Evening star., 1924-11-14
HUGE FIRE SWEEPS
JERSEY PIER AREA;
LOSS IN MILLIONS
900 Families Homeless After
Four-Hour BIaze-15
Firemen Burned.
SUGAR PLANT AND OTHER
FACTORIES IN RUINS
Firemen of Three Cities Join in
Fight to Stem Flames, Start
ing in Chemical Works.
Ry the Associated Press.

Ry the Associated Press.
JERSEY CITY, n. j., November II
confiagration which started in the
saltpeter plant of the Richardson
Chemical Co. leaped beyond the control
of the fire forces of two cities to the
abandoned plant of the American Sugar
Refining Co. and then destroyed several
smaller factories and two rows of tene-
ment houses ragged for four hours be-
fore firemen declared it under control at
l o'clock this afternoon.
The loss. 1t is estimated, will run
into millions Of dollars. Fifteen persons
were seriously injured or burned, scores
of others were cut by glass blown out
over a half-mile radius by a series Of
explosions and 900 families were made
homeless.
The tenement houses destroyed in
cluded most of the buildings in the
block bounded by Morris. Warren, Es
sex and Washington streets.
At 1880 o'clock fire in the rear
section of the American Sugar Re-
flnery building forced the fire fight
ers to retreat. The walls at the rear
of the building were beginning to
cave. The main warehouse Of Col
gate & Co, filled with soap and other
highly intiammable substances. is
across the street.
Plants of the Vulcan Iron Works
Co. and of the Manhattan Electric
supply Co. also are menaCed.
Walls of the refinery crumpled sud-
denly and fell with a series OF cam
nonlike reverberations. Firemen said
they expected to keep the flames from
the warehouse acress the street.
The entire city block bounded by
Essex. Morris, Warren and Washing
ton streets, was a roaring furnace at
11.30 am. The fire leaped through
dozens of streams of water and be-
yond control, while explosions blew
out walls and roof of the saltpeter
plant, broke windows in a half mile
area and spread terror among resi-
dents.
Fifteen fremen were overcome by
fumes and scores of people were treat
ed for cuts from flying glass and ef-
fects of the fumes which rolled across
the city and the Hudson River.
New York Sends Help.
A hurry call for assistance to New
York City brought the fireboats John
Purroy Mitchell and New Yorker to the
New Jersey side Of the river.
At 1880 o'clock many ambulances
were at the scene. The surgeons were
caring for the Is fremen who had
been overcome by the smoke. Among
the injured was a man with broken
leg.
When the south wall of the sugar
refinery, on Dudley street, caved in the
huge plant was seen to be a roaring
mass of flames and all hope OF saving
any Of it was abandoned
The Hoboken fire department Joined
fireboats from New York city in
helping the Jersey City firemen. Sew
eral hundred volunteer firemen were
engaged in battling small blazes
which caught in various buildings and
tenements. A special watch was kept
on nearby piers.
Acid Stores Explode.
At noon Fire Chief Boyle called for
tons of dynamite with which to blow
up buildings in the hope of cutting
off the onward sweep of the confla-
grafton.
City Commissioner Pagan closed
one city reservoir, directing all its
supply to the fire nozzles which in
creased the water pressure from 80
to 95 pounds.
Stores of sulphuric acid in the sugar
refinery began exploding after noon,
and threw blazing debris into groups
of firemen. Additional fire lines were
brought to bear upon the new dan
ger, and other streams were directed
on the Lehigh Valley Railroad coal
pockets in the burning area.
Six tons Of explosive soap materials
were reported stored in a tunnel be-
tween the old sugar refinery house
and the Colgate soap factory. The
entire hose force of the fireboat
John P. Mitchell was deluging the
roof of the tunnel. while a heavy
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