The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-07-27
Residents Of Grove Street
Apartment Houses Turn
Out in Their Night
Clothes.
BLAZE IN DRIscOLL's HAT SHOP
Only Boy in the Place and Some
Mystery as to the Cause Of
Fierce but Brief Fire.

The hat store OF John J. Driscoll. No
ss7 Grove street, was completely gutted
by fire between eight and nine o'clock
this morning. The loss is estimated by
the police at 5000. The stock is said to
have been partly insured. Assistant Fire
Chief Denmesd. however says 500 will
cover the damage to the building, which
is owned BY Thomas Fitzsfmmons.
The origin OF the fire is not known.
Assistant Chief Denmead says the ma
terial burned hercely. Mr. Driscoll was
just outside his store when he discovered
that it was on fire. A boy clerk was the
only occupant. and he claims he does no I
know how the fire originated.
A baker next door says the fire caught
IN the rear where irons are heated for
blocking hats
HARD ON THE FIREMEN.
The ire department. had considerable
trouble in getting promptly to work No
alarm was at irst pulled, but several
persons tried to communicate with head
quarters by telephone at one time. When
the first engine arrived the fremen
found that the street sprinklers had worn
all the threads of the tap OF the nearest
hydrant As soon as the hose was at
fached and the stream turned on the
-
Meanwhile the flames rolled out from
the front OF the store, glass windows
warped and fell smashing to the pave.
ments. The flames licked the awnings
and frame work of the windows above,
and II appeared that the upper floors were
afire. The store is located in the middle
section Of the first floor of three tall four
story brick buildings.
OUT IN OCEAN GROVE ATTIRE
The tenants above came scra milling
-. e~9..- ~
way. Many of them climbed to the roofs
of sheds in the rear. The first floor above
the store is occupied by Mr.. Christopher
fHauser, his wife and children. aud sew
eral bOarders. The other floors are occu-
pied by Mrs. Mccormack and two sons,
and William Mccormack and family.
AS the awnings and cornices OF the
buildings adjoining caught fire the flames
and smoke swept through the windows
or No 1856. occupied by Mr.. John Lynch
and family. The smoke rushed up the
hallway of this house. and firemen ana
policemen groped their way up the stairs
TO warn the occupants. Mrs. Rosie Cam
eron, an aged invalid, was removed from
her bed and brought below. Her thir-
teen year old daughter Gertie, hugging a
Spitz dog, was observed IN a water proof
cloak, bare footed, in the streets below.
She had been aroused from her sle ep aud
led down by some of the other
fleeing occupants. But she stopped
to grab up her little pet who added to tn e
general excitement of the moment by
barking at her heels. The couple were
harbored for time by Miss Hattie
Henestenberg, of No. 340 Grove street.
directly opposite the burning building.
The damage TO the upper stories is
slight.
ANOTHER BLAZE.
Box No. 20 was pulled at 1886 this morn
ing for fire at No. 443 Grove street, oe-
cupied by William III. Shaw as paint
shop. and by J. Fl. Bennett as carpen-
ter's shop. The origin of this fire is also a
mystery, and the extent of damage un-
known. Mr.. Shaw says his loss will ex-
ceed 5000.
A fire broke ont in the paint shop OF
Bennett & Stout. No. 443 Grove street
last night from some unknown cause .
The shop was closed at the time, and the
tiremen had sharp fight to subdue the
flames. The store was Quilted and the
stock completely consumed. The damage
is fixed at 500.