The evening world., 1894-06-14
BY EXPLOSION OR FRICTION ?
Vernon Bros. & Co.'S Paper Ware
house Completely Quilted
by the Fire,
OTHER BUILDINGS DAMAGED
Flames That lowered High In Air
Subdued In Two Hours by n
teIIigent Work.

A hre broke out at 7.60 this morning
in Vernon Brothers q Co.'S big paper
jobbing house. that fills a large part of
the block bounded by Broadway. Duane.
Pearl aad Elm streets. and swept away
more than a quarter OF a million dol
lars worth Of property before 1t was
placed under control.
Police Estimate of Losses.
The police estimate the total loss at
about 1851. 900. divided as follows: Ver-
non Bros. & Co., 800. 900; American Bel
gian Lamp Company. $2S. 900: Walther &
Co., $4,000; julius Berbecker & Co.. $780,
600; 8. Lachman, $25, 1000; Acme Station
cry and Paper Company, $1,000: H. A.
Curtin, publisher. $4,000; damage to
building, 0.000; all insured.
The oonnagration made o grand
spectacle. the names mounting hun
dred feet above the roofs Of adjoining
buildings and bearing up huge column
| OF black smoke and clouds of sparks
and blazing paper. that drifted with the
varying breese for Immense distances.
Passengers on the Jersey City ferries at
that time passed through showers of
charred paper in the middle of the
North River.
An almost total suspension of business
occurred in the neighborhood,a and crowds
filled the adjoining streets and nearby
roofs. as though the whole lower end of
the town had laid or to witness the
| show.
| Traffic on Boardway was stopped by
the lines Of hose passing through Duane
and Pearl streets, and the cable cars
were stalled for an hour. when the
blockade was broken by carrying the
hose on trusses over the cars.
The origin OF the fire is a matter OF
diverse opinion and no one seems &c
have any accurate knowledge OF 1t. The
commonly accepted theory is that II
began with an explosion OF spirits In
the wine shop in the basement of Nos
22-26. on the Elm street side Of the
building. but no one seems to know
what ignited the spirits.
II Porter John Hawkins, who was al
the Duane street front Of the building
did not discover the fire he was at leas,
the first to turn In an alarm as the
smoke rolled up into Vernon Bros. q
Co.'S office. Policeman John DoughertJ
heard the first outcry and ran to the
scene to find Hawkins before him a
the alarm box at Duane and Elm
streets Dousherty says that the hr'
seemed to leap up through the six foori
over the wine shop almost as fast as h.
4 ia ,o,n, ~.
co"ia count 'neH'
A few Of the employees had already
! arrived Including several of the lO
-, ,,,,h -ho,
s'ris WORKING III 'he Me'Iser p'us" oo' w.,
factory on the second fioor. There wa'
a general scramble for the street. bu,
',aI.,. -. o.,.a
no casuui''es were Fepor'eu.
A rumor was set ahoat that maj
had been seen at q third-story window
| 90, ..ra NO. on, on hut mi. I.ck,
ai'er esoape ~"" S1' o'A' WV ''''' '"A'
verincation.
Spread with Magical swiftnes..
The spread OF the hre was almost
magical in its switfness. BY the tim,
,h. er.m.n bad laid the srst line n,
sns ,sa 81 ~ .s n IL sue,v ntndnw or
noss nos 'ne piSIe S', ssan.. an n,as Sr.sL
rear, anu FIN suee,s' anu anr ,ha pnan,
ing throuSn tne ioou neaf ,,.s sne ia a ~
streel av. aIvn. me pulnk was ,n az Ga,ans.
PULL pull CWehoa' az tsn uen 1srge airshafI,
from nre, system OF ihrse atrshat t y
aos nnd 10, ~ ~ WoI Tbe aames wv" '"'e"
~ iooEeu r,, hS rG nnn1a as not otoIs" Us ssusn
boring properly e0uia no. De saseu
me people IN .he Dig Ed.son pr'in,n, r ni,
hCrOss ciHi street Drought thcii wv