The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-07-31
UNTOLD DAMAGE
Continued from FIRST Page.)

explosion, which occurred at 2:0S, was
in the barge where the fire started.
Mr.. Henly's first thought was to
remove the loaded cars on the plel
from the danger zone. He said that
when he reached the end Of the pier
the barge was burning fiercely all over,
and the fire was beginning TO commu-
nicate itself to some OF the cars near
est the barge.
1.-TWO long cuts Of cars were success
fully removed from the danger zone
before the rapidly spreading fire en-
quilted the balance. II has not YET
been definitely determlned Just W6 6a6
the money loss will be. Some 10000
tons Of raw sugar, valued at approx
mately $3,400,000, is known 10 be lost.
It is believed that the other contents
of the warehouses destroyed will
greatly increase the amount. There
were no explosives stored in the ware,
houses Two Of the cars destroyed
were loaded with shrapnel, which
would not have been a source OF dan
ger but for outside fire. The other
cars destroyed we're loaded princi-
pally with salt and pork.
THE scene Of the explosion and fire
IS in no way adjacent to the nam
passenger and freight terminals of the
Lehigh Valley Railroad, either at New
York or Jersey City, and the Tlshap
will not interfere with the operation
Of business.
Edmund L. Mackenzie. president OF
the National Storage Company, de-
clared tonight that the plant Of his
concern was valued at 100000,
while the contents Of the warehouses
probably were worth S10,000000. One
Of the warehouses which remains in
tact, he said, is filled with chemicals.
Beside the great quantity OF raw sugar
burned, there we're $4,000 bales of to-
bacco, much mating from China and
Japan. and other merchandise. The
loss to his company and the railroad,
Mr.. Mackenzie said, was partly COW
cred by insurance.
The body of an unidentified Young
man was recovered from the wafer Off
the Lehigh Valley pier. A child in Jer;;
sey City, according to the police, died
from shock after the first Of the eX-
blossoms. Many men told thrilling stor.
les Of having been blown hundreds OF
feet overland and water.
Most Of the sixty or more injured
taken to Jersey City hospitals were
struck by shrapnel, falling glass or de:
bris. Nearly all were in the railroad
Yards or on craft moored near the Is
land. Included among them are few
women and children whose homes
were on barges.
Every window in the pedestal of the
statue of Liberty, on Bedloe's Island;
opposite Black Tom, was broken and
the main door. made of iron and weigh
ing almost a ton was blown of It's
hinges. The statue itself, however,
was not damaged, except from the rain
of shrapnel which despatched it..
power for Bedloe's Island was shaken
and partly put out of commission, the
famous light of liberty" burned
steadily throughout the hours of con.
fusion, flaming high above the pail of
smoke.
Early reports of damage 10 the build.
ings on Ellis Island were exaggerated
according 10 Captain A. B. Fry, super
vising engineer Of federal buildings in
New York Captain Fry said the loss
could not exceed $4,000.
Damaged BY Explosion
Most Of the damage at the immlgra-
tion station was caused by The force
of the explosion. which wrecked walks
and buildings and shattered windows
and doorways. Two barges ablaze and
to the island from the scene Of the
disaster. 4 municipal fire boat and
tug played streams of water on them
from one side and Ellis Island en-
ployes from the other. An explosion
on one of the hargeS damaged the
structure housing the power plant.
Two other fire swept craft ground
ed on the southwest corner Of the Is.