Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-05-22
OVER A MILLION.
Two Big Fires at Hoboken,
N. j., Thursday Evening.
A Whole Block Purned--l Families
Homeless--Loss, $250,000.
Big Dry Doc.s Damsged-canaI Boats Burned
Loss, Over 100000.

New York. May 21.-Twice Thursday
night. fire visited Hoboken, n. j., and
the loss was very heavy. One whole
block was reduced to ashes and 140
families were rendered homeless. A
big factory was destroyed. The Ho-
boken fire department was totally un
able to cope with the flames. and help
was summoned from every portion of
Hudson county and later in the night
when the big dry docks at 18th street
caught fire the only hope of saving
them was from tugs called to the
scene by the flames.
The first fire broke out at $50 =. NJ,
in the big factory building in the block
bounded by 18th and 18th streets ard
Washington and Hudson streets. From
the factory the flames leaped to the
apartment houses on the block and
they We're swept away.
The factory in which the fire was first
discovered was 400 feet long by so feet
deep. On three sides Of the block Were
apartment houses. The factory was d
6-story brick building. The apartment
houses were of 5 stories, double, with
brown stone fronts and brick SIDE walls.
The factory was occupied by Strands
x Co. Or. II. Macy & Coz, cut glass
and similar lines: Gallagher & Palmer.
toilet articles and mirrors, and Benton
& Heath. big wall paper manufactur-
ers. There were IA of the double flats.
Each enc of the flat buildings were
valued at $1,000. The factory building,
with its contents. Is estimated to have
been worth over S250.000.
The fire was at first discovered in The
air shaft Of the factory building.
So rapid was the spread of the flames
that when the first fire apparatus ar
rived, the flames had been drawn up
through the air shaft, and had broken
into the factory at every floor and were
rapidly travelling toward both ends
The entire fire departments of Union
Hill, West Hobollen and Weehawken
responded to the call for help. as well
as three engines from Jersey City. De-
spite this big aggregation Of fire en-
gines, the flames spread with terrific
fury. The occupants of the apartment
houses saved but little of their house
hold effects.
A policeman carried out two children
from one of the houses after they had
been forgotten in the flight with the
OIntF occupants. n ny Ing Noufsti WdS
rescued from one of the buildings after
the fire had reached the bedclothing, but
she was not harmed
The factory building was separated
from the flats in places by an alley way
less than 30 feet wide and it was across
this gulf that the fire leaped to attack
the houses. The firemen first on the scene
tried to fight the flames. but the heat and
smoke soon drove them out. Then all
their efforts We're directed toward saving
the adjoining blocks. Mayor Pagan of
Hoboken. reached the scene early and /
started the work of supplying the desti-
tute with shelter and clothing, and at a J
late hour many families had been made !
fairly comfortable.
The buildings destroyed belonged to +
the Hoboken Land and Improvement Co. |
About 1870 p. NJ, while the big fire
was at it's worst, fire broke out in the .
big dry docks of Tietien & Lang. The 4
docks were badly damaged. The property
loss is estimated at over Soo0,000 Six
canal boats were destroyed at the dock
fire. and an oil barge, but the dock itself
was saved from total destruction by the
efforts of many tugs that went to the
rescue.
The burning Of the factory will throw
out of employment about $50 hands. The
Hoboken Land and Improvement Co. is
well insured, and many of the tenants of
the apartment houses carried policies.