The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-08-01

i've feared unless immediate pre-
tentative steps are taken.
Frank r. Hague, commissioner of
| public safety of Jersey City. tonight
said;
I'VE will arrest Presidept Thomas,
of the Lchigh Valley. and President
Besler. of the Jersey Central Rail-
road, If II be found they have violat-
cd the law,
I'VE have sent ten detectives to the
scene OF the disaster to learn all the
facts They are also inspecting the
terminals of the Pennsylvania, Jersey
Central Erie Lack awanna and West
Shore Railroads
IF they ind evidence that any of
| these roads have violated the law and
endangered lives and property we will
make arrests
Origin Most Mysterious.
"Our investigation so far shows the
fire started in a most mysterious man
ner in two freight cars on the Lehigh
| Valley, at Black Tom pier. We have
| been haffled In trying to discover just
how the flames originated within the
scaled doors of these cars.
I'VE don't even know where these
cars came from. We can't get this
information from the railroad. We
have been aware OF the great danger
to the millions who live around New
York bay from the shipment of mu-
nitions of war over these railroads.
We know that efforts have been made
to blow up munitions shipments.
natural place to commit such a crime
would he the terminal where these
Sigh explosives are transhipped from
railroad to steamer
Realizing this great peril. / warn
ed President Thomas, of the Lehigh
FaIi nd President ppElpr of the
Jersey Central My efforts, however.
were thwarted by the conflict between
local and Federal authorities"
Contradictory statements were
made by the Lehigh Valley officials
and President Johnson, of the Light
erage Company. The railroad in an
official statement cast the blame on
the Johnson Company; II said that the
fire started in Johnson lighter loaded
with high explosives which tied up to
the railroad pier against orders.
Passing the Buck"
johnson retorted that the rre
started not on his barge. but on the
railroads pier and that the Iehigh
Railroad was trying to dodge re-
sponsibility by passing the buck to
him. He intimated that there would
be law suits for damages amounting
to millions OF dollars which the rail-
road did not want to pay,
Public Prosecutor X. S. Hudspeth,
of Jersey City, received Reports from
the posse of Investigators and an
nounced his belief that responsibility
for the fire rested with the Lehigh
Valley Railroad. He said:
This fire ragged for more than half
an hour on the Lehigh Valleys Black
Tom pier before Jersey City fire de-
partment was called to the scene. II
help had been asked for sooner the fire
might have been checked before the
great quantities of explosive were
ignited.
This neglect Is almost unexplain-
able. We are making every effort to
learn the cause. 1t has been stated
by johnson and others that fires have
occurred on this pier, and no report
was made to the police and no help
requested from the Jersey City fire de-
partment
The defense of the Lehigh Valley
Railroad is ridiculous. The railroad
says IL must bring in this highly ex-
piosive matter to ship abroad. Ac-
cordingly II has been accommodating at
various times enough nitrogiycine and
other explosives on the shores of New
York Bay to cause far more damage
than the terrific blast Of Sunday morn
ing.
Gall Federal Prosecutor.
AT a conference of local officials
today II was decided to call together
tomorrow the Federal prosecutors of
New Jersey and New York to deter
mine means to prevent the recurrence |
Of such a disaster. We want to de-
termins, for example. In what juris-