New-York tribune., 1910-07-28
BROOKLYN BRIDGE FIRE
HALIS THE HUMAN TIDE
Irifiing Blaze on Elevated Track
Holds Back Traffic During
Rush Hours.
CONFUSION: NO ONE HURT
Firenen with Extinguishers Dc
Quick Work and Police Save
Heads Thrust Out of
Car Windows.

The ebb tide OF Brookiynites had a.
ready ser in with a vengeance vester-
day afternoon, when the Brooklyn
Rr16Ee caught fire ana damned the
human flow. The block lasted half an
hour, an6 every minute the confusion
became worse confounded- Added 10 in
ever increasing volume from its sources
in the high downtown buildings. the
black stream Of hot workers piled up on
itself ct the Manhattan terminal and be-
cane much congested. but not at all
CONCEALED. When at las: traffic began
moving forward again. at 5:15 o'clock.
the bridge entrance resembled q three
TERED inferno, packed with struggling
savages
The fire itself was trifiing blaze
which cf1a-red q few Of the ties on he
south track OF the Brooklyn Rapid Tran
sit Conpenvs elevated. opposite the Fox
Building. this side Of the Manhattan
tower 4 series OF explosions that put
group of bridge pedestrians 10 fight at
t-acted the attention Of Acting Captain
Burke and Patrolnnan Brunett, Of the
bridge squad, at AS O'Clock They
arose. and motioned back an approach
ing Coney Island express train. which
tbs notormen stopped within a hun
d-ed feet Of the blaze by applying his
emergency brakes.
Railroad Ties on Fire
-Four riveters making repairs in the
sreel network under the tracks climbed
out on 70 the roadway. Some said the
FIRE was caused by a spark from their
furnace. and others that 4 signal feed
v-ire running along the tracks. had
grounded" where its insulation was worn
on. setting the ties on fire. The Brook
I'm Rapid Transit Company and police
telephore and telegraph wires strung
along under the ties were immediately
ignited and put out Of commission
Fireuen Of Trucks / and 10 left their
apparatus at the bridge entrance, and
with chemicals and axes ran out on the
-oadway 70 the scene Of the trouble
The hose cart Of Engine 6 soon joined
rhern there. ard all hands climbed On 10
Tie track. REGARDLESS OF the third rail
Al. traffic was stopped on the south
readway. where trolley cars. motor Tehi-
rl@s and trucks formed solid phalanx
from one end OF the bridge 10 the other
on the promenade reserves from the
oak street police station aided the
bridge police in keeping the curious
--rf-ing At the terminal the ticket
ez-nrs continued to take fares. thereby
crowding the elevated platforms. Des-
.e~ate BrookIynites fought TO get on the
surface cars. and newsboys added 10 the
gxcite17ae1lt By shouting that big nre
vas eating the bridge up
Firer7en Quickly Subdue Blaze.
The fremen. under the direction OF
Battalion Chief Brogan, ripped UP the
blanks running along the burning ties
md roured in their extinguishlnS cheIn-
fals. These were 50 effective that the
lanes did not even impair the strength
Of The ties But the hremen could not
leave the track until they were abso-
I,telv sure that no trace Of blaze re
mained. and while they hacked away
end sauirted their eXungulshers the
rains had to wait In the mean tune
he north roadway. from the inability OF
-be trains and trolley cars TO enter the
a. the south roadway
Finally. when the last Of the trouble
vas in sight. the police and the Brook
lyn Rapid Transit employees started the
trolley cars, taxicabs. trucks and other
,-er7icI.s on their way TO Brooklyn once
more But q new danger Immediately
arose from the curiosity Of the people n
80 ..a-e who poked their heads far out
as they passed the firenen- one man
- his hat knocked off by a trolley pill
ia before the police realized how many
heads were inviting fractures So they
added the yell. Heads in: Keep your
heads in" to the rest Of their forceIui
,-.cshsllarv as they gradually acceler-
z-ed tie movement OF traffic toward
Brooklyn
Five minutes after the trolley cars mad
-ee,,-,zd their progress the elevated
trains were started again