The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-05-08
VARNISH EXPLODES
Disastrous Fire in the Old
Fourth District Destroys
$4,000 Worth of
Property.
WALTER HOPES NARROW ESCAPE
Families Rendered Homeless and
Workmen Thrown Out of
Employment.

lcIddy Gll6i flOUu ny III Ol liz d SSS
and most disastrous fires that has evel
occurred in that section of the city. o.
eight large three-story frame buildings
together with a three-story brick factory
on South street. all that remains this
morning is a mass of smouldering ruins
The entire loss is said to be over $4,000
Families were driven from the doomed
houses into the street before the de-
vouring flames. South street was I'M
passable from the intense heat of the fire
which swept on either side. So quick
did the blaze spread that when the fire
engines arrived the place was a mass
of flames, and all the firemen could do
was to prevent it's spreading over the en-
tire block.
The fire originated in the three-story
brick and frame building Nos. III, 179,
lS1, 1873. 1856. 1877 and 1S9 South street. oc-
cupied by several manufacturing coacsrns.
The blaze first started in the frame sec
ton of the factory, No. 1s9. occupied by
the Empire Varnish Company, whose
main Office is at Nos. 81 n 50 William
street, New York City.
MI. HOPES ESCAPE.
Walter j. J.. Hope, Superintendent of
the varnish factory, was in his Office
on the second floor at the time. Two OF
his employees were in the building, one
of whom was engaged pumping ready
made varnish from the boilers on the
| lower floor to the receiving tank, in the
stock room on the second floor, where
Mr.. Hope and the other employee We're
at work. According to Mr.. Hopes story
it is almost impossible to explain exactly
how the fire started. He believes it was
| caused by the spontaneous combustion
of the igniferous fumes from the varnish
coming in contact with fire, but how 1t
is that the combustion took place on the
second floor, where there was absolutely
no fire, remains a mystery. Mr.. Hope
was sitting at his desk shortly after
three O'Clock in the afternoon when he
was suddenly startled by a noise, which
sounded like the Kissing Of a fire cracker,
and the next moment the room was en-
yeloped in flames. He ran to the window
near where he was sitting, and findins
it locked, turned and rushed down the
stairway into the street. Mr.. Hope in
his excitement did not stop. to find q fire
box, but ran to the house OF Engine Com,
Block away from the factory. Frank
zabetti saw the blaze and sent in an
alarm from box 46. at Central avenue
brought ten engines and three trucks e
the scene. The other employees in the
factory made their escape without IN
jury FLAMEs SPREAD RAPIDLY.
The varnish factory is situated on tht
south side of South street; A strons
fns hlgse' nos 10 lss,. is and $50 South
street, owned by William Trimpf ana &C
barber shop and Peter Treiber's saloon.
Families lived in the upper portion Of
the buildings, and al were driven into
saved, and the homeless families Were
sheltered by friends. The entire thres
buildings on the north SIDE OF the street
the south side. containing the yarnish
works, was until five years 6 the SILK
factory of Claude ~Chaffanjou; Later Il
was used as the annex to Public School
No. s. The building was purchased last
November by the Empire Varnish Com
pany. The building was also occupied
tured plaster images on the lower floor.
William slama and William simon's en-
was Peter Treiber's dwelling, at No. 1911
South street, which was entirely burn
RARE PLANTS DESTROYED.
frame buildings, Nos. 1888 and 1876 South
street owned by, Mrs. Morgan and occu-
Fin sh Dg M and fa m0inlEian' AT Sha weTe b bnrned
to the ground. l.. Freidenberger's ORA
matte Hall at Nos. 1877. 1879 and 201 South
street, was entirely Quilted, and but for
the tin roof would have burned entirely
down. Dramatic Hall was a large three
story frame building containing bowling
alleys, a summer garden and large
dancing. hall. The summer. garden was
filled With some rare and valuable plants.
The rear of Nos. 76, Is. 7S1a, so, 81
and So Thorne street were badly scorch-
ed by the fire, and the rooms occupied
by the tenantS were filled with water
and smoke. The Thorne street houses
are owned by c. H. CARING of No. 937
Bloomfield street, Hoboken. Much ex-
element prevailed among the tenants in
the neighborhood at the outbreak OF
the fire, and many carried their furni-
ture and belongings into the street.
At six o'clock the fire was considered
dead, and all that remained was the
four brick walls of the factory and the
lettering wreck Of Dramatic Hail and
injured, sufficient time being given 10
escape from the houses before h
caught fire.