The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-02-28

A GRlE,A FRI R
IN NEWARK
from First Pageo


building. but left the front part almost m
untouched; then it ;gutted the rear. o. ule
big department store of David S lr stuss
The .firenena t this point made a despela
stand to prevent the fire from setIlliiii'
into Hartegen's tiewelry store, which was
next in the block AT the same time ties
flames were travelling southwark VIII LIS. %
much fury as on the north OF the o. Is M,
fire. w. T.sRae's Njewelry store occup !
the corner opposite Snyder's-s N ttils
was saved here, althoush the Val i!li. ne
stock of jewelry, probably the iaises .,.n
Newark, was securely locked IN Tue y t uieo
the building was occupied by oliices. VII
in an hour there was hardly BRICK OF inc
building standing above few. leet from rom
the sidewalk.
The flames drove through solid walt
into P. J. Garrigan's drugstore. Cail.
photograph establishment and sallerieS
were next above this, and nothlns cou iu
save either of them
The rear end of the Bee Hive dry goods
store, OWNED by l.. S. Strauss Co..
was next to 60 and here a siarse Douy
of 1iremen concentrated and fought nara
to keep the fire from entering the main
building. which was separated from tEe
rear portion by party wall Win lion
doors. The fight was a stubborn one
The doors became red hot, ana the TASK
looked hopeless.
FIRE SPREADS.
While the flames were thus eating the
heart out OF the most important business
block on Broad street, the fire was
spreading westward along Cedar street
on both sides. On the south sac OF tiiis
street the fire burned from No :, at the
rear of RAGS store. to No. "A. .1nese We're
all small stores, in buildings lhree s.iu
four stories high, the upper floors oeills
occupied largely as dwellings. In TINS ~"
was Berlnan's pa.wnshop. Where hdns
thousand dollars worth of articles We're
destroyed. On the north slde OF Seu'iI
street. back of Snyders. the ire atsacheo
O. row of eleven brownstone ana prlch
buildings used as offices on the upper
floors and stores on the ground 1loor.
All the police in the city were on ad"ty
at the fire. except those absolutely ieeu-
ed on post A hundred thousand specta-
tors witnessed the conf.agrat!on- Inc
crowd had to be forced back again ana
again as the advance OF the fiahHss
ca,,sad ,he firer,en to shift position back.
Finally orders were given 10 eAtelAu
the fire lines beyond the two BLOCKS on
either side. and the crowd was pushed
back and lines were stretched across the.
street Women tainted In the 1earlul
crush Blows We're exchanged ana clotn-
ing was torn from the backs IN the crush!
Despite the cold. the crowd 1nslsteo
upon remaining and stood Tor nours
watching the destruction Of a million dol
lars worth Of property. The heat close
to the fire was fearful and the firemen,
were driven back time and again. They
had to move the apparatus many times.
Several times. men handling the nose
had to abandon it and flee from tae
flames which threatened to ensulf them.
They were coated with ice when they
went few feet away from the flre,
and the next moment would De amos.
roasted by the heat as the fire advanced
or they returned to their battle Inc
streets for blocks were flooded, and ice
formed as the water flowed from the
fire outside the heated zone. me IRE
was under control at 1920
The men rescued from the building
proved to be Oscar o. Shackleton. sixty
years of age. He was superintendent OF
the store, and making his usual round
of inspection after employees had left,
when caught by the fire. He is at St.
Mlchaers Hospital, and is badly burned.
Watson Snyder, cashier Of the firm, es-&
capped from the building. lie had just
closed the safe, after putting the money
turned in by the department cashiers into
1t. He started back to investigate the
fire, but it advanced SO rapidly he had to
flee. He thinks the fire started from an
electric wire.
Four tiremen were buried under a wall
at the rear of Snyder's. that fell with
terrific crash. Captain Walter Harrison
and Fireman Thomas Brown were taken
out unconscious, and may be fatally IN
lured The other two fremen We're Sc
vere!y injured.
Although number Of people were be-
lieved to be in the Snyder store when the
fire broke out, no bodies have been found:
There are several persons unaccounted
for, and it is not known whether they
ESCAPED or were burned to death. The
total loss foots up over million dollars.