The Jersey City news., 1892-01-11


/ glass windows IN this building were
broken by the heat.
| The fire was one of the hottest the fire.
| men have had to combat with in years,
| and when ii is considered how they were
| handicapped / reaching the rear of the
burning bniliings they are to be highly
complimeuted. Tue fire WAS bar to han
| die, and it was feare by the spectators
| that the walls of the Furst aud Clerihew
buildings would collapse and bury be-
/ neat h them firemer Who were located III
every available sno5 with hose, endeavor-
| ing to turn The water where it would do
| the most good.
How the fire originated is still mys-
| terry, but the presumption is that 1t was
! lue to u scrubrpan throwing IL lighted
| n atch on the floor of The packing
room IN Fnrst's. There were two watch
men employed In Furst's, and how 1t was
| possible for the flames to gain such head
| way without their discovering it can only
| be accounted for, on the theory that just
then they were doing their watching
| somewhere else.
| 1t WAS the opinion of the fire and
| police officials who arrived at the scene
shortly after the outbreak that II must
certainly have been burning fully hait
| an hour to nave gained such headway.
| The buildings occupied by Furst ana
| Cleribew were completely gu ted, ana
what is left OF these structures will have
/
| OF stock WAS saved from either store.
| The de. truction was complete. Horse
| car traffic was stopped for about three
| hours, the police having put fire lines
across Newark avenue at Henderson,
and across Montgomery street at Van
| Worst aud Warren streets. SuperinIen-
dent Smith and Chief Murphy were
| both on hand. and the best of order was
| preserved. The work of the firemen was
not hampered 10y the in erference OF
sight seekers from first TO last
| A WILDCAT HOSE.
| Only one piece OF hose was known to
have part ed, and this did not particularly
| affect the working of the firemen. The
only incident that permitted the fire to
| gain any headwav was the dro piping OF
| 214 inch nozzle bv one OF the firemen,
\ VINO, being left to hold 1t alone, was
thrown down by the force OF the water;
| AS consequence, the nearby firemen and
spectators were delugei until they vol
unfairly rushed to place of safety. For
| fully ten minutes the wildcat hose was
| wriggling like snme huge snake, and In
| full possession of the street. having driv-
| en- the fremen from their posts and doing
considerable damage in the way of break
| ing windows.
| The hose was finally secured by truck
| man. who, more dariu2 than the Others,
| threw himself upon it aud held 1t until
several tiremen rushed to his assistance.
Martin Conway. the watchman in the
| Railroad avenue annex of Furst's store.
is unable to throw any light upon the
origin of the fire. He first discovered it
ut half past eleven O'Clock, and the
| fl mes. he says, were then confined to
tine packing room. He gave an alarm.
Mr.. Furst puts his loss at $3.50, 600, OH
which he carried about 65 per cent insur-
arce. The Furst building is owned
| hy the Roach Estate and Is fully
| insured. Mrs. G. w. Clarihew estimates
her loss at $4,000. with $4,000 insurance
The building is owned by Il. G. Brown
and Mrs. Clerihew. The stock in the
shoe department of the Boston was datr-
aged 5000. but is fully covered by in
surance. d. E. Olmstead's loss is $4,000
by water; fully insured. The building is
damaged by water.
TENANTS WHO SUFFERED.
The occupants "t the Oimstead build
ing were W. H. Quick. Mr. Conners ana
William Newton. Their household
effects were entirely destroyed. The oc-
cupants of the Boston apartments, No.
As Newark avenue, were no more fortu-
naie. FL. Probst, George Langop, Peter
Morrisey, John Brown ani Mrs. Bailey.
the tenants there. lost all their furniture
also.
Fire Chief Conway. in speaking OF the
fire said the firemen fought hard and did
good work. I'VE were lighting uphill all
the time" said he. "We have not enough
men. We need at least ten men to =
company. We have but five. II
one of these should happen to
be detailed, another off, it leaves
but three. All the engines
present worked in good order, except M.
TO- She is played out. We are having
her replaced with a new one. The saw
ing of the Boston was good work. The
Boston's manager appreciated it, too. He
took all the men in after he fire and pre-
sented each with ruhb.r coat and boots"
OTHER FIRES
The Fire Department has had about all
it could DO since Saturday night,
At 1921 just before the big fire. an
overheRteu stoye fn q tenement house
owned by Joseph Murphy, at No. l42
Steuben street. Set the apartments afire,
but the flames were quickly subdued.
The damage was but slight.
AT 405 Il. m. an alarm was rung for a
fire in table In Third street, belon ring to
Alfred Ball. The damage was $500.
At 8. AZ a. IN. yesterday came an alarm
for a fire in LAKE street caused by de-
fective hue in house belonging to
Charles Jennings
At $50 his morning an alarm from
box No 20 was rung for fire in frame,
tool and il house belonging to the n. Y.
L., E g. w. Railroad Company IN
Eleventh street, near Provost. Damage.
$40
THE INSURANCE,
Mrs. Clerhew's lossts were fully COW
cred, having hetn insured in the follow
ON mn thQ punaI -