The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-11-12
SMELLED SMOKE
Man Says He Went to
Sleep Without Look
ing for Fire.
BLAZE DID $4,000 DAMAGE
After six Hours Headway it
Was Discovered and the
Tenants Fled.


was discovered yesterday morning In the
four story and basement frame tenement
house at No. 14S Morris street. 1t spread
to the four story frame house adjoining
and both were almost gutted before the
flames were extinguiehed. Twelve families
were rendered homeless and most OF their
furniture and clothing destroyed
No one was injured and this is surprls-
ing. This immunity was secured by Will
liam Fitzgerald a laborer, of No. 14S Nor
ris street. He lived on the third moor.
The fumes fret made themselves felt on
the second floor. Fitzgerald was up at
the time and smelling the smoke he began
an investigation. When he discovered the
fire he aroused the other members OF ms
own family and then went into the nan
and gave the alarm to the others IN the
house They quickly left the burning
building and reached the street, where
they were met by the outpouring tenants
of the house at No. 49, Some of the men
realizing that they had still time to at
least attempt to save some of their valu-
ables rushed back to the houses and threw
what they could from the windows. These
goods were carried to a vacant lot on the
opposite side of the street.
Two men claim to have first discovered
the fire at 7:25 o'clock. One man claims
he had a knowledge of the danger at l;zo.
He SAYS he smelled smoke at that hour,
but went to bed and knew no more OF the
matter until he was awakened by Wlillam
FITZGERALD, who aroused the tenants OF
No. f4S, the house he lived in. The other
man who discovered the blaze was John
Stilger. employed by John H. Brinkma IN,
the owner of the house at l46. Mr.. BRINK
man conducts a wheelwright and wagon
manufacturing plant on the ground floor
of No. 146. The man who says he smelled
the smoke at 1:25 o'clock is William H.
Brainy.
just where the fire started none seems
to know. Brainy lives on the first floor,
right hand side of No. 14S. This house is
owned by George Bannon of No. l4I Nor
ris street. Brainy's apartments are on the
side of the house which adjoins Brink
mans house and the floor of his kitchen
is just at the point where Stilger first saw
the blaze.
He was up at 1:25 o'clock, he says. and
he smelled smoke, but paid no attention to
it, The smoke seemed to be under his
floor. At TBS o'clock, after the blaze had
six hours to work, if Brainy is right,
Fitzgerald was awakened on the third
floor by inhaling smoke. About the same
time Fitzgerald was crying the alarm
John Stilger, Brinkman's helper, was un-
locking the door of the wheelwright shop.
AS he stepped inside he was almost blind
ed with smoke. He investigated and
found flames coming out of the wall to
the right of the shop near the ceiling and
a few inches from the chimney, at the
base of which there was a furnace, to
which bellows is attached to supply
draught for the fire. He says the fire IN
the furnace was put out at o'clock last
night Immediately he rushed to No.
Engine Company's house, only three doors
away, and gave them the alarm. The
company responded as quickly as possible,
after sounding the alarm, and in a few
minutes half dozen streams were direct
ed on the buildings, the tenants were
rushing pell nell into the streets and the
residents for blocks around were hurrying
to the scene.
There was but one act of heroism. The
hero was twelve year old Timmy Curtis,
of No 1H Essex street. Timmy was en-
ployed as an errand boy about two
months ago by Brinkman, and when he
reported for duty he brought with him a
little grey kitten. He said then he would
take the job only on condition that the
kitten could remain in the shop. He went
to work and day after day he fed and fon-
died the little pet. He saved his pennies
and bought milk for the kitten, and there
was great attachment between the two.
Timmy came to the, shop this morning
Just as Stilger was rushing to the fire
house to give the alarm. He was told of
the fire and as fast as his little legs could
carry him he rushed to the shop. Two
men standing at the door told him it was
no use going in he could do no good.
"To hell with everything else. I want
my Kitten cried Timmy, and in he
rushed.
Through dense smoke Tin1my con-
tinued to the very rear of the shop where
the kitten lay asleep, wrapped UP in Tim
ny's boss's overalls on desk uncon-
scious of danger where Timmy had left
him Saturday night. With a cry of joy
the boy emerged from the shop with the
kitten under his arm and his eyes watery
in smiling countenance. He kissed the
kitten and watched the fire workers dc
their duty
The duty of the irernen was performed
in excellent style. No. Engine Company
had matters well in hand when the other
companies arrived, and very shortly there
were a great many streams on the flames
which were confined to the rear of the
buildings and the two top floors. This
made the work of the firemen very diff
rult. but their success was great in view
nf the disadvantages they labored under.
Two floors of each of the houses were
gutted and the other two floors were
badly damaged by water.
Thse who were rendered homeless were
cared for by neighbors
Mr.. Brinkman said that his loss would
amount to about 5000, and Mr.. cannon
said HIS loss would be about $1,000 Some
An Old and Well Tried Remedy