New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-25
MYSTERY FIRE
DESTROYS SUGAR
IN ALLIES SHIP
Cargo, Destined for Oar
daneIles, Bursts Into
Flame at Pier Here.
VESSEL AND FREIGHT
BADLY DAMAGED
Secret Service to Investigate
RumOr That Bomb in Hold
Started Blaze.

Fire Of mysterious origin broke out
yesterday afternoon in the hold Oh the
British freight steamer Cragside while
her holds were being loaded with
sugar at West Twenty-thirG Street
For an hour the crew and the city Fire
Department fought the blaze. 1t
started in the midst Of the sugar bags
and was extinguished before it spread
to other compartments.
Soon after a lighter from the Ma
tional Sugar Refining CompaTy's plant
a. Yonkers came alongside with the
last 10000 of the 100000 sacks that
were to comprise the Cragsdc's cargo
stevedores in No. 2 hold, forward of
the bridge, saw flames. At the sane
time there was a sharp, kissing sound,
az il the fire had come in cCr.act with
some highly infammable ,ubsta.ce.
In an instant the hold was ablaze.
No one on the vessel or the pier,
which is a public dock, between the
Anchor Line pier and the Erie Rail
road ferryhouse, heard an explosion
Theories that the fire was carsed by a
bomb concealed in the sugar could not
be substantiated. Spontaneous COM
bustion, caused by the hea. of the
hold and the fact that the sugar was
rushed from the refinery yesterday
morning and was still warm, was held
responsible for the blaze.
The Cragside is a British vessel
owned by the London and Northern
Steamship Company, of LorGon. Sic
came to New York last week from
the West Indies, her hull painted an
Invisible gray, and began taking OF
her cargo of sugar. The vessel was
TO have lef: tomorrow for Gibraltar
where Captain David Williamson was
! TO receive sealed orders as II the nj
innate destination of the cargo. 1t
was said to be destined for the British
/ government and for use in the OAR
| canelles or Malta.
Irving Grabner, OF COS St. Marks
| Avenue. and John ]. Robinson. a negro
stevedore, of 4S5 Adelphi Street,
| brooklyn, were the first TO see the
flames. Each said he saw them spring
from a different part of the cargo.
| Several engine companies and the fire
boats Thomas Willett and James Duane
/ responded to an alarm.
As the sugar burned it melted and
boiled. The heat that poured with the
dense smoke through the hatch made il
difficult for the fremen and the crew
| to direct their hose effectively.
In the compartment where the fire
began were $4,000 bags Of sugar, each
weighing 100 pounds and valued al
about S. Practically the entire lot
was destroyed by flames or water The
/ dfmage to the ship was estimated a.
/ $4,000, and as some water spread to
/ hold No. 3 and damaged part of the
| sugar there the entire loss was esti-
| mated at $l50,000.
! Members of the crew said after the
| fire that two hours before they had
seen strange man walk down he
gangplank from the ship. Customs in
/ spectors on :he pier discrod..ed the
story, as did the ships officers.
United States Secret Servcc agents
will investigate the origir Of the
blaze. 1t has been established that
some Of the bombs found in British
and French freight steamers sailing
from this port were concealed in bag
Of sugar.