The New York herald., 1921-08-26
HOBOKEN FIRE LAID
TO POOR INSULATION
Army Inquiry Board Can
not Find Evidence of In
cendiaries' Work.
NO DANGER OF REVIVAL
Total Loss May Be Pared to
S3.000.000: Leyiathan
Damage $4,000.
PIERS STILL SHOULDER
Investigators Bestow High
Praise Upon Fireboats Sent
From New York.
PIERS STILL SHOULDER

The Hoboken fire was not of in
cendiary origin. The Army board OF
inquiry investigating it has come to
that conclusion, although it will be
two or three days before its formal re-
port is made. The members of the
board let it be known. however, that
they think it was due to faulty in
sulation Of electric wires in a tool
house at the river end of Pier 5. There
was quantity of exposed waste,
1arred rope and like infiammables in
the tool house, Several casks of oil
were piled there, too.
The startling flash that signalled the
beginning Of the blaze is laid to the
short circuiting of the electric current
where two naked wires came into con-
tact. 1t will require at least $4,000
10 restore the Leviathan to its former
condition The total loss will amount
10 somewhat less than S5.000,O00-
maybe not more than S3,000,000.
The board of inquiry, composed OF
Major Earl Briscoe. Major Ellery
Farmer Capt Il. A. Robbins and Capt.
Fred Henke, made a tour Of the burned
area yesterday. While they surveyed
the ruins the fire was still blazing be
meath Pier 5. 1t was feeding on the
substructure and the Hoboken fire de-
nartment was pouring water on II, sat
isfed to let 1t burn out and keep 1t from
spreading
Fire Shoulders on Pier.
All morning the fire smouldered on
the ruined Pier 6. The walls of the de-
stroyed army barracks, the machine
shops, the guardhouse and the officers
quarters were still too hot to work on
Furthermore, there was a considerable
amount Of shoulder beneath those walls
that had collapsed But all danger OF
4 revival OF the fire had been dissipated.
The damage to the Leviathan was
smaller than first supposed. 1t now
develops that the great liner not only
defended herself against destruction but
that she former a Are wall that pro-
tected Pier 4. Her port side was blis-
tered and some OF her superstructurc
was charred. But it was her great
height Of hull that stood between the
fiercest flames and the long rows of
military collins, thereby saving them
from destruction.
Both destroyed piers were old. Neither
was valuable as such things go these
days. In themselves they represented
less than S1,0Oo,OOO in property. To
replace them, however, will mean several
times that amount.
The investigators started their inquiry
by listening to the stories OF Private
Cecile OF the Thirteenth Infantry, on
guard at Pier 4: Henry ]. Magee and
John Shine, watchmen. Cecile saw the
flash and the great puff of smoke. He
called the watchmen. They turned in
the alarm. They repeated that within
ave minutes after the fash half Of Pier
was enveloped by fire and that before
the Hoboken fire engines arrived the
entire structure was blazing.
The army men were vigorous In their
praise Of the New York city freboats
They declared that these boats saved
the Hoboken water front. Without the
aid Of the three craft and their deluges
II water the Hoboken and Jersey City
firefghters would have been as inn
notent as a boy with a small bucket OF
water. the officers said.
Leviathnn Custodian Talks.
William It. gibbs, cnier constructor
FOR the International Mercantile Marine,
custodian Of the Leviathan, said:
"Only the fact that we had steam In
one OF the boilers and promptly laid
twelve lines Of hose checked the progress
of the flames on the ship. In less than
half an hour after the fire started a
whole row Of the lifeboats on her port
side were burning. The freboats be-
tween the Leviathan and the burning
pier were crowded so close to the ship
that their streams were nearly vertical.
Without our own hose the whole upper
works OF the ship would soon have been
In flames.
we think this preservation OF the
shin by her own crew OF guards and
engineers sufficient answer to the many
bitter unjust attacks that have been
made on the international Mercantile
Marine Company and the Shipping Board
for spending money on the upkeep OF
this ship, which could not be replaced
to-day for more than $4,000. 600"
Il was Mr.. Gibbs who appraised the
T.eviathans damage at $4,000.