The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-01-26
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Suspicious Fire of Two
Teaemenf Houses on
Canal Street Last
sss Night.
ONE TENANT LOCKED UP
Three Firsinen Injured While
Putting Out the Flames
Fires Today.
ONE TENANT LOCKED UP

81 ~ :. IT E% 4 $H~ 500
Fires Today.
Lewis Mann is locked up in a cell at
Police Headquarters, on suspicion of
knowing something about the fire which
last night completely destroyed the four
story tenements. Nos. "a and S. Canal
street. involving a loss of $4,000 and re-
sulting in the injury of three firemen,
one perhaps fatally. The injured men
are:-Thomas Liddle. No.. 104 Railroad
avenue, a hoseman-at-cail of No. l truck;
Thomas. Balland, No. S22 Grove street,
hoseman-at-call of No. / truck; John
Griffen, No. S19 Ninth street, driver of
Engine No. !.
The fire started at five minutes before
ten o'clock on the second floor of No. "a
Canal street. It was caused by an oil
lamp in the apartments of Lewis Mann.
The burning oil was scattered about the
room where the explosion occurred and
before the occupants had time to remove
their household effects the entire floor
seemed to be in flames. In the excite
ment Mann opened several windows APP
parently with the idea of allowing the
smoke which filled the rooms to escape.
The wind was blowing from the north
west at about fifty miles an hour. As a
when the windows were
opened the flames were tanned into a
furious blaze.
Roundsman Noonan, Of the Gregory
street station, discovered the ire and he
lost no time in sending in an alarm from
box No. 16. The engines responded with
unusual CELEBRITY and within five minutes
after the alarm had sounded several SUBJ
stantial streams of water had been turned
on the building.
Chief Conway and his assistant, Mr..
Denmead, were on hand early and d.
rected the movements of h flremen.
Under ordinary circumstances one engine
could have kept the flames under control,
but the wind caused flames to leap out
from most Unexpected places. For a
time it looked as though the row of
frame tenemenfs extending from Jersey
avenue to barrow street would be swept
Chief conway finally sent out a sec
opd alarm. and with the additional as
Eistanoe the fremen began to make great
headway.. To all appearance. the fire in
die; Thonas soSlaad and John Grimm
balidins for i aa5lT pupoas 81 getting . boss
Liddle was on he top rung when the
ladder which. hadSSbeen seton a piece q
ice; Slipped All, three men were preeipi-
than fHenty-ase lfest. Iiddie was ans
Moving freely from scalp wounds. An
moved to the City HOS HOSPITAL. In addition
internally. He is not likely % e;
escaped With slight p INJURIES. he was
& his home, "a. 81 Grove Grove street. aria5a
Ninth streef. n the excitement caused 81
the accident, the fire broke out afresh,
saa hsfaTs ths areHen ssHsa gst, # under
ground. The flames spread to Mo. IS
and in an amazing short time It too had
been Quilted and burned down. The
ings, however and after four hours,
work the engines were returned to their
respective stations.
scene of the fire bundled their .belonkfugs
into the street and stood in groups,
shiyering with cold, watching the work
81 ers aPe eA hssns s.. T Mhe severe gsrs sa ooIdr 'fn t ssg E
efal Instances the department horses were
sent back to the stables out O the cold.
we're we're o nHlle5ng bv E Thamas We Ws,sS ,des a9sS
Canal street. No. 81 Canal street was oc-
cupiedr by Lewis Mann only. No. S. was
ssa6oe. Welsh l IS ps Hamagd + y p 9asaTans Ct
This morning, on Information given him
byeCaptain Cox and Sergeant James. Hop
kins, Chief Murphy directed thai Mann
drunk and d~isorderly.s
When searched Mann had in his pos
session an insurance policy for $500 q n his
than 500.
Suspicion was aroused whensit was no.
tieed that the policy showed Mann to
was made and the police learned that.
for the last three years Mann has not
lived in any one place for a longer period
than three months. He has been parti-
he has been burned out on more than enc
occasion. Two years age he recovered
considerable insurance by reaso of the
ments on Canal street. Last night, short
1y after the fire was discovered, Mann
who was drunk told the police that an
OIL lamp had exploded in his apartments.
Subsequently he said the lamp q over
turned and falling on a hot stove Set
fire to his apartments. When asked why
he made no effort to extinguish the
flames he declared that he had to fee
for his life after rescuing his three chill
dren.
He told several different stories to varl-
Gus policemen.
An investigation revealed the fact that
Mann left the house shortly after The
flames were discovered. He did not stay
to rescue his children, it is alleged, be-
cause his children were not at home when
the fire started. To Chief Murphy Mann
made many contradictory statements this
morning. He is held without bail pend
ing a thorough investigation OF the case.
Mann has not lived with his wife for sew
eral year.
Smoke was seen issuing from the base
ment of 81 Montgomery street about4half-
past one o'clock this afternoon. An alarm
of fire was at once sent in and the en-
gfnes had scarcely arrived before the .blaza
was extinguished. The fire was caused
by the carelessness of some plumbers who
Wer repairing pipes in the rear of No.. s..
The excitement for a few minutes was
all out of proportion to the damage done,
and It is said that $50 will cover the loss.
The building is owned by the Gregory
estate. of which Frank E. Stevens IS the
agent, and it is fully insured. The store IS
occupied by Mr.. Stevens, another Isl va
can't and the third is used as cigar
store. The upper floors are partitioned
off for officers.
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