New-York tribune., 1904-05-30
Roofs from Battery to Harlem
CrO1cded- ed-4ccidents at Piers.

As soon as the smoke from the Hoboken fire
rose high enough to be observed from this side
OF the river crowd gathered on the river front
piers and on the tops of buildings. When the
immense cloud of smoke foated across the river
ana the great tongues Of flame could be seen
the crowd became large that the police re-
serves OF many stations called out. In
several instances people were pushed into the
water by the eager crowds on the piers
The Barrow-st recreation pier was nearly
opposite the blaze. and five thousand persons
hlled II 10 overlooking all afternoon and even
ing. The crowd swelIed to such proportions
that those at the street end Of the pier wishing
to get nearer the front pushed till several per
sons were knocked off the front end of the pier
into the water. Two of them were children but
all were pulled out quickly and sent home. The
police did not even get near enough 10 register
the accidents or get any names. Thousands
stretched along West-st.. running out on every
pier and bulkhead all along the waterfront.
The watchmen. caretakers and police could
not keep the people from invading the piers.
They arrived in such crowds that they took
possession of the vantage points and held them
as the fire increased and became more spec
tacular.
The roofs Of buildings all along West-st. and
the side streets held spectators and from Hous-
ton to Fourteenth-st. through that nelghbor
hood, the crowds were thick IN street and on
building.
A great crowd was watching the fire from the
West Twenty-second-s pier as the steamboat
Taurus. from Coney Island, approached with
over a thousand passengers aboard, about 7:30
o'clock. The passengers, in their eagerness 10
get good view of the fire. rushed the port
side of the boat, causing the vessel to careen.
Women screamed in fright the boat went
away over, and children took up the cries OF
fear. Officers yelled orders. and with the crew
dragged barrels Of water and other weights TO
the starboard side OF the Taurus
For few minutes it looked as IL there would
be panic Women clung TO men hugged
their children to them. some running about dis
tracted, while calm men tried to allay their
fears. The boat had been making headway TO
her pier and was soon tied up. without mishap
At s o'clock a Starin tug drew a burning
canalboat over toward the Barrow-st pier She
was pouring water from several streams into
the burning scow. A roundsman yelled at the
tugboat:
Don't land here. Get back. Move to Hoboken
again You can't do any docking here Get
away. get away"
He succeeded in soaring off the tugboat cap
tain. who, still pouring water into the scow.
headed for the Jersey flats.
All evening the Jersey ferryboats landing any
people
who wanted 10 see the spectacle The West
Fourteenth and Christopher ST. ferries did big
business. Every boat Jammed from bow
to stern. So great was the crowd about these
ferryhouses on this side that the mob of people
extended away across West-st.
The pilots Of these boats had difficulty in maxi
Ing their slips each time on the Hoboken shore
on account of the cloud Of smoke from the fire
which was so dense thai it hung down to the
surface OF the water Often the boats waited
until an unusually big flare from the fire lit up
their way.
burning lighter which was cut loose from
one of the burning piers fioated toward the
New-York shore. and a man at West and
Charles SITS. seeing 1t sent in alarm of fire
from box at that point.
Not only downtown, but uptown as we'll the
roofs of buildings held sightseers. Guests of the
Waldorf and other hotels assembled on the roofs
20 view the spectacle. and even In Harlem the
tenants Of high apartment houses went to their
roofs. The huge cloud Of smoke that drifted
the river extended far as One-hun-
dred-andhfty -ffth-st. on the Manhattan side.
CHIEF CROKER SENDS AID.
Chief Croker was in his Office in Great Jones'
St when he got a telephone message from
Chief Conway of the Hoboken department.
Our water front is on fire. and We want you
10 help us, said Conway. Its big fire, and
1 think Wen need four OF your fireboats."
Chief Croker replied that If he sent four boats
he would leave the New-York waterfront prac-
tically unprotected "Some OF your sparks or
boats might drift over here" said Chief Croker.
land then we would need the boats I'll send
you the best two boats l have"
Chief Croker at once ordered the New-Yorker,
in charge of Captain Braisted to the scene of
the confa grafton. The new freboat George B.
Mcclellan. the greatest boat of her type in the
world had responded to false alarm OF fire
ct Charles and West SITS. Chief Croker sent
word to Captain Conlon at the pier at Charles
St and ordered him to proceed at once to Ho-
boken and cooperate with the New-Yorker and
Chief Conway.
few minutes after the boats had been dis
patched Chief Croker got a telephone message
from the general freight superintendent of the
Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad
asking for aid.
The New orker. starting from the Battery,
went TO the fire from the south. The Mcclellan.
starting from Charles-st.. had almost straight
run across the river. When nearing the Jersey
shore the Mcclellan met burning lighter that
had been cast adrift. Six powerful streams were
turned on the lighter. and in five minutes the
blaze had been extinguished and the big fire
boat had started at full speed for the fire.
Chief Croker said that he did not think n
pier fire I'm New-York could gain the headway
that the Hoboken fire did. He spoke of the test
made earlier In the day at the Old Dominion
Line pier and said that when the entire water
front was similarly equipped the danger OF q big
Ore would be even less than 1t Is now -.