New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-07-21
Warehouse Fire
Most Stubborn
City Ever Had
Firemen Still Pouring Tons
OF Water Into Burning
Structure, Which Con.
tinues Dangerous 10 Enter
Powder Proved Explosive
Many Families Evicsed From
Adjacent Buildings as
Walls Threaten TO Fall

The Jane Street warehouse fire. which
has gone into the records of the Fire
nenartment as the most stubborn in
history, was still giving trouble this
morning. Forbidden even now, three
aays after the blaze started, to enter
he building, fremen are pouring in
tons Of water from The outside.
The FIRE began burning afresh at
midnight last night, with flames sweep
ing through the third and fifth floors.
-Four additional companies were called.
Acting Chief Smoky Joe" Martin was
called from bed. He said the DEPART
meut could DO nothing save to con-
t;nue to throw water on the fire. Sew
ersl Of the Chicago firechiefs visiting
the city came TO Jane Street early
this morning.
District Attorney Bantons investiga-
tian. which Will continue today, dis
closed yesterday the fact that the thir-
freight cases of magnesium which
we're being removed from the ware
house at the time the fire broke out,
we're for future use-in an ammunition
depot Of the United States navy. The
powder was 70 have been taken to the
General Compolite Company. 325 Bor-
den Avenue, Long Island City, to be
sifted TO meet the specifications Of the
Naval Ordnance Department.
Morgan Jones. Assistant District At
tcrney, who is conducting the investi-
CATION for Mr. Banton, said he had
learned that the powder originally
came to this country from Hamburg
on the steamship Wuerttemberg in
January, consigned 20 Weisenthal &
Co.. who placed it in the warehouse of
the Manufacturers Transit Company,
Inc. 10 to II Jane Street, in March
Captain V. A. Kimberly, OF the Naval
Ordnance Department, was to have in
spected the powder before accepting it
for the government.
Explosive Character Established
Mr.. Jones also announced that Wal
ter l.. Blackhall, acting City Chemist,
had made his report on the analysis
Of the residue of the powder found at
the scene Of the fire. The report shows
that it was magnesium oxide, which
is the substance left after the coiabus-
ton Of powdered magnesium metal,
which is an explosive.
One Of the witnesses examined yes
-terday was George j. Price, a former
shipping clerk of Weisenthal & Cos.
who had been quoted as telling Fred
erck Francis, treasurer of the ware
house company, that the cases con-
He denied he had made any such state
ment Other witnesses will be ex-
AHMED to-day.
The wall on the Jane Street SIDE was
bullying dangerously last night, several
of the floors were sagging heavily and
few small portions of the Twelfth
Street wall had fallen out. Fire Off
Gals expressed the hope that the col
lapse would occur soon, for in that
case they would be able to reach the
heart Of the fire and more readily cope
with it.
There were still many families last
night who were forced to take advan-
tage of the hospitality offered by the
various organizations in the neighbor-
hood because of danger from the pos
sible collapse of the walls. Twenty of
them are now confronted with the prob
lem of finding new homes, for the two
Buildings at 16 and 18 Jane Street, i'm
medately west of the warehouse, have
been condemned by the Building De-
psrtment.
Six OF the children of the evicted
families, however, have found that
cts an i'll wind that blows no good"
,"i sn4oush liIe AeSH All uiu VI
The New York Tribune they were sent
away yesterday for two weeks stay
at the camp at Waterloo, N. Y. 1t is
hoped by the directors of the Fund that
by the time the children return new
homes will have been found by their
parents
Mrs Louise Audi, one of the Red
Cross nurses who have been on duty
at the first almost continually for the
last two days, received cuts on the
mead and face yesterday when high
pressure hose burst and smashed the
window OF garage where she was
working. After receiving first aid she
W., was removed to the Central Club for
nurses, at 1872 East Forty-fifth Street.