New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-04-29
SUGAR REFINERY BURNS,
WITH LOSS OF 100000
Building in ArbuckIe Plant,
Where Three Firemen Died
Once. Nearly Destroyed.
GREAT CROWD SEES BLAZE
Flooks to Manhattan Bridge and
Bothers the Police - Four
Alarms and Four Fire
boats, Too.

From the Manhattan Bridge last even-
ing an immense crowd watched flames
eating up the interior Of one of the re-
fineries If the great Arbuckle sugar and
coffee plant on the Brooklyn side Of the
East River An explosion Of sugar dust
caused the fire, it was supposed. Nearly
two hundred men employed on the night
shift in the refinery escaped. and it was
rumored that one of the employees on the
sixth floor had lost his life. Before the
fire vas extingushed IL caused a loss Of
100000. according to the police and
some Of the Arbuckle officials. on
Christmas Day, 1902. three fremen lost
their lives at fire in the same build
ing
Those who live in the neighborhood OF
the plant were alarmed at so .. m. by
the noise Of an explosion which broke
many windows in nearby houses. Simul-
taneously flames burst from the top Of
the refinery. which is a nine story and
basement brick building 80 feet long,
IN jay street. and running from John 70
Pearl street This building is connected
With another refinery on the waterfront
by a bridge cunning from the sixth floor
Of each building Behind the jay street
building is a new concrete structure OF
ten stories. and on the other side is the
coffee plant.
on the southeast corner Of Pearl street.
facing the new concrete building. are the
works Of the F. W Bliss Company,
where torpedoes for the government ar,
made. but as only the castings are
manufactured there, the fears of those
Who thought that explosives might be
stored in the Bliss Buildings were
groundless.
John Eulan. night superintendent for
! Arbuckle Brothers sounded the private
fire alarms as soon as he heard and felt
the explosion The night SHIFT ran for
I the elevators ard 10 the bridge between
/ the retireries. About fifty men of the
! dav shift Nere In the lower floors or the
refinery IN which the explosion occurred,
and they rushed TO the Pearl street gate.
Lieutenant John Conway OF Engine
! los. ar Bridge and Front streets, short
distance from the fire, was one of the
| first fremen on the scene. He got his
men there without waiting for an alarm
! and they were working with a will when
| the third and fourth alarms were sound
/ cd. Deputy Fire Commissioner O'Keeffe
and Depu'y Chief Lally directed the
work uf the men on land. while the fire.
hoats Seth Low. New Yorker, Abram (.
Hewitt ard Zophar Mills sent powerful
streams from the river front. The high
pressure syatem worked perfectly
The flames spread with great rapidity
from floor 10 floor until six were blazing
merrily. Meantime thousands Of per
sons were focxing from the lower part
of Brooklyn. and TO maintain the fire
lines the reserves of six police stations
we're called out. Their work was di-
rected by Borough Inspector Dillon. OF
Brooklyn There were also several am
berland street and the Long Island Col
lege hospitals only two hremen were
hurt. however. and they didn't need
much attention.
August Rolf. of Engine los. fell into a
hole on the ground floor and was bruised
a bit Another fireman hurt his head by
stumbling over hose.
After the fire was under control il was
learned that the explosion had occurred
on the ninth floor OF an extension 10 tn.
said that the lire was caused by spon-
tsneous combustion. Some were OF the
opinion that the explosion was due 10
sugar dust.
That was the idea OF Peter Bergdan
an assistant foreman IN the refinery
who had charge of thirty men in the
bsgging department on the NTH floor
He said the explosion was violent one