New-York tribune., 1918-03-27
Wind Carries Fragments
From Jersey City
Three Miles
Courtroom Stampede
Siren Calls for Doctors and
Nurses Cause Near
Panic

Lower Manhattan was showered with
s,a-gs and blazing spinters Of wood
sbo+ skvward by the explosion in Jer-
.ev citv Yesterday. and the waves OF
ho,- from the fire. then carried by the
r;rd across the Hudson River. In only /
ons sDor, however. did they cause !
blaze.
TIE passenger ferry station Of the |
Erie Railroad at the foot of Chambers
Street was partly destroyed. The fire
started a. about 3:45 o'clock, when the |
haze across the river was at its height /
The roof and second story Of the build
ing we're burned.
W.-h the alarm announcing the fire
in the Erie station came other calls to
the Fire Department from various
roints along the North River front
where sparks started small blazes, but
all Of these were extinguished by the
tir,e the engines arrived. Splinters of
burning wood were picked up on the
lower East Side, having been carried
at least three miles.
Traffic Court Adjourns
The series Of explosions on the Jer-
sey side caused excitement all over
Manhattan and almost panic in the
Mulberry Street Traffic Court, where
four window panes were shattered by
the second detonation. The sounding
Of one long and SIX short blasts of
siren. the signal for doctors and
nurses 10 assemble, nearly resulted in
d stampede in the courtroom. Court
was adjourned Magistrate House did
not resume until he learned fro Po-
lice Headquarters that the explosion
was IN New Jersey.
Tie fire in the Erie station was soon
under control. az streams Of water were
plying en- the building a few minutes
after It started from two freboars in
the river and from half dozen nozzles
in tie hands of fremen summoned by
three alarms.
The ferryboat Jamestown was load
ing passengers when the fire was dis
covered by Policeman Bongard, who
turned IN the first alarm. A few min.
utes later Police Lieutenant Kelly and
Captain Burfeno arrived, aud ran out
on the ferryboat. telling the passengers
20 return ashore. There was no panic
The sixty O. seventy passengers walked
quietly through the station. unaware
t1at ne roo1 Of the building was ablaze.
The second floor OF the two-story
structure has been used as headQuar-
ters of the Erie police, and. according
70 one o. them. only two or three men
we're there. They had no trouble in get
ting ont.
Fight Flames from Ferries
The fire spread rapidly along the
roof OF the building and had done
considerable damage by the time the
freDoats New Yorker and Zophar
Mills arrived From West Street the
IRE nghtIng vas under the command
o Chief A-r!on and Deputy Chief
Birns. The latter estimated the total
damage a. about 5000.
Az about the sar.e tine the Erie sta
Ton was set atire srarss fell on SACKS
q rice ia the 5arg, Congress. of tho
Southern Pacific Railway Company. It
vas loaded WIKI general merchandise
for Boston. The barge was at the
docks Of the Metropolitan Steamship
Company. Pie 10. A small blaze
started on the barge, which was hastily
towed into midstream by a harbor tug
while the flames were querched by
water from the hose Of other craft
7 ne fremen utilized the jamestown
and later on TIE Chautauqua, which re
turned from the jersey side, and played
their hose or The passenger station
from the decks Of the ferries
TIE rolice took no chance Of the fire
spreading ard forty reserves OF the
Second Inspection District were sum
moned q guard the waterfront.