The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-07-06
FIERCEST Or FIRES
lllNUIDl VT IlhIO
For Three Hours Flames
Rage in the Montgomery
Street Pasteboard
Factory.
INSPECTOR KELLY'S QUEER CONDUCT
Some Speculation as to the Cause
of the Blaze-Fireman Hor-
ribly Scorched.
INSPECTOR KELLY'S QUEER CONDUCT

A fire Of mysterious origin destroyed
the extensive pasteboard works of Rey-
nolds. Boyle & Co, nj Nos. SOP to $40
Montgomery street. Saturday afternoon,
entailing a loss Of about $4,000. Of which
$4,000 was covered by insurance.
The flames were discovered shortly after
three o'clock issuing from a pile Of raw
material in front of the building. There
were five men at work ON the premises
when the fire started. Robert Elgis, one
Of the firms employees. SEN in an alarm
from box No. 131, and then returned to the
building to fight the flames which began
to spread furiously.
John Wade, a fireman, was inside a
boiler cleaning It, and was unaware that
the building was on fire until he heard the
roaring Of flames about him. He made
his way to the second story and sprang
from a window. He landed in the soft
soil on the south side of the burning
structure and escaped injury. The flames
had enveloped the front Of the building
when the engines arrived. Chief Con-
way directed the operations of the firemen
but being Unable to check the spead Of the
flames, he turned in a geserai alarm.
1he additional assistance arrived too late
to save the building.
Samuel Smith, driver of tender of No.
s engine, entered the building against
the wishes of his comrades and narrowly
escaped with his life. He was overcome
BY the intense heat, and before he could
be rescued by his fellow flremen, his face,
hands, legs and body were terribly burned.
He was taken to the City Hospital, and
subsequently removed to his home.
The building, which stood by itself, was
Il feet long and 100 feet wide The sec
ond story was packed with oakum and
other ~infianrnable material, and as a con-
sequence when the flames reached 1t the
heat became so intense that the frefnen
were forced, back nearly a block People
-and removed their household effects into
the street, expecting att any moment
t. see their homes ignited by the force
heat.
From three o'clock until six o'clock
heavy streams of water were kept ON the
burning structure, but the efforts Of the
%tirefnen to save the building We're fruit
less. 1t was burned to the ground, and
the flames were not entirely e~xtinguished
until long after midnight.
The greatest loss was upon the machin-
cry, which was of a very expensive kind.
The factory was built last spring. The
company gave employment to about forty
double time in order to fill large orders.
1t is expected that operations will be re-
sumed as o as the insurance can be adj
What caused the fire puzzles the fire
authorities. as the factory VAS located
a considerable distance Nom houses
where children had been exploding fire
crackers. An investigation is being
made.
building Inspector Edward Kelly caused
considerable surprise while the fire was
in progress by insisting upon Roundsrnan
Cody, of the Gregory street station. ar
resting 0 Boyle, a member of the
firm.
Mr.. Boyle asked why he should be ar
rested, and Kelly. who. It is asserted,
had been drinking. declined TO make any
explanation until he reached the station
house. He limited at arson, ana the
roundsraan. to avoid a scene, took Mr..
Boyle to the station house. Kelly, half
crying. kept ~exclaiining, Pm a ruined
man. | had $4,000 in that building
As he neared the station house his loss
simmered down to 5000, and finally
when he got inside he told Captain Far
rier that he was owed g. 100. He did not
hesitate TO say hat BOYLE had fired the
building The Inspectors. condition was
such that Captain Farrier refused to
lock Mr.. Boyle up, directing Kelly. if he
wished to make a charge against him, to
do so before Justice Potts today.
Kelly left the station house in a rage.
Mr.. Boyle talks of suing him for dam
ages.
The Inspector did not appear in court
today to make any charge against Mr..
BDyle.