Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-07-31

damage was done to the Lehigh Valley
grain elevators. In addition, as far as is
known, IS loaded cars were destroyed.
According to evidence obtained by Of
ficias of the railroad company, the fire
started at los this morning in a barge
belonging to an independent towing COM
pany which had been moored along side
the railroad company's dock expressly
against orders.
M T. Henley, night general yard mas
ter for the New York division of the
Lehieh Valley Railroad, was on the pier
when the fire started. He said the ex-
plosion, which occurred at 2os, was in
the barge where the fire started.
Mr.. Henleys first thought was to re-
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 communicate itself to
some Of the cars nearest the barge
Two long cuts Of cars We're sue
cessfully removed from the danger
zone before the rapidly spreading fire
engulfed the balance.
1T has not as vet been definitely de-
termined lust what the money loss
will be. Some 10000 tons Of raw SUI
Ear. valued al appro ximately s3,400.000.
is known to be lost. 1t is believed that
the other contents of the warehouses
destroyed will greatly increase this
amount. There were no explosives
stored in the warehouses and in only
two Of the cars destroyed. These were
loaded with shrapnel, which would not
have been a source of danger but for
outside fire. The other cars destroyed
were loaded principally with salt and
PORK.
The scene of the explosion and fire
is in no way adjacent to the main pas
senger and freight terminals Of the
Lehigh Valley Railroad at either New
y DIRK or jersey City, and the mishap
will not interfere with the operation
of business
Pres. Mackenze's Estimate
Edmund L. Mackenzie president Of
the National Storage Co., declared to-
night that the plant of his concern was
valued at 100000 while the contents
of the warehouses probably were
worth s10,0Oo,00O. One Of the ware
houses which remains intact, he said,
is filled with chemicals. Besides the
great quantity of raw sugar burned,
there were $4,000 bales OF tobacco.
much mating from China and Japan,
erd other merchan lise
The loss to his company and the rail-
road. Mr.. Mackenzie asserted, was part
ly covered by insurance.
LAS far as l have been able to ascer-
tain after a personal investigation" said
Mr. Mackenzie. there apparently has
not been a great loss of life. This I'M
doubtedly was due to the fact that few
persons live in the immediate vicinity
of our plant.
There were. of course, number OF
private watchmen and firemen on the
grounds at the time but all of these ex
, cept two have been accounted for
Mr.. Mackenzie said it would be i'm
possible at this time to tell what loss
of life there had been. IL any, on barges
and small craft moored near the scene
of the disaster. The Jersey City police
cooperating with the New York author
tiles were busily engaged tonight in a
search.
Two Known Dead
The body Of an unidentified young man
was recovered from the water of the
Lehigh Valley pier. A child in Jersey
City. according to the police. died from
shock following the first Of the expio-
sions. Many men told thrilling stories
of having been blown hundreds Of feet
over land and water.
Three Score Injured
Most Of the 50 or more injured taken
to Jersey City hospitals were struck by
shrapnel falling glass or debris. Near
ly all were in the railroad yards or on
craft moored near the island. Includ-
ed among them aer few women and
children. whose homes were on the
barges. Many other persons in New
York and Jersey City suffered minor
injuries from broken glass.
Every window in the pedestal Of the
Statue of Liberty on Bedloe's island
opposite Black Tom, was broken. The
main door. made Of iron and weighing
nearly a ton, was blown off its hinges.
The statue itself was not injured. ex-
cept from the rain Of shrapnel which
despatched it. A few warehouses on
the island and the quarters Of the ar.
mory Of s. soldiers who guard the
statue were badly damaged. A number
Of men. as well as several women,
wives Of officers, were cut by flying |
glass but none seriously.