The New York herald., 1873-09-23
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN JERSEY.
A Block OF Buildings Reduced TO AsheA
In Newton, Sussex County-Ests mated
Loss About esO,OOO-Suspectcd Inccn-
diarfsuH.

Block OF Buildings Reduced to AshcA
In Newton, Sussex COunty-Est, mated
Loss About esO,OOO-Suspected Inccn.
diarism.
Probababy the most disastrous fire ever Wit
messed in Northern New Jersey occurred early
yesterday morning, between two and three O'Clock.
in the ancient settlement OF Newton, the county
town of Sussex. six fine BRICK buildings were to.
tally destroyed and several other structures more
or less severely damaged. The names were
first discovered issuing nom the drug
store, on Main street, OF George L.
Smith. There being no fire department In
the place worth speaking about, the fire spread
right and left unchecked with rapldity. The citi-
zens soon turned out en- masse and rendered such
service as their dsorganzed efforts were capable
or But for them and the fact that the wind was
blowing very light, the destruction Of property
would doubtless have been twice as great even as
it was. Smiths house, In which the fire startedwaa
a three story brick building, with Mansard roof
Owing to the quantity OF combustible material I'D
the place. 1t was soon pile or debris The millin-
cry store of Mrs. Cramer first suffered. Mrs.
Cummings millinery store and residence, the
office and residence of DR.. A. r. Sheppard, and
the fine residence OF Mr. Dennis Cochran. well
known hotel keeper OF the place. were all speedily
reduced to ruins. These buildings, all brick, ran
drug store. Standing next to Mr.. Cochran's was,
or rather Is, for 1t was saved, the fine edt1ce
known the Dennis Library Building, donated TO
the town by Mr.. A. l.. Dennis, President oil the
United Railroads of New Jersey. This building was
badly scorched but the damage otherwise ID not
considered great. The burned block formed an i,
the long part boued by Main street, and the short
est by Spring The Cramer, Cummings, sheppard
aud Cochran houses ran along Main street. On
the corner OF the block was dry goods store Kept
Johnson. BY
this building was overleaped ana escaped. The
flames caught william II. Woodward's place, a
h Kidselias drug store, and Caunder's connection
ary next caught in turn. but these were
| saved, though badly damaged. Masonic Hall also
suffered considerably. Efforts to get fire engines
| from MOrrstown, from Newark and from Hobok en-
we're made; but up TO nine O'Clock. when the fire
was gotten well In hand by the citizens. only one
train. One started from Morrlstown also. Tue
delay was owing to the fact that all the telegraph
Offices were closed. Another mihner, Mrs. Coy
kendall, suffered also by the dre
THE ENTIRE LOSS
Is dificult to determine but 1t Is carefully esti,
mated that 1t will range from $4,000 to $4,000
number OF Newark insurance companies sufier In
various amounts. The amounts, so far as ascer-
tained are as fOllows-Firemen's, $500; Citi-
zens', $1,000; Merchants. $1,000 The Citizcnss
and Firemen's companies put down the above
amounts as their total risks; their losses may be
much less. The American Mutual Company estt
mate their loss, from information received, to be-
about So, 500 though their risks are much heavier.
THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE
is not positively known yet, but 1t ~ believed that
the torch was applied 10y an incendiary. For hours
the old town was in the greatest upr0ar, the
streets near the fire being alive with semi-ciad
people OF oil ages and sexes. Had 1t been any
other morning OF the week but Monday, the tele-
graph offices would have been open along the line /,
and fire department assistance been avaiia1le, TO
the saving probably, OF many thousands worth Of
property Perhaps after this Newton VIII spur up
and provide herself with reliable fire department.