The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-02-05
ADVERSE TO REVISION.
The Presbytery's Commit
tee Responds to the
General AS
Sembly.

A disastrous fire occurred on Norris
street, between Sussex and Essex, shortly
after midnight. Three five-story build
ing containing nearly forty families were
almost completely gutted.
The fire originated in No. 65 in Shoe
Dealer Lustig's store on the first hoor
On the other side of the centre hallway is
located Rosemheims grocery and notion
store. Above these were apartments con-
tanning eighteen families. The building
Is owned by Francis Macklfn Adjoining
this building on the left is No. 81 on the
first floor of which is located Jacob FELIX'S
grocery and Frederick Baar's LIQUOR
saloon, and above apartments Containing
eighteen families.
On the right is No. 63, with apartments
filled by ten families.
THE FLAMES DISCOVERED.
Policeman Keefe, while patroling post
No. 2, discovered the fire. A deep black
smoke, issuing from the front window OF
the shoe stole, and the cracking OF flames
inside conveyed to his mind an idea OF
the peril to which the sleeping families
were subjected. He hastily gave an
alarm rap, which was responded to by
Rollcemen Callahan, Pendergrast and
Harrigan. A citizen ran to the house OF
Engine Company No. 2, and that COM
pany was on the way to the fire before
The Dell alarm was given. In the excite.
ment boxes 5, 6 and were pulled, creat-
Ing confusion to the firemen as to the ex-
act location OF the fire.
Real1z1ng the imminent danger to the
families wrapt in slumber in the several
apartments of the double, five-story fat,
Policemen Keefe, Callahan and Pender-
grast dashed into the burning building
and shouted and raped at every door.
Wild excitement followed Most of the
tenants We're Poles. but few of whom un-
derstood English. Time sped rapidly and
so did the flames, while the policemen
were explaining their danger and hurry
ing them from the house.
A CRUSH ON THE STAIRS
Then half dressed men seized women
and children from their beds and rushed
with them down the narrow staiWay and
into the street. Scantily clad women and
children ran screaming through the
street, while the men ran back INTO
the building in the hope of saving
some of their clouhing and house.
hold effects This was new source Of
danger. The flames rushing up the large
air shaft in the centre were fierceIy
spreading through the entire building.
save the halfway, and had communicated
to the adjoining tenement. The families
of the upper floors were being hurried
down the stairway by the policemek, and
those escaping were by selfish e&lows
going in the other direction, and the Stair-
way was Jammed, preventing eitheA in
gresS or egreSS.
Screaming women and children and AK
cited men crowded together and the poIio<a
were compelled to use their batons on the
latter to clear the way. One man resisted
and was thrown down the stairs In q
few minutes after the discovery Of
the fire every member of the eighteen
families occupying the double tene-
ment, numbering nearly one hundred per-
sons, had been safely gotten out of the
building by The energy and coolness Of
the police. as had also the twelve fani-
lies occupying the adjoining tenement
Meanwhile Chief Murphy, Captain Far-
rier and reserve from the First Precinct
arrived, and after assisting in the rescue
CT the inmates cleared the street and es-
tablished police lines
WORK OF THE FIREMEN.
Engine Co. No. 2 was closely followed
by Hook and Ladder Trucks No. s ana
2 and Engines Nos l and g. Chief
Farrier, who was early at the fire, sent
out the third alarm, which soon brought
to the scene Engines 5, 6. s, 9 and 10. and
No. 5 Hook and Ladder Co.
Fortunately there was good head of
water. The stream, a solid, steady one,
was thrown to the roof of the large
building. The firemen worked like
beavers to prevent the fire spreading to
adjoining property, and their efforts were
successful. The fire was confined to the two
buildings. The families driven from the
etptiA LAlcueS lOSb dlI GutlT furniture ana
clothing, and were wild with excitement.
One woman and her child were slightly
burned. They were taken away by friends
and cared for. The police were unable to
learn their names'or where they had been
taken.
The neighbors kindly threw open their
doors and homes to the unfortunaJes, and
Poles from lower Jersey City afterWard
took them to their homes.
POLICE AMONG THE VICTIMS.
Policeman Devlin and Chanceman
Byrns, of the eFirst precincU, occupied
with their families apartments in the
large tenement The former was on
before the fire returned home from a
tour of duty. Both lost their entire fur
niture, and Deylin's uniform was the
only portion of his wardrobe he was able
to save.
Speaking of the incidents this morning,
Chief Murphy said: II regard it as almost
miraculous the getting out, without seri-
GUS accident, of every one of the numer-
Gus inmates OF the building. The prompr,
deliberate work of the policemen named,
in effecting their rescue. is worthy of the
highest commendation.
STORY OF A LOCKER ON.
w. E. Hunt, who lives directly opp0-
site, said:-
II was aroused at ten minutes past one.
could just see blaze through Lustig's
store window. Fifteen minutes after
the blaze swept up from the roof of No.
Is. Up to this time the inmates of the
adjoining houses knew nothing of tha
fire. People were scrambling out of the
hallway OF No.a 65, most of them in their
night clothes. The street soon became
filled with these frightened in
dividuals in disabille and others who had
been attracted to the scene by the alarm.
Then the inmates began to scramble out
OF the adjoining buildings and pande-
monium ensued.
A WOMAN RESCUED.
1T was thought thai every body was out
of the buildings when the face of Mrs H.
Staley, who with her husband and one
child lived on the second floor above LuS-
tig's, appeared at one of the front wins
dows. Tue husband had previously es-
capped with the child by scaling a balcony
in front and down through No. SO.
The woman waved something to attract
the attention of the firemen The room
in which she stood was ablaze and flames
rushed through the window rhrough
which she was peering She was rescued
by the firemen. who placed q ladder
against the walls of the burning build
ing. She was terribly burned about tha
face and hands. She was the last to
escape from any OF the three burning
buildings.
THE SHOE MAKER ARRESTED.
The fact that Lustig with his family
consisting Of one child and himself, were
out at the time OF the fire lee to suspicion
that he set the place afire. He was ar
rested on these suspicious. but there Was