New-York tribune., 1919-07-03
Flames Sweep Oil Soaked
South Ferry House and
Terminal and Spread
Smoke Screen Over City
Six Firemen Are Injured
Daring Rescues Made and
Kenlon Calls Out All Ap.
paratus In Lower City

The superstructure Of the South
Ferry Elevated railroad terminal was
destroyed by fire yesterday afternoon.
The flames also consumed a Third
Avenue five-car train, damaged the
Municipal ferry house and charred
the ties of the elevated track for 300
feet.
Half dozen fire fighters were in
jured, three of them severely enough
70 be sent to the Broad Street Hos
pital. But of all of the hundreds of
passengers who crowded the elevated
station or the ferry house on their
way to or from Staten Island escaped
injury, although dense clouds of smoke
and sheets of fame drove them tum-
bling over one another as they sought
the street and safety.
The cause of the fire has not been
determined. 1t may have been "hot
box" on one of the wooden cars, or
cigarette tossed away by some pas
senger, but there was no doubt in
the minds of the firemen as to the
cause of the rapidity with which the
flames spread. Oil drippings from
all the trains that have rolled into
South Ferry during the decades since
that structure was built had soaked
the timbers until they were black
Spectators Endangered
A great cloud Of smoke that rolled
upward and spread itself between the
sun and the jagged skyline Of lower
Manhattan soon attracted thousands
of Office workers, who swarmed down
under the burning structure until
they were in danger of being run
down by the fire fighting apparatus
arriving In response to three alarms.
The police, aided by coast guards
men, soldiers and sailors stationed at
the Barge Office, drove them back and
then maintained strict lines.
A woman ran aimlessly up and down
the flaming elevated platform. A
coastguardsman hurried up the station
steps through choking yellow smoke,
hoisted the woman, kicking, onto his
shoulders and hurried down to the
street. There the woman struggled
from his grasp. slapped at him, and
disappeared in the crowd.
Fireman Hugh McInierny, of Engine
Company No. 8, was one of the first
injured. Falling rafters in the Offices
Of the elevated railroad, atop the ticket
Offices, caught and crushed a foot.
Frank Mcnamara, chauffeur of the
Broad Street Hospital, hurrying up the
elevated steps with a stretcher for Nc
Inierny, slipped on the water drenched
planks and sprained his ankle. Thomas
Gustavino, of Engine Company No. 80,
was overcome by smoke, and then John
Kienig, of Hook and Ladder Company
No. Is, fell down fight of stairs and
suffered a possible fracture of the
ankle. John Cooy, Of Hook and Ladder
Company No. 13, fell on the burning
ties Of the elevated track with injury
to his leg and also was sent to the
Broad Street Hospital.
Of 361 East Ninety-hfth Street, was
burned while assisting the fireman.
Frank P. Tuttle, Of 439 Forty third
Street. Brooklyn, a ticket agent, RI
mained in his little coop to telephone
the power house to shut of the current
in the third rail. He was instructed to
"hold the phone" until told the power
uA0 DccH SHUt Ou. w ACIl Ac Woo lIiAcliy
told that the power was off his Office
was almost surrounded by flames and
he had to make his escape through 3
narrow window. Tuttle told the po-
lice that when he first observed the
fire flames were leaping up the side OF
the car that was second from the end
in the fve-car train that had arrived
q few minutes before.
Kenlon Takes Charge
Fire Chief John Kenlon assumed
charge Of the fight against the fames
and in addition to all the apparatus on
lower Manhattan summoned the fire.
Thomas Willett. These played streams
Of water over the top Of the freproof
municipal ferry house and onto the
elevated station.
Public Service Commissioner Lewis
Nixon arrived early and issued instruc-
tions for the re-routing of traffic. Stat
en- Island ferry-boats were diverted
Thirty ninth Street, Brooklyn ferry
slips, adjoining. At o'clock last night
passenger traffic was resumed on the
Staten Island Ferry at the regular pier.
Grover Whalen, Commissioner Of
Plant and Structures, and Fire Chief
Kenlon agreed that the damage was
about 100000. They said $4,000 Of
this was the city's loss, covering dam
age to the Municipal Ferry house:
At the rear OF the Municipal Ferry
house, on the water side, are the quar-
tors of the coast guardsmen stationed
1t the Barge ONCE. About dozen
men who were in the "sick bay" were
removed on stretchers.
Ralph Hallard, an ordinary seaman
Of the coast guard, suffered an injury
TO bis spine when he went into the
ferry house. He said he believed a
beam had fallan on him.