The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-12-20
FERRY HOUSE
At NEWYORk
BURNED

New York, Dec 20--Three alarms were
sounded this morning for fire that start
cd under the floor of the IAckawanna
ferry house. where some painters We're
at work. II is thought that onetof the
lamps used by a painter exploded.
The ferry house was Immediately filled
with smoke and the painters had great
dihicuplty In reaching The floor above.
ferry boat with more than five hundred
passengers aboard was just coming into
the slip when the fire started
Dense volumes of smoke rolled up
through the roadway leading 10 the street.
The passengers were panlc-s stricken, but
they We're told 10 fun for the street
through the smoke. This they did amid
great confusion. The ferryboat then
backed into the river.
The flames made rapid headway and
all the fireboats were pressed into SER
vice in addition to several railway tugs
which volunteered. The big ferryhouses,
built mostly Of wood burned fiercely.
Many boats on their way from the Jersey
side were held up I'm mid-str,am. There
was great excitement. Crowds OF COM
muters who were landing when the fire
strated crowded about the blazing build
ing and extra policemen were called to
give the firemen chance TO work
The loss Is estimated at $3.50, 600.
Five men were reported 10 be missing
after the fire was under control
The new ferry houses OF the Delaware,
Lackawanna and Western and OF the
Central railroad OF New Jersey were al
most totally destroyed They were the
newest ferry terminals In the city, the
Lackawanna building still undergoing its
finishing touches and the Jersey Central
I Bu Oh pp1y tufn hg
ago. The terminals OF the Erie railroad
| and OF the Pennsylvania, were I'm such
| danger for a time, that the fire depart
ment concentrated almost It's entire ef-
! forts In saving them.
One small freight shed. belonging to
/ the Erie and part OF it's docks were dam
| aged.
! The fire started in a paint shop in the
| Lackawanna building presumably from a
| defective electric wire.
A ferryboat was just dscharging 500
| passengers into this building when smoke.
| flames, and series of explosions burst
| from the paint shop nearby So rapidly
J did the flames spread that when the fire.
| men had gotten 10 work, the intense heat
was already melting the copper sheath
| ing on the walls OF the buildings 40
/ foot tower of the Lackawanna building
| burning from top 60 bottom fell into the
| Hudson river, carrying a three-ton clock
| down with IL.
| The roof OF this building fell, leaving
| little except walls standing and the Jer-
sey Central building was nearly as badly
wrecked.
The rescure of $4,000 worth OF tickets
and cash from a safe fn the Jersey Cen
tral offices, was n feature of the fire. A.
r. Jalun, an officer OF the road, ran 10
the safe and got the valuables before he
was overcome by smoke. Two clerks car
ried him out Of the building. Three hours
after the fire started four workmen I'm
the Lackawanna building were reported
missing by their boss and one OF the
keepers OF the news stand could not be
found by his employers.
Hundreds OF trunks arc reported TO have
been completely dcstoryed I'm the two
burned terminals
w. c. Besler vice president and general
manager of the Jersey Central announced
that the ferry house Of his company was
total loss and that all freight and bag
gage would be received temporarily at the
Liberty Street ferry.