The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1899-07-07
BIG FIRE
AT SUMMIT
Whole Block Burned and Loss
Estimated at Sl25,OOO.


Fox and Morristown Firemen's
Fast Ride on Hose Carriage
Many Families Rendered Home
less, but Fund for their Relief
Met with Generous Response.
Fire at an early hour Sunday morning
destroyed an entire block of business
and dwelling houses in Summit The
loss is estimated at $125,00O and more
than forty families were rendered
homeless. The origin of the fire is a
mystery
Chief Fox of the Morristown Depart
ment received a call at about a. M,
and Humane's hose carriage, drawn by
team of horses from McCollums
stables, made the trip to the scene of the
condagration in 40 minutes The dis
tance is about ten miles On the carri-
age were Chief Fox, Steward William
Wiltberger and Fred LeFurge of
Humane Company, Douglass Frapwell
of Independent Hose Company and VIM.
DeGroo, who held the reins over the
speedy team. On the carriage was 1900
feet of hose, and the Morristonians soon
laid line and were held in reserve.
Short Hills sent a hose carriage and
seven men, No help was received from
Chatham, as, according to the state
ment of Assistant Chief Tilden. no COM
munication could be had by telegraph
Madison, it is said, did not respond be-
cause it was impossible to communicate
with the chief of the department.
The fire burned for more than twelve
hours. The firemen worked heroically
to subdue the flames, and to their efforts
is due the fact that the fire did not as
sumo the nature of a general conhagra-
ton which might have burned out the
entire business center of the town. The
firemen declare that the flames would
not have assumed the serious proper
tions that they did, had the pressure of
water been sufficient.
There were eighteen buildings burned.
OF these sixteen were razed to their
foundation walls and two were almost
destroyed. Thirteen of the buildings
were in row fronting on Union avenue.
Their ground floors were occupied as
stores, while the two upper floors of
each were used as living apartments,
They were tenements, and the occu-
pants were Hungarians, Italians and
Russian Jews, for the most part. Five
of the buildings were stables, and three
horses contained in them were burned
to death. All of the buildings were
frame, most of them having been built
about twenty five years ago
The fire started in barn in the rear
of the mems furnishing and shoe stores
of S. Stern. Frederick Spear discovered
the flames and sent in an alarm at $50
o'clock. The alarm pealed from the old
fire bell on top of the City Hail. and the
members of the fire department were
soon OF the scene of the fire.
In the short space of time between
sending in the call and the arrival of the
fremen the flames had spread to the
houses and to the other stables in the
rear with such remarkable rapidity that
when the fire department got to work
the rear of the whole block was a fiery
furnace.
In the rear of the buildings was an
alley, and from here and from Union
avenue the firemen fought the flames.
The tenants of the building were arous-
ed from their sleep by the noise of the
cracking flames, and the changing Of the
bell. Policeman Britt made his way
through the building and aroused the
tenants. All made their escape.
1t was seen by 8 o'clock that the block
was doomed but the fremen continued
| to pour water On the flames All day
Sunday the fremen continued to work,
and it was 7 o'clock that night before
the last engine company returned to its
quarters. All that remains of the IS
buildings are part Of William FL. Rog
er's drug store, at Union avenue and
Hitchcock place, and about half of JOS
| eph Campbells saloon, on Summit ave-
nue..
The buildings which were destroyed
were owned as follows: William G.
Sheedon of New York, five buildings;
V. Vicari, Mrs. Mary E. Shay, Samuel
Katz, two buildings; Charles l.. G.
Reeves, Frank Hellquist, Joseph Camp
bell. The buildings were but partly
covered by insurance
The occupants of the stores on the
ground floors of the buildings were:
William H. Rogers drug store;
N. Vicari, mems furnishing goods; G.
Vicari, barber shop; All George, Chinese
laundry; S. Stern, mems furnishing
| gOOQ5 ana SnOe6; OaInuel hatz, Dlllaru
room; Charles L. c. Reeves, feed store;
Frank Hellquist, cabinet-maker; Joseph
Campbell, saloon
Only a small quantity of the stock and
fixtures of these stores was saved. In
surance thereon did not, it is claimed,
amount to more than about forty-five
per cent. of its value.
The forty families rendered homeless
were poor people, most of them being
employed by the Summit Silk Company
AS they made their escape from the
burning buildings they were cared for
byneighbors. Some were taken to the city
hall building, where, under the direc-
tion of Mayor Wilcox, they were fed and
housed until the next morning. While
the fire was yet in progress subscrip
tion was started for the aid of the suf-
ferers by Richard Phair, Sr., who with
list collected over 500. An appeal for
funds issued by Mayor Wilcox was read
in all the churches and later was mailed
to the citizens of the town. This petit
tion has met with a generous response on
the part of citizens of Summit and vi
cinity.
Chief of the Summit Fire Department
George Muchmore has conveyed formal
thanks to the Morristown firemen for
their efficient services and the city au-
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