The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-07-15
SIXTEEN HORSES BURNED
Fire Destroys the Stables Of
the Erie Transfer Com
pany on Ninth Street.


A fire broke out last night IN the
meadows, just below the Hill. The office
building and stables of the Erie Trans
fer Company were burned. The build
ing faced on the North Hudson County
Railway Company's tracks on the Ninth
street extension to the Hill. The sta-
bles in the rear were consumed. despite
the efforts of the firelnen and police, six
teen horses were either burned to death
or s~uffocated. Only one reached outside
the stables alive. 1t dropped dead a mos
ment later. The firemen fought valiantly.
The stable is in an Isolated section. Traf-
fc on the North Hudson County Railway
Company,s line ait a busy hour was de-
laved, hut passengers were. transferred
from east bound to west bound cars, the
holders Of transfers being obliged to pass
between lines established by Captain KEEL
ly's police, between Division street and
Monmouth street. and using the trans
fers as a passport between lines.
The fire broke out in the stables. Not
more than fifty pounds of hay. according
10 the Waterman, was stored in the sta
Bile at the time. The stable is a single
story extension to a two-story frame
building, in which a number of actors
and actresses trunks are stored for the
summer Only one of these trunks was
burned. The stable building was burned.
Lots of scenery was stored in this build
ing, and it is claimed by the iremen and
police that the oils of the scenery made it
SO hot that it was impossible to control
the fire, which gained Roadway before
they could reach the isolated spot.
Captain Harness and Michael Whalens of
Hook and Ladder Company No. 2, We're
among the first to reach the building, and
they made heroic efforts to save the
horses confined therein. A lone dead
horse lying just outside one of the sta
BILE doors. half submerged in the water,
bears testimony to the efforts of the fire.
men to. save the animals. The earcassesi
of the other horses, burned to a crisp.
were found after the fremen a sub
dued the flames.
Hundreds of people watched the fight
of the fremen against the flames. They
came from the tenement houses Of the
upper section of lower Jersey City. From
the houses of the Hill the %cupan of
the tenements of that upper section
mingled with owners of the property they
rented from. looked down upon the bat
tie of the firemen against the fiery flames.
serene in the consciousness that the fire
could not reach their homes.
Superintendent II. Brooks. of the North
Hudson County Railway Company, was
among the first to appear upon the scene.
1t was during the rush hours of the
road. He quickly devised the transfer
system and avoided much confusion.
The cars could not pass over the lines
of fire hose. Fire Commissioner Errick-
son asked him why the company did not
provide. in such emergency, for firemen's
hose jumpers. Meanwhile the lremen
fought to saws the property of the Erie
Transfer Company. There was no dan-
ger to the fifty or sixty odd trucks stand
ing near by. These were crowded with
spectators.
The fire was first noticed by Captain
Vissel of Engine Company No. I, who was
on his way down tow to supper. He
pulled box No. 1928, at the Coles street
crossing of the Erie Railroad. Simulta-
neously witt this alarm box No. 80 was
pulled by an excited citizen, at Newark
avenue and Seventh street. This fact
slightly confused the fremen. The scene
of the fire was an out of the way place
for both the police and fire departments.
Some of the trunks stored away in the
building were the property of Julia Ar
thur, the actress.