Bridgeton pioneer., 1894-04-12
BRIDGETON's BIGGEST FIRE.

ooASSA hous0s duu tuo pCOpAo hutW
there was a fire.
Always fortunate, never cuff srir &
much from the fire demon, the people
paid little attention to the warning ef
the changing gongs. The usual Gre wd
OF people hurried down In the Secof d
ward In obedienceIto the sn nmous of
Box No. Pinot because they thought
they would witness big conf agration,
but to satisfy a simple curiosity, as
they had done In times past.
But down in the direction of Grove
street there were great volumes of
smoke ascending In the air. That told
different story than was expected
Then glare of light, and people rea-
lized that there was fire of some pro.
portions.
1t was just twenty minutes after five
o'clock when the bells rang out the
warning. and five minutes later, when
PIONEER reporter reached the scene,
Grove street was wild with excite
ment.
The flames were at Getsinger's fac
tory. The first blaze came from the
northeast corner of the building, and
at that time were SO fierce that 1t was
almost impossible to get near 1t. The
moment the eye took In the situation
1t could be seen that the great factory
plant was doomed, and the fear imme-
diately possessed ones self that vast
amount of other property must go
down before the rapacious fire fiend.
Follow the ravaging path OF the
flames as 1t progressed during the two
long hours that the heroic firemen
were getting the flames under control.
The northeast corner of the factory
building is a mass of seerhing flames.
The smoke is dense. A north west
wind Is bowling gale, sweeping the
fl ames out into the narrow street. To
attempt to pass the burning buildings
Is to invite serious injury from burn.
ing aud blistering, As fast as one
could run, the fl ames followed, feeding
upon the dry tinder like material of
the factory buildings.
A beautiful sight, despite the terrible
havoc that is being wrought. Now
the wind becomes more aggressive,
sweeping the flames all the way across
the street, firing fences, and scorching
and blistering the dwelling houses set
high upon the hill.
The burning factory buildings are
falling in and this is causing mass of
burning splinters and sparks to fly
heavenward, to be carried by the wind
away off to the southeast, endanger-
ing other vast property interests.
Look across the street from the burn
ing factory! Despite the herculean
efforts of bucket brigade, the dwell
ing house of Mrs. Paul J. Davis Is
burning. A perfect shower of sparks
have fallen upon the roof, and the fire
Is eating beneath the shingles, Swift
ly they are knocked off, but the brave
men there cannot Withstand the awfu
heat and sitting smoke, and the fire
king holds sway. Now great clouds of
smoke are pouring from every crevice
and moment later the bright, lurid
flames shoot upward, and the house Is
doomed.
As yet the big two-story general
store building, adjoining the blazing
factory on the north has not been
fred. Water has been used freely to
prevent the flames from getting a foot
hold. But the heat Is like furnace,
and suddenly tiny flame is seen to
glide under the caves. All efforts to
save prove unavailing, and In short
time the big, handsome building, with
most OF Its contents is blazing brightly.
and the last bit of property of Get
singer & Son has fallen prey to the
destroying power.
But bark 1! What that hoarse cry
further down Grove street Why is
the crowd running excitedly below
Henry street9
The story tells itself. The double
tenement house Of Capt Samuel Perry
Is threatened. Sparks have fallen
upon the roof and a moment later
there Is bright blaze. Then the ad-
joining double tenement, owned by
the same party is fred, and vast
amount of work for the fire fighters.