New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-30

carried in her arms a Gagged parrot, which in
sisted on shriekng, Fire. fire; I'm burning.
burning!' The woman could find no trace of her
husband and was bewailing her fate in most
tragic manner when some one brought word that
Heany was safe. tug had in through
the smoke and flames and hooked onto the
barge towing it into the river.
Captain Dan" Donovan of the buckwheat
barge Clarence attracted some attention by his
lamentations over the loss of his barge.
she lay the south side of Pier TO-" said
Donovan. 'as fine barge as was ever towed in
the Hudson. We had cargo OF 24O tons OF
buckwheat on board. and were bound for West
Thirty eghth-st.. New-York. Boat, buckwheat
ana all took fire. and I've nothing left but the
shirt my back
A string of barges was towed over to the
New-York side. Others were turned adrift to
be picked up later and moored at various piers
along the New-Jersey front. Among the barges
reported lost We're the Aubrey, the Clausen. the
Belidia, the Omaha and the McMulen.
For time the power which supplies
compressed air 10 the trolley tunnel which is
being driven from FifteenJh-st., Jersey City, TO
Morton-st., NeW-Nork, was seriously threat
ened. If the power house had burned, the COM
pressed air supply to the two bores would have
been shut OF. At the first alarm the men at
work IN the tunnel were ordered TO the surface.
A stoppage of the compressed air. however,
would probably have resulted III the loss Of
much of the work OF months, 5 caye-iu would
probably have occurred.
The Lackawanna's loss in freight cars VIII be
heavy, Three car floats between Piers and 10
carrying a total OF forty ears, were burned and
the cars fell into the water.
It was reported that there was q car of dyna-
mite on Pier s. and that a switching had
rushed in at great danger and tOWed il TO
safe place IN the yards. The dynamite, il was
said was consigned TO the New-York and Jersey
Tunnel Company, which has its New-Jersey
tunnel entrance in the LackaWanna yards, at
FIfteenth-st. Lackawanua officials who were
on the scene denied that there had been any
dynamite the wharf.
About O'Clock a fame at the centre of the
burning district suddenly shot up, with all the
appearance Of a violent explosion, but without
the noise. The fire had begun 10 die out this
point, and il had been supposed that practically
all combustible material there consumed.
Long after midnight when the rest OF the ire
was We'll subdued, this area burned brightly.
There q TuinOr that q barge laden with gas
oene lay at this point.
Shortly after the renewed burst Of flame at the
centre Of the yard, group Of men standing just
off that point parted and several We're seen max
ing dives at the ground Then a small animal
about the size OF kitten darted from the fWd
and ran squealing under one of the tracks. a
little prodding brought hairy tail 10 light and
a doughty policeman tied wire around II. The
animal proved to be good sized mink that had
evidently been driven from the water by The
falling timbers.
Superintendent Ketcham Of the Delaware
LackaWanna and Western said that ii would be
weeks before all the freight could be checked and
an estimate made OF the damage. At present he
would not venture any guess at the amount OF
the loss.
After the fire was under control, Mr.. Ketcham
had a special car, supplied with coffee and sand
wiches run into the yard, and refreshments were !
served 10 the fremen and police.
Six weeks ago the Lackawanna paint shops |
were burned and a large quantity Of valuable |
electrical machinery was destroyed. The esti- |
mated damage Of that blaze was $4,000.