New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-11-10
ssrike Breaker
Is Blamed for
100000 Fire
Long Island City Factory
Blaze Laid to Intoxicated
Man Who Slept in Ware
49, house; 2 Firemen Injured
Borough Alarm Sounded
Companies From Brooklyn
and Manhattan Called:
Waterfront Is Mcnaced

Fire which yesterday morning de-
stroyed the 100000 plant of the At
antic Macaroni Company, 295 Vernon
Avenue, Long Island City. is believed
to have started from a match care
essly thrown away by a strikebreaker
who had spent Saturday night "seep-
ing off a drunk" in the storage ware
house. Fire Marshal Thomas P. Brophy
came to this conclusion after an in
rcstigation instituted on a suspicion
hat some of the 900 Italian employees
{ the concern who have been on strike
or three weeks might have started the
lazc.
When the blaze was at its worst
nore than 1000 firemen from Queens,
Brooklyn and Manhattan companies,
four tireboats and several LackawannA
Railroad tugs we're engaged in fighting
it. An explosion, which blew the roof
from the warehouse, caused the walls
to collapse and falling bricks to ihjure
two firemen.
Tie Macaroni plant occupied an en-
tire block, extending from Vernon Ave
nue. to East River. Adjoining 1t is the
plant of the American Balsac Com
pany, which suffered about $4,000
from spreading flames.
MnrshaPs Statement
Fire Marshal Murphy held his IN
quiry in the Eight Street, Long Island
City. fire house. At its finish he made
the following statement:
I'VE find that the company has sleep
ing quarters for strike breakers on the
second floor of one Of its buildings.
Saturday night about 8 o'clock one of
the strike breakers left the plant and
returned about midnight. According to
his own statement, he came back drunk
and was unable to go upstairs where
the others were. So he was permitted
to sleep in that part of the storeroom
where the Are started. He was awak-
ened about s o'clock Sunday morning
by the day Waterman, and came out,
leaving his coat and vest in the build
ing. Half all hour later the fire was
discovered. Whether in leaving he
stepped on matches or struck match
he does not knew and we have been I'M
alb e 70 find out. :"
The strike breaker was not arrested.
At $3.50 yesterday morning, when the
flames were discovered, there were in
the buildings Paul Cuneo, night super
intendent: John McKennn, engineer;
Anthony Sacco, Waterman, and SIX ltNl-
ians, who were cleaning up.
Cuneo saw the fire eating through the
McKenna, who sounded the factory
whistle. Patrolman Stapleton, who WAS
on strike duty, sent in an alarm. Bat
talon Chief Reed, upon arriving, sent
in second alarm, and when Deputy
Chief O'Hara reached the scene he or
dered a borough alarm turned in. This
brought apparatus from the Eastern
District of Brooklyn and rom MAMMA
tan as far north as Flfty-ninth Street.
The storage plant was located in a
tenstory brick building fronting on
Vernon Avenue. The structure was
va ued at $l50000 and it's contents at
$4,000 Both were a total loss. Ad
; joining was a thrcestory drying plant
and engine room, containing the princi-
pal machinery, the whole worth
$500 600. The building was levelled
almost TO the ground and the ma
chincry practically ruined. A 100000,
four-story structure, also used for dry
ing purposes, adjoined the engine
room. 1t, too, was destroyed.
Elevators Imperiled
Facing the river is a six-story stor-
age house, connected with q dock upon
which are tw ostcel grain elevators,
which were loaded at the time. Steel
fire doors On the shore side of the
storage house were warped by the
names, WHICH Sot hir Stdft -oWSTU
licking up the contents of the build
ing by the time the fire boats and rail
road tugs drew alongside the dock and
began to play their streams upon the
blaze. 1t was at this point that the
| ire was first checked Most Of the
storage warehouse and it's contents
were saved and the elevators were pro-
tectcd from damage.
The frcmen who we're injured by
the explosion in the Vernon Avenue
storage plant were H. Gallagher and
G. Fitxsimmons, both attached to En-
CINE Company 23S, Brooklyn. Fitz-
simmons was so badly cut and bruised
he had to be sent home.
The occasion was the third in several
years in which borough alarm has
been necessars. The last time was at
the Standard Oil Company fire in
Greenpoint.