Bridgeton pioneer., 1888-12-20
TWO FIRE ALARMS.
THREE FIRES DISTURB SUN
DAYS QUIET.
The DepartEn Called Out
Twice. But There Were
Three. Fires.

There We're three fires in this city
on Sunday last, and another instance
where smoke rolling from the win
dows Of a house caused some concern.
Lit wasvery nearly twelve O'Clock p. III.
when the alarm was first sounded.
First Ward it rang, and in a moment
more the red helmeted firemen were
dragging the hose carriages to the
handsome residence of Stephen Cox,
Jr., on North Pearl street. There
smoke could be seen pouring from the
windows of the house The firemen
were soon in the house, but they were
not required to put the engine in ac-
ton, or even turn on the water from
the plugs. While setting at home Mr..
Cox heard cracking noise and went
out in the kitchen to investigate. inst
above the range in this room there is
a small cupboard, in which stands a
hot water boiler. The cracking sound
came from this, aud Mr.. sCox opened
the door. Instantly flames shot out,
and Mr.. Cox saw thai the cupboard
was in an entire blaze. Above the
boiler an open fiue continues to the
third story in which runs different
conductors. The flames were shooting
up this aperture, and it seemed as if
the fire might be 4 damaging one. Mr.
Cox quickly attached small hose to
| hot water spigot and turned the
water on the flames and the water and
steam which arose, smothered the
| flames. Firemen ran into the third
story and cut a hole in the floor over
the fiue. and had not the steam from
the house put out the fire, they would
quickly have drepcei2 it with their
powerful streams.
The engine and nose carriages were
run back to the engine house, the men
answered to roll call and returned to
their homes. Some had barely reached
their doors, however, before the alarm
was struck "a second time, and the
clapper told the people that this fire
was in the Second Ward. The firemen
with their appliances hurried to the
scene, which was directly in the rear
of H. A. Jordan's drug store. The
small frame building in which Mr..
Jordan manufacture soda WATERWAYS
seen to be in a blaze around the bot
tom, and much smoke was pouring
out. Before the firemen got to the
place, however, Policeman Campbell
and others threw enough water upon
it to eXtinguish the flames. 1t is sup
posed that ashes thrown against the
building contained live Goals which
started the FIRE.
| Between five and six o'clock num-
Der of gentlemen at the livery stable
of Fred Bohl's on South Pearl street,
noticed some small boys running from
the lane in the rear of G. F. Dare's
drug store. 1n moment more the
gentlemen noticed flames shooting up
from the yard in the rear of the drug
store, and they Immediately ran to the
scene. There is much paper and straw
about the yard and the flames were
getting IA good headway, when the
men got a small hose and turned the
water on it, putting it out. Any of
these fires might have proved terrible
had they gained but little more start.
The fire department knew nothing of
the last named fire. Just after the fire
alarm rang the first time Sunday
morning, smoke was seen coming
from the windows of the residence of
J. 0. Rockwell, corner of Vine and
Fayette street. No one was at home,
and a ladder was secured and an en-.
trance effected ia window. 1t was
found that stove pipe had parted
and the smoke came from this.