The New York herald., 1921-11-04
FirebOats From Manhattan
Aid and Precautions Are
Taken on Water Front.
TRAINS BADLY SCORCHED
Thousands View Big Spectacle
From Riverside Drive and
Other Vantage Points.

A fire famed by a wind that sen,
flames mounting high into the air
and blew clouds Of smoke and spark
across the Hudson River into the
broadway theatrical district started
at 1880 o'clock this morning on the
Erie Railroad piers at the foot Of
Ba. vim avenue, weehawken, N. J.
At o'clock this morning the Ho-
Token, Weehawken and Union Hill
fire departments. aided by fireboats
from New York, had the flames under
control, but they had destroyed piers
A, 3 and c, three story warehouse
four lighters and forty freight cars
filed with merchandise. The dam
age at that hour was estimated at
least s1,ooo,ooo.
The fire was plainly visible for sew
eral miles away from the docks and at
tracted much attention In Manhattan.
The sparks that came across the Hud-
son endangered property worth many
millions Of dollars along the Manhattan
river front and fire apparatus in that
section was held ready to answer
emergency calls.
More than 1000 persons mostly from
the cabarets and restaurants and the
atres In the Broadway district, rushed
to the foot Of West Thirty-third street
and West Thirty-fourth street. and the
crush there became so great that the
police reserves Of the West Thirtieth
street station were sent to keep them
In order. s.t.
Other crowds watched the flames from
also 10 Se seen plainly from lower Man
haitian. During the height OF the FIRE
the flare was so great that mary runiors
spread that the whole west side of Man
haitian Island was on fre. and the news
paper offices and the police stations had
to answer many inquiries.
The fire started at the water end OF
pier B. The watchman there told the
Weehawken police that ne was ma kin z
his rounds soon after midnight and had
got about half way down the pier when
he heard an explosion. This was fol-
lowed by burst OF flame that seemed
to grip the the entire wharf at once.
The fire spread so rapidly that he was
forced to run and was not able 20 turn
on. the fire alarm on the inside Of the
street and pull fire box. which sum
moned the Weehawken Fire Depart
mert, q volunteer organization.
The chief of the Weehawken depart
ment, seeing at once that the fire would
spread rapidly. sent calls for aid 10
Hoboken and Union Hill. and those cities
responded with all available apparatus.
A call was also sent TO the New York
Fire Department and the nreboat Willet
was sent across the river to do what
ever was possible toward saving the
piers and preventing the fire from
spreading.
Officials and employees OF the Erie
Railroad hurried to the piers as quickly
as possible and two engine drivers
backed their locomotives into Piers A
and and pulled out two strings of
freight cars, of twenty cars each, loaded
with merchandise. The cars caught fire
as they were being drawn into the yards,
however, and also set fire to the ware
house as they were being pulled past
the building. The firenen were not able
to save either the trains or the ware
house. but they did manage to prevent
the flames from spreading TO Pier D..
Piers A. 3 and c. however, were burned
to the waters edge. The freight cars
we're hauled into the yards and burned
there.
The wharves which were DESTROYED
we're about half way between the two
ferry lines which operate between Four.
teenth street and West Forty-second
street In Manhattan and weeha awkcn
and the ferry houses we're not In danger
at any time
For time IL was greatly feared tina.
property along the Manhattan water
front would catch. but the wind shifted
somewhat and lessened the number oil
sparks that came across the river in
the smoke clouds. These clouds were
sufficient in size and volume, however. to
set many people coughing as far away
from the fire as Broadway.