Bridgeton pioneer., 1890-02-06
NO 2203
EARLY MORNING FIRE.
STORE AND DWELLING DIES
TROYED BY FLAMES.
ihe Fire Fiend Wipes out GRae,
property OF Elijah TOzer,
Thursday 3g0ruinp

| 'd0 PuollC thursday morning
shortly before 4 o'clock. Fire had been
discovered at the corner of Bank and
irving avenue, and to that point in e.
drenchlng rain, people hurriedly made
their way.
early Thursday morning Mrs. Bend
er, living with Elijah Tozer, the grocer.
who has store on the corner men,
TONED, was moving around her room.
attending sick child. She was horri-
led to look out OF a side window of the
residence, and discover flames in the
store, and quickly aroused the family
The small store connects with the
house, and the fire had gained much
headway and was eating into the
lower floor of the house. Mr.. Tozeg
had OF course 10 give his attention to-
getting the members of his family to a
place of safety, and the alarm was NOT
quickly given.
As soon as possible, however, the
tire bell was rung, and the driver OF
the engine was immediately out and in
ten minutes was at the scene. None
of the engineers, however, had gotten
| to the engine house before the Silsby
pulled out, and consequently there
was no fire under the boiler. The
match was not applied until the en-
gine was at the plug and consequently
there was much unnecessary delay.
There were not sufficient men who re-
sponded to the alarm to take out both
hose carriages, the third ward FIRE
men were not around until long after
ward. There was insufficient hose.
and for long time the fire was fought
at disadvantage. The store had
burned completely down before the
engine was in service, and the house,
was rapidly being destroyed.
There are many conflicting opinions,
regal ding the management of tie de-
partment, and Thursday the mem
are severely condemned. On the other
hand, the members of the depa re7aent
say they did everything possible, an
| der the disadvantages, TO save the
|
was finally put out, and the smoking
embers lay heaped in great pile
| There was nothing saved OF the store,
building Or the stock. The residence
is practically ruined, being almost en-
tirely gutted
| The situation of the fire was such
that had it not been for the drenehing
rain, much property would have been
burned. The shoe shop vi A. Gentry
was not scorched, and yet it is only a.
few feet from the destroyed building
The house adjoining the burned resi-
dence was not in any way injured.
The rain undoubtedly saved large
block OF handsome residences.
The store and house were owned by
Israel Witzell, and he valued the store
at $500 and the house at 5000. An in
surance of $75 on the store, and 5000
on the house, is placed in the Pough-
keepsie, N. Y, Mutual Company. The,
stock of the store was valued by Mr..
Tozer at about 1850, with an insurance
of $500 in a company, of which VIII
liam E. Miller is the agent. Abont
$3.50 worth of household goods were
destroyed, upon which there was no.
| insurance whatever.
A PIONEER reporter at the scene OF
the fire Thursday heard many ex-
pressions of disapproval of the work
of the fire department. Their conduct
is even spoken of as being entirely on6
of order, and there are some WHO
threaten to make complaint. The re
porter called upon Chief Elwen,. who
was at the engine house that morning.
He said that there was much, of the
complaints undeserved, and he thought
the public did not take safl1clenCly
charitable view. In the first place
minutes to those standing al hrer
waiting for a department, seemed ihucn
longer. The Chief was positive tbs
engine was at the scene within SEN
minutes. The hose was short and the
work could not be so effective as il
} otherwise would. The men who re-
! sponded to the call had hard work
pulling the heavy two wheel carriages
to the fire, and their progress, owing
to the condition of the roads, was
necessarily slow.
Tax paying citizens Go not blame tbs
department as much as they do thu
city. The Chief thinks that the two
two wheel carriages should be placed
one on South avenue, and the othe,
in the northern part of the city. 4
new four wheeled carriage, with 1
thousand feet OF hose, should be q,
the engine house. This certainly is
good suggestion, and one that the cit,
can amply afford to put in practice
1t will not pay to wait until there is
great contlagration. The city is almos
wholly frame, and should be protected
A few thousand dollars should be spen
in making the department more eff
cient. Then too,r there should be ON
engineer to sleep in the engine house
Ii there had been one that nights
would have been raised by the tiIne
the engine was on the scene.