The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-05-21
WHOLE BLOCK OF FIRE
Hoboken Again Visited by
a Most Disastrous
Conflagration.
SIX HUNDRED PERSONS RONEhESS
Department Could Not Cope
with the Blaze and Jersey
City Called on for Help.
NAVAL RESERVES GOOD WORK
Saved a Machine Shop and Housed
the Victims on Their Vessel
Nearly a Million Losl.
NAVAL RESERVES GOOD WORK

One hundred and twenty-eight families
rendered homeless ard loss of property
valued at nearly s1.000,60O was the dis
astrous result of last nights fire in Ho-
i,oken. Never in the history of the city
was there suca a destructive confiagra-
ton.
The fire swept through an entire solid
block of five story brick buildings, leav-
ing nothing behind it save tottering walls.
Men, women and children were driven
from their homes into the streets. Weep
ing mothers carrying their little ones in
their arms and children running about
looking for their parents, from whom they
had been separated in the confusion,
were some of the pathetic sights Wit
messed. AS far as is known. however,
everybody escaped frern the houses in
safety.
When the news of the fire was sent
out, the whole city was awakened
Throngs of people hurried to the scene.
The mob was so thick that it extended
several block in every objection around
the Inflated buildings. Firemen hurried
hither and thither, stretching lines of
hose, and the police in many instances
were obliged to use their clubs in order
to keep the excited mob out of the way.
Many of the citizens lent a helping hand
in assisting the unfortunate tenants to
remove their goods to the street. Con-
sptcious among those seen carrying
bedsteads and other things was Archdea
con William r. Jenvey, who had come up
from his home in Hudson street. Mr..
Jenvey was at the fipe a short time after
it started and remained until late in the
evening.
The block where the iire broke out
extends from Twelfth to Thirteenth
streets. It was bounded on the west
by Washington street and on the east
ny Hudson street. A Eve story brick
factory building. forty feet wide and
about 400 feet long, occupied the entire
hudson street side extending through the
block from Twelfth to Thdrteenth street.
On the remaining half of the block. front
ing on Washington street. was brick
row, consisting of fourteen fve-story
double tenements. each of which was
usually occupied by ten families. With
the exception. of a few, all the apartments
were tenented. The houses are from
Nos. 1893 to 1923 Washington street. The
first floor Of the factory was occupied by
the firm Of Gallagher & Paul, nanufac-
turers of toilet articles. On the second
and third fieers was the New York Wall
Paper Works, owned by Benton, Heath
Co. The fourth and fifth floors includ-
ed the cut glass factory and storerooms
Of Abraham & Straus. of the firm of r.
II. Macy & Co. A part Of the first floor
facing on Thirteenth stneet was occupied
by H. Ward Leonard. manufacturer of
electrical supplies. Between the factory
and the fats there 1s a space of about
thirty feet which Is taken up by the
rear yards of the tenenents.
1t is believed that the fire started
on the first floor Of the factory. just how
it originated is mystery, which perhaps
will never be solved. When the flames
were first seen they were shooting out of
the third story window on Twelfth street.
That was about ten minutes to eight
O'Clock The FIRE had probably been
burning fully half an hour before 1T was
eqecnop seaa & g ma aas
peuglserfy pers enf hurrsed to iS he fire box on
alarm. He then flushed to the Twelfth
street entrance of the factory, smashed fn
the door with his club and went inside,
tiaguish the fire before it got any head
way. To his surprise. he found the whole
centre of the frst floor ablaze and the
s m was so tSe sTsepng apgr Tsaay adaae that
it was useless to attempt to put the f1re
out without assistance, and he started
scarcely reached the sidewalk when
Thomas Gallagher, Of the firm Of Cal
lagher & Paul having been cen nqti1iea ,lE a,,oa o.
on Eleventh street. :,
Save my books! Save. my booksg'
hotsa eonssd asdheE a into fbe rms
ofices on the first floor and they began
gathering up the books from the desks
ana not Start FasE any too
soon, for the flames had by this time
reached the Office door. Realizing the
the street Mr. Gallagher however, re-
rpadrfed a moment longer to turn the lock
en- the safe, Then taxing what 1 few re, re-
started for the door. but was confronted
by a mass Of fire. He saw that his only
escape was the i,ndoW and ne fra,a Easily ty
window to the sidewalk is about fifteen
feet but Mr.. Gallagher did not hesitate;
Me spggans ny e on wtsont 5ns injury sun an0
By this time the FIRE engines had ar
rived. bi5t there was no stream Of water
On he ailainE The flrsmen farosd tfIeb b,e t9
ter tel their arrival to connect the hose with
nlsvffig on 81 the blaze All attempts to
prevent the flames from spreading, how @
ever, were ddl vafn Inlrtys tSlllut -. isilet
q she Irong wnSin Wind from the south carried the
dsmes directly towards the brick tene-
nen.s, ars Vas sH discovered &c @ the whole block was
enc mass of fire. It wa9 the height a m Of Of
foa'y betyee1 en- the butldings ana all they could
dc was to fight the fire from the street;
,s,.ye4 n ~ through the tenements. the. fam
Hes. assisted by many Of the neighpt,orss. r.,
from their homes. They piled
sans, tsheir chattels on the west side OF WASH
;Y~tnn street and bsoc3adeo one-hah @
t5ae street - +ha s,a,a
;,.,.o .yy,,ail FIRE department of the city
which consists of only sa tTeo are trcss was
m oi'a xst1s f,s<1if7ic icferat to cope with such a
bis dTe The Mayor ss,5 oon5sa 'anss ts inal hel
tne & s,,1s with Fire Eemmts sioner
kat,.} }sssftljrlg. who wasS also Hzanqlpg py
ri they conctuded to casl7 upon s'lis e'esA