The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-07-31

long tongue of land. They splashed into the water of the inlet between Black Tom and the barren crescent of stone and debris. The burning warehouses sent forth clouds of black smoke and Black Tom was pen1n- sula of fire.
 To the north of the big barge was another over which shredded flames were running. It looked like a great grill The wind, blowing steadily from the south, swept the barge up the bay and all but the ever mounting reflection of 1t was presently lost to view.
 Then strange thing happened. The long barge suddenly lighted. up beyond anything yet seen and the statue of Liberty loomed majectically before it. As if forced by propellers, the barge began to move swiftly, up the bay toward Ellis Island The bursting of shells from her became more violent, and in the gray blue mist she seemed like an ancient frig- ate Just come from mighty battle, still firing double broadsides.
 Big Schooner Ablaze
 By this time the fire was eating it's way well through the warehouses of the National Storage Co. The fire |. men in front of the buildings were powerless for lack of water pressure Behind the buildings the four-masted schooner George E. Wolcott had caught fire and the flames were run ming through her rigging. Nearby was the steamer Tijuca Rio, in from Lisbon with a cargo of cork.
 Moored around these ships and to the piers jutting out from the south side of the warehouses were a hun dred or more small barges. and canal boats. The roofs of many of them had been ripped off. Men were al- lready beginning to clear away the debris. Women and children had been taken far back from the fire and were huddled along the tracks, with bundles of belongings beside them.
 Then a busy little company of tugs of the Lehigh Valley and Central Railroad of New Jersey, having f1n- ished several hours of dangerous work out at Black Toms tip, nosed their way through the aGlutter of barges and made fast to them., The barges were hauled out into the bay and anchored. The four-master and the steamer went the same way, the steamer listing badly, her sides blist- cred and her deck rail burned away. Then came the f1reboat Thomas Willett and heavy streams were soon playing over the last of the ware- houses. These streams drenched the fire and saved the line of wooden sheds that had crumpled under the iv,,v% a1< 1P Hn I,fe
 The sun rose blood red through the blue and lowering close to the ground. Far up the bay the drifting scows burned fitfully. From that outward end of Black Tom. where nc man had dared to go after the explosion, the sing of shells came. Jess frequently. Now and then a sharp report warned back the wrecking crews.
 Now and then a fireman was lost to view through the haze and came back with a three-inch shell or a time fuse for a souvenir. Most of the specta- tors were cpntented with shrapnel bullets, which were to be found 1 everywhere. Those who had been injured began to return, their faces and arms in bandages. Yard engines came pulling up and went back with trains of damaged cars. Reserves of police arrived and stretched their fire lines. Claremont avenue began to fill | with people. Peanut vendors showed | their way up to the ropes. The fire was under control and everything was ready for the Sunday visitors. There is considerable disagreement | among those who were first on the ground as to just where the fire start | ed. Kane, who first saw it, reported that it was on the explosive dock, | and Fire Marshal Julian said that he couldn't get anything more definite than that from the men who were there before the flremen arrived. 1 Members of the three fire companies who went out on the telephone alarm sent by Kane said that when they got there a number of cars were already on fire and the end of the pier was also burning. They couldn't tell which was the original blaze. It was SUD- posed that one of the munition cars quickly caught fire and that shell
 hurled into the barge moored at Pier IT set off the explosives aboard. IT the freight yard when the fire was al It's height employees told fnquirers that the barge was loaded with nitro cellulose and that some of the cars also contained this explosive.
 As the fire lighted up the bay and i the rattle of small shells awakened
 the watermen fleet of tugs made fol Black Tom.
 These tugs pushed in among the parges and got many of them away
 10 the south side of the. long arm oi
 land. Some of these barges were filled
 With explosives and were ready to bs
 taken to Gravesend Bay, where these
 dangerous cargoes are put aboard thu
 european intuition ships. Many O.
 them, like most of the cars in the
 yard, contained grain, flour, oil cake
 salt, lumber, borax and other mer
 chandise
 l In the hurry and general confusion
 of getting back from the blaze tn.
 freight cars that were near the lex plosive pier," those in charge had lit
 tie time to count their men. In addi
 ton to the freight conductors, brake
 men and yard watchmen who were helping. many men had come iron
 the barges of the National Storag, company. Charles Cutler, captain 0.
 one of these barges, said he though
 there were not more than 20 men il
 the immediate neighhorhood when th' cargo of nitro-cellu1ose exploded. Sev eral of these men are accounted for others arc missing.
 Clothing Blown or Policeman.
 Among the latter is Cornelius Ley