The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-09-21
SIX HOUSES BURNED.
Destructive Blaze on Bowers
Street Lights Up the Morn
sky-What Was
the Cause.

One Of the largest CONGREGATIONS which
has visited the Hudson City section of
this city in a number of years broke out
this morning Shortly after three o'clock.
For a while it looked as if the entire
block on Bowers street, between Summit
avenue and the Boulevard, would be
burned.
AT the western end Of Bowers street,
rear the Boulevard, was a row of seven
three story frame houses in course of
erection and almost completed. The fire
broke out in Nc. 232, the most easterly
house in the row, and within three hours
six of the houses were completely de-
stroyed.
Patrolmen Fry and Riley, of the Web
ster avenue police station, saw the flames
issuing from the parior windows, and they
hurried TO the fire boxes on their re-
spective posts. Fry reached his first.
1t is number 43, at Zabriskie street n
Summit avenue, and sent in the alarm
from that box.
Before the first engine arrived on the
scene No. 232 was a mass of flames, and
the building adjoining 1t on the west was
also burning.
A strong w:nd was blowing from the
east, and the tongues of fire which issued
from the burning building were carried
the whole length of the row.
Despite the efforts of the fremen to
save the other buildings, within an hour
after they arrived upon the scene the en-
tire row was in flames. At four O'Clock
it was necessary to send a second alarm,
and Immediately afterward a third alarm
was sounded.
1t was useless to attempt to ave any of
the houses which were burning, so the
fremen devoted their efforts to saving the
adjoining ones. The residences upon the
opposite side of the street, and for sew
eral buildings east, on the same side as
the fire, We're badly ~scorched. The rear
Of the German Baptist Church on
Charles street, which almost touches the
rear yards of the destroyed buildings, was
also slightly burned.
The buildings consumed were Nos. 232.
partially destroyed. They were owned by
H. /. Darling. a wealthy real estate dealer
residing at No. 27 Webster avenue. He
estimates the loss to be about 5000. which
is fully covered by insurance.
The fire lasted until seven o'clock, and
during the four hours it burned a vast
crowd witnessed it,: The heavens for
miles around were illumined by the glare
of the flames, which made many far away
people think the entire Heights was
aire.
JaSl uOW II OtCuTTtQ Is IOl huOWu. lie
police think that some one passing by
must have thrown a lighted cigar stump
or a burning match through the aperture
for the window, and so set fire to the
shavings which were on the floor. An
other suppositien, and one which Is more
probable, is that some tramp crept into
the house to sleep and built a fire TO
keep warm
There was no plastering or lathing in
the houses, and they We're mere shells.
Speaking this afternoon of the fire, En-
g1neer Denmead said that to him it looked
very much as IL it was of an incendiary
nature. The keyhole in Box No. 40, at
South street and the Boulevard, whfeh
is the nearest box to the scene of the
conhagrat{on, was plugged up with red
clay 50 that the policeman could not send
in the alarm. Box No. 43 whence the
alarm was sent in is at zabriskie street
ana Summit avenue, over three and a
half blocks further away than Box 40,
which is but a block and a half away.
Chief Denmead said he knew Mr.. OAR
ling, the owner Of the buildings, very
Well and he. was above suspicion. but some
enemy might. have committed the act.
Denmead said tnat If there had been
a very high wine nothing could have pre-
vented the burning of at least a half
dozen more buildings: as they are all
frame dwellings and close together.