had not occurred. As TO our
insurance I cannot say just what II Will cover.
We are insured IN several companies"
Ex-Dock Comm issio1er Hawkes. talked with
Tribune reporter last evening in regard 70
making piers freproof When was Comnis-
sloner' he said. 7 went 10 Europe and studied
ne system Of s=rre-concrete piling, which con-
sists Of using plies Of concrete with long iron
1oas inside, instead OF wooden piles Il Is 4
he" system Il construction used in South
ainpton' Rotterdam, and. 10 a certain extent. in
antwerp found. however. that II was 50
may i could not be applied 10 the port Of New
iork because piles here DO not 90 10 solid bot
'I'' as there IS Sc much mud. I studied various
DlheF systems of hreprooGng while abroad. but
u'ey were al expensive and not suitable for this
port
There are no really hreproof piers here. ex-
- lhe stone piers IT Pier 4 and Pier ! stone
-$ however. are exceedingly expensive. and
are not elastic In some cases the cost
Ia be prohibitive. II there is 2 hard bot
"a stone pier can be built; but II there IS
= - mud, and you have 10 go down 40 feet
expense would be enormous. An attempt
O7en made TO cover the pIanking of wooden
- -. OF Aew-York with concrete and asphalt
-, = mas never been definitely approved. The
-eh pier gives more or less, but the con-
crete does not give
w proper way to protect the piers IF New
:, y TO have large number Of FIRE appliances
l. -.--4o and hre5oats IN the harbcr Eventual
~ 4e system may be put into effect. bat now
60 ooilng OF piers is largely experimental,
fsstFe port Of New-York is concerned"