Bridgeton pioneer., 1892-12-29
TWO SERIOUS FIRES.
Announcer Alarm at Night, and Iron
Works Property Destroyed.
o@s Cold Fire Fight.

4 On Saturday the fremen had two
serious fires too fight, and colder
weather they never experienced while
pouring water upon the flames.
The first alarm was turned in about
three O'Clock, and fhe department
was directed to go to tho Pearl street
Baptist Church The driver of the
engine misunderstood the direction,
and started for the North Pearl sire ct
Baptist Chapel, and reached North
street before the. mistake was die
covered. ~
The, hose carriage, however, was
taken directly to the church, and the
firemen attached line of hose upon a
plugs and the water was turned on.
1 rhe fire was corning through the
floor by one of the registers, and tbe
flames leaped upward. The fire com.
nnnicated with the gallery, and this
made the work of The firemen difficult.
| The flames ran inside of the wood
work OF the gallery all the way round,
and neoessftated good deal of chop
ping with the heavy axes. It was
stubborn fire and took the firemen a
good while to successfully combat it.
| Chief Elwell, desired to use as little
water ss possible, and great precau-
tion was taken to prevent the destroy
ing of more property than was abso-
lute'y necessary.
A big crowd of people gathered
about the church and pushed by the
officers on duty, and as is usual in
these cases, offered much advice, to
the detriment Of the firemen. The
cushions, books, etc, were carried to
a place beyond danger. -a3rs
/ The loss by the fise was not as much
as it, was by water, possibly. The
wopdwofk Of the gallery and many of
| the seats were badly burned. The big
organ in the gallery was badly charred
and totally ruined. The floor was
also badly burned, and the frescoIng
on the walls aud ceilings were serious
ly damaged.
/ The fire was caused by the heater in
the cellar. Sons say there was q de-
feet in the construction, while others
declare there was an explosion of gas
which caused the confsgrafion.
| The loss is difficult to estimate until
a most careful adjustment, and it is
placed all the way from $4,000 to $4,000.
The loss is fully covered with insur-
ance, the building having been in
sured recently. The Cumberland
Mutual holds $4,000 and the Queen
Company, represented by james J..
Reeves. $4,000.
Services were held yesterday in the
chapel.
A MIDNIGHT FIRE.
| When the firemen put away the ap-
paratus after the church fire, they
were unanimously OF the opinion that
they had had sufficient for this cold
snap, but they were not permitted to
enjoy any respite. 1t was just past
midnight. Saturday, when the alarm
again sounded, and this time the en-
gine was sent over to the cooper shop
of the Cumberland Nail & Iron Works.
The interior of that structure was
ablaze. The engine was run over to
the corner Of Atlantic and Commerce
and line of five hundred feet of hose
was run to the building and the water
turned on.
The smoke In tine building was stiff
ling and the firemen could get no
nearer than the windows through
which they directed the stream. An
other line of hose was run from the
iron cempany's plug. and directed
through the other end of the building.
1t was bitterly cold and every spray
or drop of water that struck the fire.
men froze fast to them.
The entire interior of the building
was Quilted. There is considerable
speculation as to the origin of the fire.
1t ives thought that the flames were
started from the fire in the stove, but
the men who worked there declare
that this was not possible. They say
from the position the flames seemed to
have started, indicate that the flames
occurred near window, and many
think it case of fincendiarism.
The fire carried away the greater
part of the rafters above and the
wooden frames of the roof. Between
300 and 500 kegs made up for nails were
also destroyed, together with good
deal of lumber. ALI the tools of the
six coopers working In the shop we're
damaged, James Murphy losing very
nearly all Of his.
This Is the second time fire has oe
Cured in the cooper shop. The build
ing is mortar brick with a tin roof.
Had 1t been frame. the loss would have
been made more severe.
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