New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-07-03
NEW JERSEY NEWS.
SUMMIT HAS A BIG FIRE.
MANY FAMILIES MADE HOMELESS 81
AN EARLY MORNING BLAZE.

THE AGATE ProcK. EIGHT OTHER BUILDINGS
SEVERAL BARNS AND a GRAIN WAREHOUSE
prsrRoyEp-AIp FROM OTHER PLACES.
Summit, July 2 (speciaD-The mos, disaS.
trous fire that has ever occurred III SUNNI
broke out early this morning. ahc lne %"
Agate Block and eight adjoining puiu"e'
Unlon-ave together with nuHper VI
and ono large grain storage elevator. were COM
petely destroyed. The fire was
o.45 o'clock when flames were seen coming
from a large barn owned by Vicar bro'ne''
Owing to the fact that the barn was not ooou-
n,od !, 60 tbouoht that the fire OF incen-
diary origin especially as this Is the iou'''
time within a year that the building has pee"
on fire. The buildings destroyed are IN the cen
ire OF Summit. and were all used as business
nroperty The loss is placed at over SlJoo""
The Agate Block was formerly known as ''e
Postoflce Building and for years was par
or the large De Forest estate, but was pun
chased recently by william c. Sheldon Oh INC
firm OF Sheldon & Co., New-York bankers.
The flames spread 80 rapidly that s. Stern the
man who gave the alarm, was only aoie u sd
the clothes he Although the nre Was o ny
a hundred feet from the city nan. Wiz ~. ~.
Are com pa MES have their quarters. the iahIes
were beyond control from the start inns was
due in part to the lack Of sufficient water pres SIS,
ure George V. Muchmore. Chief OF the , rne
Department telephoned to Orange. snort HiIs,
Madison and Morrstown. asking the nre chlels
in those cities to come to SUBMITS ald as, CIV
ing TO a brisk wind the sparks from the iire
were being carried to the roofs or DWELLING
houses over a quarter Of mile away In seVeral
cases setting fires, which were quickly extih-
gushed. - 49,, chor,
Hills department, Chief J. +. Brown coming
to SUBMITS aid with his entire force. Chiet
Fox of Morristown, arrived later IN charge OF
Humane Hose Company No. :. or that CITY.
The efforts of the combined fire departments
were unavailing. and the buildings were com
pletely destroyed. and over twenty storekeepeiS
and their families rendered homeless.
The escapes Of the occupants from being
burned to death in many cases almost
miraculous. A Mrs Feeey. an invalid. was car
ried from one of the burning buildings while IN
sensible Two Of the Fire Wardens, D. I. BON
mel and Luke Brady. carried woman named
Simmons from building just as the ROOF lell IN.
Mayer Roxenbaum, an occupant OF another
building was forced by the flames and smoke
TO seek refuge window ledge and was
badly burned about the face and hands before
he could be rescued. Mrs. Martin Manghan
missed one Of her children and rushed into the
building a second time She was forced to leave
Just as her dress caught fire. and she was pad
~ burned
All the buildings burned were of frame and
have been a set OF hretraps for years insurance
companies exact an insurance rate OF per cent
The fire fed by quantity of powder ana
fireworks that sale In one of the stores,
and a quantity OF oil stored In one OF the barns
made things interesting IN tnal lOcallty.
The Common Council will hold a special meet
ing tomorrow for the purpose of offering re-
ward for the conviction OF those who set nre TO
the buildings When asked concerning the low
water pressure, Mayor George Wilcox and
Charles F. Wood, chairman OF the Common
Council Fire Committee. refused to speak FOR
publication.
Subscription papers asking aid for those
made homeless were circulated and read In the
various churches. All money should be sent to
the Mayor George Wilcox, and clothing to Dr.
John Burlng The homeless were taken care
of at the Summit Hotel by order OF the propri-
etor. B. w. Bonfll, and many OF them were
fed through the lberaty Of William MendeL
Some OF them received temporary shelter In the
City Hall
The families burned out and made homeless
are: William II. Rogers druggist; Frank He'll
quist. furniture dealer; S. Stern, dry goods; '.
Vicari drygoods c. l.. G. Reeve. feed dealer;
J. Lobe drygoods Joseph Campbell, saloon; A.
l.. George laundry: F. Mera. c. Nicari, 5
Pheasant, S SalOvinski. j. Messina. p Parkins,
l.. Hellquist j. Merighi. S. Katz, Mrs. NJ. f.
Shay and Mrs. Simmons.