New-York tribune., 1918-02-19
Pier Owners Are
Blamed for Big
Fire i'm Newark
Government Investigators
Declare Proper Precau-
tons Were Not Taken
[Stdf CoYresnondcnccl


WASHINGTON, Feb. 1S.-Gross neg
lect on the part Of private owners,
and not enemy agents, caused the re-
cent disastrous Newark IN. J.) pier
fire, statement issued to-day by the
War Department says. A civil suit
for 100000 damages by the govern
ment against the owners has been
recommended.
The fire started from a drying ap-
paratus which mad been used on the
pier near a nfty-gallon tank of gas
olene and several barrels of oil and
had not been extinguished at night
fall The wind in the night, experts
decided famed the Goals into flame
and thus started the fire, which de-
stroyed valuable war stores.
"The result of this investigation, >"
says the statement, "calls attention
again to the impossiblity of safe
guarding waterfront facilities by
means of military guards unless the
owners co0I crate by taking all proper
precautions. Here, as in many other
eases. damage came from internal
causes.
"In this particular case the con-
tractors simply, because military
guard was furnished for the outside
of the premises, appear to have cast
aside all sense of responsibility for
the internal supervision Of the prem
Ises. The disaster emphasizes the
duty of private owners to provide
proper protection in the way Of eX-
pert watchmcn, proper lighting 1acil-
tiles, etc, on the premises themselves
1t demonstrates anew the folly Of
manufacturers demanding military
guards and at the same time failing
to meet the duty laid on them by tak-
ing extraordinary precautions within
the plants 30 protect against damages.
Investigations show a gross neglect of
even the most ordinary procaution and
watchfulness.
This negligence. in the opinion of
the Investigators, was so fragrant as to
cause Il Recommendation fer the in
stltution by the government of civil
proceedings to recover for the damage,
estimated to have been at least
$400, 900.
"The report discloses that the con-
tractors had permitted a foreman on
January 25 last, the day preceding the
I fire. to lay on this wharf constructed d
OF creosoted wood, sand and cnder
drying apparatus consisting of two
twenty-foot sections of pipe. two and
:. half feet in diameter, and to build
II this dryer fire to which was fed
the tops of oak piling ana heavy yel-
low pine lumber. The superintendent
admitted that he had permitted the in
| stallation of this apparatus on the
dock
Near the dryer was placed fifty
gallon tank of gasolene, fuel for q
concrete mixer. More distant, but not
remote. were several barrels of oil
that had been left on the dock by an
OF! company, owners of the property
purchased by the government for the
depot, and moored to the dock was q
barge containing 600 barrels of crude
/ oil
THE fire was drawn from the driver
at O'Clock on the afternoon of Jan
uary 25; the burning Of the dock was
discovered shortly after midnight of
that day. Two witnesses called, en-
plcyed by sub contractors engaged on
the work, testified that the fire in the
pipes was burning at 1o:30 ocloc h
that night
"The direction of the wind on the
evening of the fire is set forth in the