Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-02-06
S225,OO0 FIRES
SMOKE TURNS DAY
INTO DARK NIGHT
Erie Railroad and Vacuum Oil
Company Blaze Like That
in Paradise Lost.

HOBOKEN, Feb. 6.-Of1cials of the
Vacuum OIL Company and the Erie
railroad today estimate the loss In yes
terday's waterfront fire at $685. 0o,
which destroyed the oil warehouse in
Weehawken and the Erie railroad coal
pier adjoining.
A burst of smoke from the northwest
corner of the brick and frame building
that ran for $50 feet along the North
river and extended inland for $50, sent
Patrolman James Trunk on the u for
an alarm-box at Park venue n
Nineteenth street at 1875 O'Clock. Be-
fore he had reached the box a ball-like
cloud of flame and smoke had leaped
into the air, and before the Weehaw-
ken volunteers had answered the alarm
the whole building was ablaze. Com
panles from Hoboken, West Hoboken,
Union Hill, Gutenberg and Palisade
were called out later, but it was only the
assistance of the New York f~1re-boats
James H. Duane and New Yorker and
a fleet of twenty railroad tugs that
made it possible to hold the loss as low
as 1t was held.
Caused by Sparks, Probably.
The origin of the fire could not be
determined this morning. 1t was prob
ably the work of a spark from a shift
ing engine, but whether 1t was carried
into the storage rooms Of the piers or
to a loaded oil car along the northern
side was a question. Two such cars
were standing there, Inc one of them
afterward looked as If it had been the
centre of an explosion. h n be-
side 1t resembled a cattle car. but Erie
officials were united in the belief that
there had been no explosion. The re-
port to the Weehawken police a
Probably spark carried into oil
house."
The entire northern end of h ooun-
ty was plunged almost into darkness.
The cloud of smoke extended almost
to the Hackensack Meadows and was
plainly visible in Montclair and South
Orange and other parts of Essex
County.
Lik a pail the black cloud hung over
the Hudson River, making 1t so dark
that lights were lighted in ferryboats
and other craft, and fog horns and
whistles were sounded. All of the steam
craft ran at reduced speed. The smoke
was waited over Manhattan and even
as far as Coney Island.
Thousands Watch B1ase.
Thousands of people from all parts OF
Hudson County, Essex County and
from New York hurried to Weehawken
and watched the work of the aremen.
Thousands of others lined the New
York side of the river, where they had a
good view of the blaze,
So great was the throng that the
Weehawken police were powerless to
hold 1t in check. An appeal was made
to nearby cities. Jersey City sent
twenty-five men under Captain Alfred
Cummings, and Hoboken fifteen men
under Captain Flatterly. The police
were forced TO use their clubs to drive
the crowds back.
The oil house, as the railroad com
pany called the big two-story brick
warehouse near the docks at Eighteenth
street, Weehawken, was a brick struc-
ture 700 by 200 feet in dimensions,
which stood between the network OF
the Erie and West Shore Railroad
tracks at the base Of the Palisades.
The docks constitute q portion OF
the Erie company's marine yard. A
ship repairing plant, elevated coal
pockets and trestle and laden barges
afioat and filed freight airs ashore,
surrounded the oil house with in1am-
mable material. Yet when the last
flicker of flame was quenched late last
night only the oil warehouse and its
contents and the Erie pier had been
destroyed.