Bridgeton pioneer., 1889-11-07
NO 2L9O
FIRE In THE SECOND WARD.
A TENEMENT DESTROYED ON
SOUTH PINE STREET.
Narrow Escape of Sleeping Chill
dren from a Death IN
Fiery Furnace.

The double tenement. No. 20 and 73
South Pine street. owned by Chas. f.
Krauter, was destroyed by fire Monday
evening, little before nine o'clock.
The north side of the house was oe-
cupied by Harry Booze and family, and
the south half, by John Peachey and
family. Mrs. Booze and Mrs. Peachey
were down town, visiting a'sick child
on Mt. Vernon street. The four little
Booze boys were abed and asleep, Mr..
Booze was lying on lounge down
stairs, and Mr.. Peachey was at work at
the Cohansey Glassworks. Two OF
Mr.. Peachey's children were still up.
but the third one, little baby, had
been put to bed by the oldest boy, and
was asleep.
The house was discovered to be on.
fire, by some of the women neighboTs
and Mr.. John r. Howe, Lying on the
opposite side of the street. Mr.. Howe
heard a swapping sound, and saw the
light flashing at one Of the upper win
dows; directly he saw flames and
smoke issuing from the creYices Of the
roof between the shingles He rushed
into the house and up stairs, aroused
the little children and hustled them
out into the street, naked and half
awake; neighbors were doing the same
in the other part. Miss Annie Couch
ran to the bedside where the little
sleeping babe of Mrs Peachev's lay,
and carried it out and into her home.
Mr.. Howe then started to give the
alarm, while people began to get onk
the furniture. He ran out to South
avenue, crying fire, fire." Lee Haines
heard the cry; Ben Tuft was riding by
on his pony; Lee called to him; Mr..
Tuft put spurs to his pony, and dashed
like the wind down town and to the
engine house, where he rang the
alarm. Fred Buckson and Oscar Sculi
dashed off and rang another alarm
from the church, and soon the whole
town was aroused.
By the time the engine got to the
burning building, every article of fur
niture had been safely got out; the
fire was then raging at its highest, and
the adjoining house was in imminent
danger FROM the intense heat.
Two streams were turned on the
fire, while the hook and ladder men
mounted their ladders TO the adjoining
house, and with buckets of water pre-
vented it being fired. The flames were
pretty quickly subdued, but not until
the burning building was reduced to a
charred shell, and utterly ruined, es-
pecially the upper stories.
How the fire originated, is not known
clearly, but it was first discovered in
the attic over the part occupied by Mr.
Peachey; it was thought it caught from
the chimney The attic was unused
by either family and no lamp had been
up there. The lamp. in the room where
the baby was, was burning all right,
and was put out when the baby was
brought down. 1t was u narrow es-
cape tor the little sleeping children
from being burned to death.
Miss Annie Couch, who rushed into
the smoke filled chamber and grasp
ing the sleeping babe which, in a few
moments more. would have been
smothered by the dense smoke, de-
serves the greatest credit for her her
oism and presence of mind.
The neighbors took in the desolate
families and their furniture, and all
were provided with homes for the
night.
The building was insured in she
Cumberland Mutual for 5000.
The beautiful Silsby engine dashed
up to the fire within about Is minutes
after the first alarm sounded, and
saved the lower part of the structure,
but the upper stories were completely
dast trOva6