New-York tribune., 1909-03-20
LEDIGH PIER B BURNS
Worhers Taken off by Tugs-One
Han Missing.

fire which did more than a quarter OF
million dollars damage broke out shortly after
3 O'Clock yesterday afternoon on the Lehigh val
ley Railroad Company's Pier B, at Greene street
and the North River. Jersey City. so QUICKLY
did the flames spread that men at WORK on the
pier had no chance to reach the shore, ard had
10 be taken off the end Of the pier by tugs DaVid
Dinsmore. Of Mills Hotel No. l, who went 10
work there for the first time yesterday morning
is missing and is believed to have perished-
According to a fellow worker. Dinsmore fell into
the water while trying to make his escape and
was not seen again.
The Jersey City iremen had great difficulty
in reaching the scene OF the fire owing to the
railroad tracks. and il was due to this delay
that the fire got such start New York fire
boats did excellent work in towing several burn
ing lighters out into the river and putting out
the fire on them.
The fire started when four roofers at work
on the pier tipped over small heater they were
using The flames ran along the roof and the
roofers ran for their lives. A clerk in the freight
Offices Of the railroad company saw the accident
and sent in an alarm. When the iremen ar
rived they found they could not reach the burn
ing building with their hose. and they had TO
drive almost half mile 10 get within working
distance
When they did get to work they started TO
keep the flames from spreading TO Pier c, which
was separated from the burning pier by about
fifteen feet of water. Pier B was about 1000
feet long and 50 feet wide, two stories high, and
was well filled with freight, containing among
other things ten carloads OF pig copper.
Several tugs which were in the vicinity when
the fire was discovered blew their whistles and
soon fifty IAhigh. Standard oil and other tugs
were sending their streams into the flames. The
apS and
the police boat Patrol turned. their efforts tow
ard saving Pier c and the barges moored along
side of the piers.
One lighter. loaded with cordwood. caught fire
and was hauled out into the river where
dozen tugs flooded IT, extinguishing the fire
one other lighter burned to the waters
edge. it being impossible for the tugs to get
line TO her, so fierce were the flames
At one time it was thought that Pier would
GO and the efforts OF the fire fighters were re-
doubled. Although it caught fire several times
little OF no damage was done. So intense was
the heat that the paint on the tugs fairly
bllstered. and several times tugs caught fire but
when this happened they dropped out OF the fir
ing line, steamed out into the river and turned
their streams on themselves. Hundreds OF
pigeons which made their homes in the burning
building flew panic stricken through the smoke.
that they dropped into the flames.
The fire attracted much attention from Man
haitian. Windows in the skyscrapers in the
lower part Of the city lined with specta-
tors who watched the flames they raced along
the pier and left ruin behind them The water
front too. lined with people. and hundreds
hocked over TO the Jersey shore to watch the fire
at close range. In this they were not success
full for the Jersey City police and the railroad
police maintained exacting lines. allowing only
those who had business there near the fire.
Little known of Dinsmore. who is sup
posed to have lost his life. According TO a fell
low worker ne came from Alabama. This man
said that when the fire was discovered he and
Dinsmore ran toward the end Of the pier. Both
Ieaped for tug. but Dinsmore fell into the river
and sank, he said.
According to the officials of the railroad the
pier was one of the finest of the kind ever built
here 1t cost upward OF 100000 The company
carried its own insurance. The loss freight
burned was estimated at $150OO0.