The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-12-23
ACRE OF FLAME.
Calamitous Fire. Saturday
Night. at the West Bergen
Steel Works.
DAMAGE OVER $4,000
Bicycle Tubing Building Wiped
Out-GalIant Firemen Do
Splendid Work,


A large PORTION of the plant of the
West Bergen Steel Works. located at
the abutment of Hatch street upon the
Morris Canal. made an immense blaze
early Saturday evening and lit up the
sky with a glare that was seen for
miles around.
At 7:55 P. NJ, an alarm was sent in
by two of the employees. Five minutes
later a third alarm was sounded and
from that time until the flames burned
themselves out the firemen labored I'M
tiringly to save the other buildings. In
this they were aided by the fact that
the strong wind blew in a favorable
direction.
The fire made a brilliant spectacle,
which was watched by thousands of
spectators. These stood along the racks
of the Newark and New York Railroad.
A fire line had been established by police
from the Fourth and Fifth precincts. 1t
was found necessary to flag the trains
running in both directions, SO great
was the heat from the flames.
It seemed as half the city was at the
fire. After it had been burning three
quarters of an hour, long lines of hurry
ing people came from all directions to
the scene. Those who saw the fire wit
AAO2oSo SAA0 IL N4S
displays ever seen in this city.
Flames were discovered first at about
a quarter to eight in the building used
for cold rolling and wire drawing. or
the side next the railroad embankment.
Fritz Schiel and Thomas Burns were
at work at the time cleaning out the
boilers. Every three weeks this duty
was discharged on Saturday night. On
all other nights the works We're in full
blast, filing large advance orders for
bicycle material.
When Schiel and Burns discovered the
flames they attempted to fight them with
the apparatus in the works. Frightened
at the rapid advance, they hurried out
and sent in the first alarm. Later in
the evening these two men burned their
hands very seriously by mistaking a
steam pip for a hose and trying to
draw it from the fire.
The part of the works which the fire
destroyed was composed of a main
building and several additions erected
at various times. They covered a total
length of go feet and were so feet wide
and q feet high. One of the additions
had been completed and made ready for
occupancy on Saturday. 1t went with
the rest.
TIL older buildings burned fiercely
and were soon reduced to cinders. The
new building, which was situated on the
banks of the canal, burned more slowly.
1t presented a beautiful appearance.
Each beam was lit up hundreds of tiny
tongues of flame, while the seams of
the boards opened to little jets of fire.
From the roof the blazing tar fell in
long. slender chains of flame.
Crowds gathered as near this build
ing as the heat would permit. Some
e53ed an and the had frf tSs benefit to fhe Of Ys tbe o bes she
tiful effect OF the flames reflected in the
black water. Others to the east and to
smokestack fall when the guys which
held it in place should, be loosened by
t the rd pgdFn nnggss OF the 4T roef. The were W. 4b re,
another of the wires swung against the
stack and hung straight downward. For
q moment the great column tottered. 1t
leaned over gradually, and came down
with a mighty crash. 1t struck the
framing Of the roof at about midway Of
its length. For a moment it balanced
on the edge of the. roof. The whole
framing swayed under the weight.
Three sides gave way and sank and the
stack lay amid a heap of glowing, wood
Goals Soon the unsupported fourth
side fell. Now nothing remained to lee
had control of the flames. The build
ings standing there were deluged with
dicap, were easily saved.
t his point of the fires progress
there lay a waste of glowing and Ham
square. Clouds of black smoke poured
from it. which turned white wherever
hose upon the embers. In the midst of
the flames at first was seen a rolling ma
chine mounted on wheels which stood
ed by brick piers. Now it stood high
above. what remained of the walls thai
Chimney cha aaaen on (WHICH Which tn the i Smoke Swo stacks arlfs
had been mounted also stood up like OBJ
elisks in the midst Of a desert. The
the flames in the panes of it's staring
windows sweated clouds Of steam as
the heat yaporized the water which the
Stubbornly the fire .~endeavored again
and again to creep through the low
the vigilant fremen fought it back.
Several ties Of the w,est-bound track
smoked and dra sm9uld ae1ssrsn On n6 the ENDS
nre at its topmost point. Another lit
beneath the cross tie. A pipe line
but a hose. attached to an engine soon
e~xtinguished it.
The blaze when the fire was at its
house which stood on the canal bank
200 feet away was reflected wildly III
During the most of the blaze and as
long as any danger existed a yard en-
the yard. On this spur were standing
two nat and box cars. These the en-
CINE was ready to remove as soon as
they were Threatened. The first train
of the Newark and New York road
bound for Newark was allowed to pass
at about nine O'Clock. Another from
Newark crossed in the opposite direc-
ton.
spauIdi1g, Jennings & Co. own the
burned plant. It was a valuable one.
Mr.. Jennings said, when seen in his Of
Sunday papers We're wrong in many re-
spects. They grossly exaggerated the
loss. The buildings are owned by the
West Side Land and Improvement Com
pany. l understand they were i~sured.
WOMB child