The evening world., 1917-08-20
Il VESSELS BURN
INSl,OCO,OOOFIRE
At BROOKLYN PIER
Explosions ~ ammunition 10
One steamship Cause
RumuS at Plot.

shippirF GsmsFs ssf,ma'sf at o..
eee.ooo vas caused De- ssriasions and
fiTs early to-day 81 the foot - con.
Eress street nrooklyn. Two steam
thips ana Zen smaller vessels wsrs
burned and tHs docks wer, damaged.
B'sauss uhs nre vas accompanied -
100 distinct explosions u was at first
believed that incsndiari,s or German
plottsrs were rcsponlbie
Firs Marshall Thomas Brophy
reported. however. that spon-
taneous ignition ~ some burlap bags
was the cause of the blaze Tho
explosions he said were due 90
rockets and rifle ammunition on one
of the ships. the Baron Jedburgh
Tho damaged steamships are the
baron Jcdburgh and the Christian
baros, both owned by F'urness. witty
a Co, Of No. 80 broadway. Man
haitian. The fre extended TO the tugs
bunker. owned by Bunker a Co: H.
j. Moran. owned by Moran Bros. and
Mastodon. owned by the Boston sup
ply Co: the lighters Lakeport OF the
Ward Line. Hilda OF tho New York
Central. No. al OF the Pennsylvania
Railroad. and Elizabeth. No. 2s and
No. 30. the ownership OF which Is not
known. and the scow Eden Tom.
The flames were first discovered on
the dock. which was piled with gen
eral merchandise. So many reports
came TO headquarters regarding .he
explosions which wcro heard. that
Lieuts. Barnitz and Busscy OF the
Bomb Squad were hurriedly sent to
investigate, while repeated alarms
brought reserves from four stations
and ambulances from the Brooklyn,
Long Island College and Jewish Hos
pitfalls.
Owing TO sugar in some OF the
cargoes a pail OF heavy smoke bear
ing a strong, sickening. sweetish odor
spread over the water front and lower
Brooklyn and was carried UP as far
as the lower bridges. 1t had a peculiar
lachrymal glands and bringing tears
For an hour the firemen worked un-
der considerable difiiculty. as the pail
of smoke made II next to impossible
to discover TO what craft the blaze
was spreading.
The fire was discovered by Charles
Lchmke, a watchman employed by
the New York Dock Company. His
alarm brought Fire Chief Hefferman
with the first apparatus. Hefferman
sent in a third alarm, bringing twen-
ty-two pieces OF apparatus, FIVE fire
boats. three salvage corps and six
chiefs, with Deputy Chiefs Laimbeer
and O'Hara, who took charge,
Larry O'Toole, employed by a pri-
vate detective agency, told the po-
lice tho Baron Jedburgh was equipped
with Al gun, and that at tho out
break OF tho fire he and several others
went aboard and threw over 100
rounds Of ammunition.
Sixty members Of the crew OF the
Baron Jedburgh, aroused by the eX-
plosions and the penetrating smoke
fed from the ship in a panic. They
swarmed down the hawsers and over
The side, some dropping into the
water and swimming ashore. The
vessel was finally pulled into mid
stream and the fire fought from that
position.
Except for the Christian Baros, all
the craft were practically destroyed
The Baros and Jedburgh were both
in only recently from the Platte
River. loaded with manila, hemp and
gasoline.
While the other vessels were burn
ing, fire from an unknown cause
broke out on the deck OF the steam,
ship Esperan2a OF the Ward Line
docked at the foot OF Joralemor
Street, having arrived yesterday from
Cuba and Nassau, Capt. Curtis gave
the alarm and the blaze was quickl!
estinguished by a detachment Of fire
men from the other blaze.
HnI.H