Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-07-31

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million dollars, very likely much
more"
The damaged goods included 80, 900
tons OF raw sugar valued at between
$S.OOO,OO0 and $4,000,000 and $4,000
bales of tobacco.
On consignments of munitions and
other supplies going to France, loss
will fall on insurance ompanies, ow-
ing TO the fact that policies issued to
the French government cover ship
ments from the beginning of the trip
until delivered. English shipments
are insured only lin waterside' in New
York, while in the case of shipments to
Russia, policies are written both ways
Several Investigations were COM
menced to-day to discover the origin
OF the f1re which caused the awful ex-
plosion that destroyed $4,000, 900
worth OF ammunition, IS freight cars,
set blazing ammunition barges adrift
TO lombard the Statue of Liberty and
the Ellis Island immigration station
with shellc and shrapnel and shatter-
ed 100000 worth of windows in this
city. one of the Investigations is con-
Quoted by Col. Beverly w. Dunn, chief
Inspector of the Bureau of Explosives
of the American Railway Association
and the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion. He is aided by thirty inspectors.
The county prosecutor and city au-
thorities in Jersey City are making in
vestigations also. 1t is understood
that agents of the Department of Jus
tce are making inquiries to learn
whether the explosion was the work
of an incendiary.
Cause of Fire Unknown
Conflicting reports as to the cause
of the fire are still circulated. Lehigh
Valley officials assert that an INTERIOR
ing barge loaded with ammunition was
moored at their pier in defiance of
their orders and that the first explo-
sion took place on board that vessel.
The commissioner of public safety said
four ammunition barges were at or
near the piers and that all of them
were destroyed. 1t is feared their
crews perished.
The big pier Just west of the Statue
of Liberty is to-day mass of smoking
ruins with the debris piled hundreds
or feet high in places, and with the
fire still burning.
Bombarded Eight Hours
The work of repairing the damage
to the buildings of Bedloe's and Ellis
Islands and in New York and Jersey
CITY began to-day. The immigration
station at Ellis Island had the appear
ance of a war-swept village with
every window shattered, the roof of
the hospital caved in, the main door
blown away and the dining and execu-
tive rooms wrecked, while the island
was strewn with bits of shrapnel,
broken glass and three-inch shells
thrown ashore from drifting barges
which had bombarded the island as
they burned. The damage was esti-
mated at $4,000
The buildings on Bedloe's Island.
with doors blown in and windows
shattered, showed the marks of an
eight-hour bombardment of shrapnel,
iron bolts and spikes. pieces of steel
and chain. The roof of an iron ware
house was ripped off and the walls are
full of holes, while the homes of the
army officers are stripped of their
chimneys and walls and plaster are
shattered. The loss there is estimated
at 100000. The Statue of Liberty vir-
tually is undamaged, but the doors
to the PEDESTAL were blown in.
Thought End of World
Stories told by those who narrowly
escaped death verge on the miracu-
lous. One man says he was blown into
the bay and swan to Bedloe's Island
but had to swim back again to the
Jersey Shore when the flaming barges
bonn barded the island. THE air seem
ed to be full of fame and l thought
the end of the world had come" said
another survivor. A third was blown
fifty feet from the top of a freight
car and landed near a building which
fell upon him.