New-York tribune., 1896-12-30
NEN.JERSEY NEWS.
FIVE TOWNS IN DARKNESS.
FIRE IN THE PLANT OF THE PEofh"
ELECTRIC LIGHT AND POWER COM
PANY. IN NEWARK. CUTS OFF
LIGHT FROM SEVERAL
MUNICIPALITIES

MUNICIPALITIES.
%.wark Harrison Kearny. Irvngton and South
Oranra were cut off from electric light and power
AT o'clock yesterday afternoon by hre '"a'
wrecked the power house OF the Peoples Eiectfic
Light and Power Company. in Newark. causing
loss of about sl25.Oo0. ,,
The power plant consisted of four large brick
buildings at Commercial Dock. To the south the
building is four stories high. and contained ''iu-
ab,e material consisting OF carbons insuiators etc
There Is a three-sory building on the north' anu d
one and one-half-story building in the centre
The fire ORIGINATED in the latter building. anu
WAS confined to it, In this building were all the
dynamos and the large switchboard IN use lor an
the communities supplied from the Newark power
bousa The back OF the switchboard was wood.
Leo Camp foreman OF the dynamo-roon. was IN
the building when suddenly the switchboard
blazed out into flame. The place was Uttered with
oil waste and the flames spread wiia sdch raPiui'y
that Camp barely escaped from the building. HIS
hands and arms were severely burned. 1ne whoc
interior was mass OF fire when an alarm was
sent in 10 the Fire Department simultaneously
all the electric lights the circuits suppl!ed Dy
the company nickercd and went out fhip jack
son superintendent OF the company. was st'ils
I'm his office. in Broad-st.. when he noticed tHe
light 20 out. Glancing out OF the window, no saw
an arc light go out and moment afierward ne
heard a fire engine dash by. and he realized 'ha'
the trouble at the powcr-house.
! When the engines arrived the dynaE-o ana
switch were n seethirg furnace. l ne hrench
deuged he adjoining buildings with water. me
hose wac stretched across the PENNSYLVANIA Rail-
road ira ks. and trains going IN Doih hfectionS
were delayed for some time. The dynamo building
was completely destroyed. BESIDES many dyna-
| mos 1t contained much valuable machinery ana
workmcns tools The material stored IN the i9us. r
story building ad joining was ruined by water Inc
loss is covered by It total Insurance OF S-V'vo III
Sureriniendent Jackson said that he thought the
fire was caused by spark on the swi,9m9onra; "a.
IhfoUougd r Would probapy be a week before the power
house could be got In good working order again.
iivered in the places supplied In Newark the
theatres and most OF the principal stores have pri-
The Peoples Electric Light and Power Company
has plant in M,chanic-st which formerly be-
iongel to tho ole Newark Electric Light Company.
Soon after the IRE employees OF the company went
to the Mechanc-st. building to make arrangements
for supplSing light ana power from there super
intendent jackson said that the service would be-
partly resumed Tonight
An empoye o; the company said last night tha'
there "A marble slab at the back OF the switch.
board when Johl Ganncy sunerntcnGent o.
the power-hoGsc. Some timc ago GaHney vas re-
placed by ano;h.r superintendent. who. hc said re-
placed the marble slab with the wooden one tha:
took fire from the electricity
The comIany has small plant In Harrison.
which was n use during the holidays. but orii-
narily the service comes from N" Newark power
house. Many small factories get their power from
the Peoples Company. and they will De deprived OF.
There was an unaccustomed pail % darkness over
the city last night ana many complaint Were sent
know OF the destruction of the power plant. The
Peoples Company does the electric lighting and
supplies electricity for power IN sixteen towns. in
Guiding Newark and Jersey city. The company IS
tn. amalgamation OF several companies. only
recently II declared stock dividend of f2.o.oD
Secretary J.. u ~ Gilmour o. IN" company snia
last night that besides the Mcchanir-st plant and
the plant at Harrison. IN" company would get
power rom the Westinghouse Company plant I'm
Plauc-st and the Boyi-sf pOWer-houS" II" said
that Bloomfield. Montclair ana East Orange We're
not affected by tho fire, As they were otherwise
lrOyid.d .or