The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-01-04
destructive Fire at BordentOwn.


For about two years the city of Borden
r town has been free from a fire of a ser
r ious nature, but on Thursday morning il
had visitation that will long be remem
bered as one of the most disastrous tha
has ever been known in the place.
The alarm was gwen shortly before two
o'clock. The streets were covered with
sleet, but the fremen made good time
and soon had water on the flames. The
fire originated in the back part of Frank
S. Graham's butcher store, on Farnsworth
avenue, right in the business centre OF
the town.
Mr.. Graham and his wife were awak-
ened by the screams of cat which tore
up and down stairs in a frantic manner.
They opened the door of their room and
found the house full of smoke. Quickly
grabbing their children and arousing the
other inmates of the house they rushed to
the street. In the house were Mr..
Graham's butcher and woman named
Ann Fowler, go years of age. The man
escaped all right. Mrs. Fowler started to
1 follow him, but for some reason turned
| back. She appeared at a front window,
which was not very high from the pave
ment, and was told to jump, but she re-
fused. She was then told to wait until
ladder was procured, but she said she
could get down the stairs. She started
for them and was not seen again until her
charred remains were found lying at the
foot of the stairs. She was burned to an
unrecognizable mass.
The building in which the fire origin
ated was frame structure two stories
high. On the south side of it was three
story building, occupied by S. G. Childs
as a grocery store; on the north was
NJ Let
store and residence.
The fire started in the rear of Graham's
building on the ground floor in a corner
which was used for trying lard. There
were several pounds of this article in the
place and it fed the flames, causing them
to spread in an alarming manner.
If the iremen had had good supply of
water at the outset there is little doubt
that they. would have saved much of the
property that was destroyed, but the water
did not flow through the mains in any
quantity for nearly half an hour.
Childs' store on the south was on fire
several times, but the wind was blowing
from it. This, with the strong efforts of
the firemen, prevented its destruction.
The stock in the store was badly damaged
by water.
Just as the fremen thought they had
the flames under control the cornice on
Mr.. Carslake's house ignlted and in lit
tie time the root was on fire. The streams
of water from the various lines of hose
we're not strong enough to reach the roof,
and in short time the second and third |
stories were mass of flames, and the low
or part of the house was ruined by water.
The fire department was kept at work
until after seven O'Clock, and it was not
until that hour that the charred remains |
of Mrs. Fowler were found.
This lady was a servant in the Graham
family. She went to Bordentown three
weeks since from Groveville, where she
has relatives She is widow and leaves |
six children, four sons and two daughters
all grown up.
The loss of Mr.. Carslake embraces house /
furniture, the large stock in his drug store
and basement, and damage to the build
ing. The total may reach So, 900 or $4,000.
The insurance on the stock is sc, 300; on
the building, 5000. The insurance was
placed by Messrs. Aaronson, Tantum and |
Julien, in the Royal. Queen, London As
ISOLATION Co., German-American and |
other companies.
Frank s. Graham's loss will probably |
reach $780, on which there is an in
surance of 81 900 in the Union and Ger
Besides his household |
furniture and large stock of meats, he
had several tons of lard. The building !
belongs to William Carman, of Trenton.
S. C. Childs' loss will reach about two
thousand dollars, fully covered by insur-
ance. The building is owned by Francis
Higgins, and insured for $1,000 in the
Union.
The total amount of loss will reach from
SIG, 900 to $4,000, all of which is covered |
by insurance with the exception of about
$1,000.
The origin of the fire is unknown. 1t
was not in the apartment where the sta
tionary engine is used, and Mr.. Grsham's
N',teher says he saw that things we're all
right and no fire about when he retired.