Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1869-05-11
GREAT CONFEDERATION.

BChN1NO Or f1LH AMI w. . olLh MILL AN
PATERSON TENEMENTs DESTROYED
LOSS $500, 900. :
A great confagration occurred yester-
day afternoon in the manufacturing dis
trict of Paterson, near the Locomotive
Works. The fire broke out at 1 o'clock
p. M, in the waste house of Michael
Morris, on Jersey street, near the Muir
ray silk mill. The building was nearly
filled with cotton refuse, which ignited
spontaneously. The flames communi-
Gated to frame building in process of
erection. The section of the Murray
Mill occupied by Day & Co., silk man.
ufacturer, was next destroyed, and the
floors occupied by John Pyle were
speedily burned, the walls falling in
with a terrible crash. Only by the
greatest efforts of the tiremen and the
hands turned out by the various mills,
were the pattern and tender shops of
the Danforth Locomotive Works saved.
Eight tenement houses on Jersey street
and in its rear were completely des-
troyed. On Slater street, six tene-
ments were burned. The burning Gin
ders set fire to the roofs of many
houses in the vicinity, even so far as
Grand street, near Marshall street,
half-mile distant, and to dwellings in
the vicinity of the Gas Works, still
further off. The Murray Mill, owned
by John Pyle & Co. was 200 feet long
by rs feet wide, and three stories high,
story sided with glass having been
added q year ago. It contained 1886
raw silk winding spindles, 476 soft silk
winders, 1872 soft finishers, 1,024 clean
ing spindles, 400 sellers, 6,555 spinning
spindles, $50 doublers, 25 spoilers, and
30 broad-silk looms, the latter recently
introduced from the stock of the velvet
mill The mill was famous in the cam
paign of SO as a public meeting house
of the Republicans. Mr.. Pylewas pre-
pairing to engage extensively in the
weaving of broad silks with "spun"
woofs. The loss of Pyle & Go. is
computed at 100000, with no insur-
ance. Day & Co g loss is $4,000, of
which SIS, 900 is insured The loss of
Michael Morris is $4,000, mostly in
sured. Great indignation is expressed
against Mr. Morris for maintaining a
dangerous waste-hovel in the heart of
the most valuable manufacturing dis
trict, in the midst of so many tenement
houses. The clearinghouse of Mrs
Mcfarland, occupied by two families,
was burned. Loss $4,000; not insured
-Four houses owned by Michael Morris,
and occupied by Is families, was burn
ed, are included in his loss of $4,000,
and are probably fully insured. Mr..
McKerwen's house. occupied by three
families, was burned. Loss $4,000.
Eight houses in all were destroyed on
Jersey street, and half dozen others
damaged. Six houses on Slater street,
were burned out, only the frames re-
naming. The value of these houses
would average $4,000 each, and be-
cause of the waste house could not be
insured. By this fire 100000 worth
of property was destroyed, eighty fam
lilies turned into the streets, and $50
employees rendered idle. All the raw
silk in Mr.. Pyle's mill was saved.
Great praise is given to the night police,
who turned out as volunteers, and to
the firemen, for saving the whole dis
trict from ruin. Mr.. Pyle, it is said,
remarked in the morning that the waste
house would burn them out some day;
and went to New York to obtain insur-
ance. When he returned in the after
noon, the result of 80 years labor was
in ashes. Several accidents occurred
to the firemen, two sustaining leg frao-
lures. Many of the poor families lost
all their household goods. Dexter,
Lambert Il Co. offered the spare room
of their silk room of their silk mill to
the suffering manufacturers for tempo
rary storage.