New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-07-31
Bridge Fire to
Hold-Up Traffic
For a Month
Weeks Required for Repairs
on Williamsburg Span;
jam Will Cost People
Thousands in Carfares
Whalen Blames b. X. T..
Failure of Corporation to
Obey Public Service Or.
der Is Held Responsible


lynites and cost them thousands of dol
lars in additional car fares will result
from the fire which on Thursday night
SO weakened the Williamsburg Bridge
that it was found necessary to suspend
all traffic over the span.
In spite of assurances from the Of
tic1als of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit
Company that the damage would be re-
paired within few days, Grover A.
Whalen, Commissioner of Plant and
STRUCTURES, yesterday reported to the
Board of Estimate that it would be at
least a month, possibly longer, before
trains and cars could pass over the
weakened structure. He said that
twenty-nine steel girders had to be re-
placed.
Mayor Hylan asked the Commissioner
whether there was any danger of the
bridge collapsing, but he was informed
that engineers had decided after
thorough examination that no such
danger existed.
Whalen Assails Company
Commissioner Whalen viporouslv
criticized the B. R. r., saving ho held
that company responsible for the incon
venience to the public because it had
not carried out the orders of the Pub.
TIC Service Commission directing it TO
use cable instead of feed wires for
its power
Commissioner Whalen could not esti.
mate the cost of repairing the dam
age, but he was directed by the Board
Oh EStmate to proceed with the work
and nave his engineers submit an esti-
mate; A SPECIAL meeting of the board
ready. 0po'' IS
The closing of the structure s,rr+os
traffic to the Brooklyn Bridge in sncb
volume as to clog Park Row for a time
ana require the services of the reserves
rom tne YAK Street police station to
s1ralghten out the tanglc and keen
vehicles moving.
me damage was blow to thousands
OF Brooklyn's residents who are an.
ployed III New York All the trains
v WhIch ordinarily are sent across the
"liiiamsburg Bridge were rerouted
over the Brooklyn Bridge. This made
to pay an extra fare on the Brooklyn
SIDE before they could get to the trains.
many trains were run to the Marcy
avenue station, near the WILLIAMSBURG
Bridge Plaza, where thew unloaded
their passengers, who were given trans
iers to permit them to cross the BRIDGE
On trolley cars. SO long did it take to
dlScharge the passengers that at one
olme mere was string of trains sew
h
themselves at Marcy Avenue. Extra
policemen stationed at that point TO
handle the crowds experienced great
diHlcuIty IN controlling the situation.
Day of Profit for Buses
1t was a Gay Of profit Cor the pro
prIetors Of jltney buses, motor trucks
and taXicabs. They carried capacity
loads through the rush hours and aid
ed materially in relieving the conges-
ton. Drivers OF trucks and private
chauffeurs also helped the marooned
The telephones in the neighborhood
were kept busy by employees who
called their Offices to report that thew
would be late to work
Some idea of the congestion caused
by the fire is obtained from the traffic
figures issued by the B. R. T. During
each twenty-four hours 36S elevated
cars, cross the span.
Engineers of the Public Service Com
mission have been directed to make a
thorough examination of the structure
by Morgan 7. Donnelly, deputy COM
missioner, and traffic Will not be re-
sumed until they have declared the
damage properly repaired. The follow
ing statement was issued by Commits
sloner Whalen yesterday afternoon:
To Hold Company Responsible
81 will hold the ,. R. 7. strictly re-
sponsible for the fire | have come to
the conclusion that it was caused by a
cable from which the insulation had
worn. The Public Service Commission
ordered the B. R. T. to remove this
cable some time ago, but told them that
if they wished to continue it on the
bridge it could be used only for the
return current. This order evidently
has not been obeyed.
"lt has been found that Twenty-Five
stringcrs have been badly bent and
will have to be removed. This work
will take at least two weeks. ] am
putting every bridgeman to work as
soon as he reports for duty. l have
ordered all vacations of workers on
the bridge cancelled until the work is
completed"
The blaze started at III o'clock Thurs
day night under a wooden super
structure and ties of the Third Ave
nue. Railway on the north side of the
bridge near the. Brooklyn tower. Auto
mobilists were the first to see the blaze
and they notified a traffic policeman,
who summoned six fire companies from
Manhattan. Later FIVE additional com
panies were dispatched from Brooklyn.
Flames Spread Rapidly
The flames were almost inaccessible
to the fremen and spread with great
rapidity along the grease and oil soaked
structure. There was q delay of some
time, because the firemen had to wait
until the current was turned off. About
100 feet of the bridge was burned be-
fore the fire was under control, and
the tracks were twisted out of shape
1t was believed at tiyst by the fire
men that passing vessel might have
sent up q shower of sparks that fired
the bridge, but Comm ssioner Whalen
was positive that defective insulation
was the reason.
1t was said at the Office of the
Public Service Commission that the
New York Municipal Railway Corpora
ton had agreed in May, 1919, to re-
move all direct current positive feeder
! cables on the Brooklyn end Of the
bridge and put them on the Manhattan
end. feeding the current for cars
through the third rail alone The
promise was made, it was said, at the
suggestion of the commission after
fire on the bridge.