New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-21
A BIG BLAZE IN HOBOKEN.
FIRE DESTROYS A LARGE FACTORY
AND TENEMENT HOUSES


ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FAMILIES MADE
HoMEIEss-THE DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT
OVER HALF MILLION DoLLARs-cANAI-
BOATS BURNED ON THE RIVER FRONT.
The most disastrous fire in the history Of Ho-
boken took place last night. when a f1ve-story
factory building and thirteen double fve-story
fathouses. occupied by 130 families. the whole
comprising the block bounded by Twelfth Thir-
teenth, Hudson and Washington sts, were to-
tally destroyed
The factory building was % feet wide, 4SO feet
long. and stood In the middle Of the block run
ming from Twelfth to Thirteenth ST. There was
q space OF 40 feet between this building and the
fathouses. which faced WESTINGHOUSE. The
factory building occupied by Benton, Heath
& Co.. wallpaper manufacturers, on the second,
third and fourth floors, Gallagher & Paul. manu-
facturers of toilet articles. the first floor; r.
II. Macy & Co.. the fifth floor, and II. ward
Leonard. electrical apparatus. on the first foor'
facing Thirteenth-st.
The fire was first discovered in the southern
part Of the factory in which were stored cheni-
calls and goods of infammable material by
the time the fremen arrived the flames had
swept through the upper floors. and Chief En-
gneer Applegate at once sent in second alarm
The department could not control the flames
with the limited apparatus, consisting OF three
steamers and a chemical engine, and word was
sent to Jersey City for aid. The department OF
that city responded at once with two engines
Every few minutes after the frenen got 70 WORK.
a loud noise was heard in the burning factory az
combustibles exploded. The force was so great
that the firemen were driven back from the
Twefth-st end for fear that the walls would
fall In on them. In the mean time the lou lain-
lilies In the Westinghouse flats were worKns
might and main to get their furniture INTO tie
street. where It was piled many feet high. Fully
seven hundred people were made norneies' W
the blaze. Two or three sick women were car
r,ed out into the street by strong arms ana sent
to ST Mary's Hospital After the flats had been
fairly stripped of movable stuff. the names were
driven from the burning factory into the rear
windows Of the fats. At o'clock the interiors
Of the thirteen houses were in flames. and at the
eoroo time tho high walls Of the factory began
to fall
The scena was one of indescrbable terror
As the walls fell sparks flew through the ar
for two or NOR. blocks. and landed on the avn
ings Of neighborng houses Everybody turheo
m and turned water on awnings TO prevent
other fires Mayor Fagan teephoned 10 the
high-service station Of the Hackensack water
COMPANY for increased pressure, but was toid
that the limit Of force was on. The nremeh
worked splendidy and turned most OF the'r
streams on the flats. but without much success
Though the walls were brick, the WOODWORK was
of the lightest kind and burned with great
rapidity. Despite the fremen's efforts the nats
were completely destroyed Fully fifty thou-
sand sightseers watched the progress OF the
fire The sparks settled among some old canal
boats In the Weehawken Cove. two blocks
away, and six old boats were destroyed
The factory and the long row of flats were
owned by the HOboken Land and Improvement
Company The flats were built four years ago
at a cost of about S15OOOO by John c. Crevier,
who recently committed suicide. The factory
building and It's contents are estlfnateu as peihs
worth between S250OOO and S3OOOOO The fac
tory was we'll stocked and contained much valu-
able machinery. 1t was impossible last nignt
10 ascertain what insurance the seVerai con-
Germs had on their stocks. The tenants or mats,
who were principally working people, suHered
great loss as much Of their furniture was
wrecked in being thrown from the WINDOWS
1t is believed that the total loss Will amount 10
between one-half and three-quarters OF Hiiiioh
dollars.
The burning Of the factory will throw out OF
employment about one-hundred and NIFTY hands.
Fire Commissioner Bender Is authority for the
statement that the lathouses cost S15OUoO and
the factory building cost over SlOOWO. Palmer
Campbell of the Hoboken Land and Improve
ment Company, yesterday pald OIL moi tsase
Of S1SO,OO0 the buildings, which was held by
the Mutual Life Insurance Company
Louis Perrand. Of No. 3O6 Washington-st st,
received a severe cut on one Of his feet while re-
moving his household goods from his fiat so
far as is known he Is the only person VINO was
injured.
About 1890 o'clock. while the big fire was at
its worst fire broke out in the big drydocks or
Tietgen Lang. at Seventeenth-st The Penn,
sylvania tugs. fitted with fire apparatus and
pumps responded to the fire on the river front
and saved the drydocks from serious damage.
six canal-boats lying in the basin were de-
stroved They were not Of great value, most of
them being old ones that had been towed there
for repairs. covered oil barge, which was
lying just above the drydocks, caught hre ana
was burned.
The fire boats after their arrival. kept the
riyer-frort buildings saturated with water thus
preventing sparks from the big hre from setting
other buildings on fire. The fire on the canal
| boats started. II Is believed from spark carried
fro,, ho iQ irp