New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-05-03

ture more than 800 feet long, which &C.
cupied the entire block front on Rich
mond Terrace from the railroad STA
ton to Broadway and extended back
from Richmond Terrace about half Tho
width of the block.
Inc building was only block south
OF the principal business street of
Fort Richmond, and being close to the
bergen FONT ferry as we'll as to the
railroad station, was passed BY hun
dreds of motorists and pedestrians
during the morning. Yet when the
flre was discovered at 1880 .. m. flames
foot building to the other
Electricity is the only power used in
the place. The heating apparatus was
not working. There had been no work
men in the building for twenty-four
hours. The only guess made as to the
origin of the fire was that it was spon-
taneous combustion. An invest !gation
VIII be started by the lead company to-
day.
Deputy Chief Begin, commander of
Staten Islands fremen. responded to
the first alarm, and saw that in a short
time the building would be a caldron
of flames. Two more alarms were sent
in at once. drawing virtually the entire
force OF tiremen in the borough to the
scene.
Brisk Wind Fans Flames
A brisk northwest wind was blowing
and once the flames reached the roof.
naming brands as big as a barrel-top
were carried upward by the heat and
went soaring away, driven by the wind.
Inc Van Chef sawmill, the roof of
which was burned away, was set afire
by such embers, although it stands
more than quarter of q mile from the
VIII te- lead plant.
Only the fact that the main building
of the white lead works is of brick
saved it from destruction, as it stands
Just across the street from where the
lre started. AS it was the roof of the
main building was destroyed. Most of
the buildings of the Staten Island
Shipbuilding Company are of brick or
concrete and all so constructed with
stood the fire. A wooden storehouse of
the company was demolished, however.
Embers fell in kissing showers into
Staten Island Sound and its inlets, and
boat owners living in the vicinity
hastened to get their craft out Of
danger. In spite of their efforts many
of the boats in Bodine Creek burned
to the waters edge and sank. Pumps
were started on the steamships and
| sailing vessels laid up at the yards of
the Staten Island Shipbuilding Com
pany and their crews doused the
embers as fast as they fell aboard.
Awnings on stores and dwellings on
Richmond Terrace caught fire. The
flames spread from the front of one
building to the next and in a few
! remained where awnings had hung, all
the way from the railroad crossing to
Jewett Avenue, a distance of more than
quarter Of mile.
The trains of the Staten Island
Rapid Transit Railroad were unable to
pass through Port Richmond through.
out the afternoon and evening at first
because of the. heat of the flames and
because of the numerous lines of
nose which crossed the tracks. On the
south, trains from st. George were
stopped at West Brighton. On the
north, trains from Mariners Harbor
came no farther than Richmond
Avenue.
Travellers had to span the gap of
three quarters Of q mile afoot or by
jitney bus. Many of them stayed to
watch the fire.. swelling by thousands
the crowd which had journeyed to the
| spot for the sole purpose of seeing it.
Almost the entire throng of spectators
came from distance, as the confagra-
| ton waxed so swiftly that those living
in the vicinity had to climb to their
roofs to watch for falling embers and
beat out flames.
IN order to get at the seat Of the
fire the tiremen chopped down tele-
phone, telegraph and electric light
poles by the score. The streets near
the burning buildings were Uttered
with debris as though hurricane had
smitten the spot. AS q result of the
leveling of SO many poles a good part
or Port Richmond was in darkness last
night, save for the ftful gheam Of
flames from buildings where the fire
fingered. Motion picture houses were
unable to open because Of the lack Of
electric current.