The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-03-02

New York. February 27.-The great
est fire ever known in Newark swept
through the retail dry goods district
tonight, destroying a score or more
buildings. The loss is estimated at
over 81, 600, 900. Several lives may have
been lost and several persons were
badly burned.
The fire started in w. V. Snyder's
department store at Broad and Cedar
streets, a fol story building OF seven
ty feet frontage. and extending 200
feet along Cedar street. The stock
was valued at $500, 600 and nothing was
" The building was burned to
the ground.
The fire broke out about $40 O'Clock
p. m. after the several hundred en-
ployeeS had left the building, which
was then taken charge OF bv a number
of sweepers. 1t is thought that some
of the engineer room force and similar
employees nay have also been in the
building. The flames spread with ter
rible rapidity, the entire building being
enveloped before h arrival 'of the
firemen.
Only one man was seer and he was
at a window on the second floor in a
frenzy of fear. The firemen raised a
ladder. but before they could scale it
the man swung himself through the
broken window and on to the ladder.
AS he reached the ladder a rush of
flame came through the window, en-
gulflng him. 1t receded in a m
and the man was seen on the ladder
wrapped in fire as his clothing burned.
A fireman ran up the ladder on the
underside n grabbed him ito prevent
him falling. Then others went up on
the upper side and began tearing the
burning clothing from the man. They
did this with their naked hands and
were themselves burned. Thousands
of people witnessed the thrilling scene.
The burning clothing was torn from
the man n with it came portions of
the flesh. The man was taken TO a
hospital.
Meanwhile a general alarm was turn
ed in and all of the fifty odd pieces Of
fire apparatus In the city were rolling
to the fire. Ten minutes after the fire
was discovered the flames had leaped
across Cedar street and travelling also
northward along Broad street. With
in half an hour the fire was beyond
control.
The Jour story building adjoining the
Snyder building on Broad street and
occupied by j. NJ. Mantz, dealer in
laceS and millinery goods on the first
floor and offices on the upper floors
was totally destroyed with everything
it contained.
Next to it was the restaurant and
confectionery establishment of T. b.
Allen, a fashionable caterer, this build
ing also containing offices of many
kindS. 1t was destroyed as was also
the trunk store Of c. B. Peddie. The
fire completely Quilted this building but
left the front part almost untouched.
nNhan II O11tfa6 tho roar Of tho hiO do
partment store Of David Strauss. The
firemen at this point made a desperate
stand to prevent the fire from getting
into Hartegen's jewelry store, which
was next in the block.
At the same time flames were trav-
cling southwark with as much fury as
on the north of the original fire. w.
T. Rae jewelry store occupied the
corner opposite Snyder's. Nothing was
saved here, although the valuable
stock of jewelry, probably the largest
in Newark, was securely locked i'm the
vaults of the building. Above the jew
elry store the building was occupied
by offices. Within an hou there was
hardly a brick of the building stand
ing above a few feet from the side
walk. The flames drove through a
| solid wall into p. J.. Garrigan's drug
store. CAIRNS photograph establish
ment and galleries were next above
this and nothing could ave either of
them. The rear end Of the Beehive
dry goods store, owned by l.. S.
Strauss G. Co, was next to go,
and here a large body Of firemen con-
centrated and fought hard to keep the
fire from entering the main building
which was separated from the rear
portion by a party wall with iron
doors. The fight was a stubborn one.
| The doors became red hot and the task
looked hopeless.
While the flames were thus eating
the heart out of the most important
block on Broad street, the fire was
spreading westward along Cedar street
on both sides. On the south side of
this street, the fire burned from No.
2 at the rear of Rae's store to No. "a.
These were all small stores, in build
ing three and four stories high, the
upper floors being occupied largely as
| dwellings,. In this row was Bierman's
| pawn shop, where many thousand dol
lars worth of articles were destroyed.
On the north side Of Cedar street,
back of Syder's, the fire attacked a
row Of eleven brown stone brick build
| ings, used as offices on the upper
floors and stores on the ground floors
Several times men handling the hose
had to abandon il and flee from the
flames which threatened to engul1
them. They were coated with ice wher
they went a few feet away from the
fire and the next moment would be
| almost roasted by the heat as the fir;
advanced or they returned to their bat
tie. The streets for blocks were flood
ed and ice covered as the water flowed
from the fire outside the heated scene
The fire was under control at 1913
o'clock. The man rescued from tn
building proved to be Oscar o. Schae
kleton, so years of age. He was super
intendent Of the store and making hi
usual round of inspection after tn
employees had left when caught by tn
fire. He is at st. Michael hospital anc
is badly burned.
Watson Snyder, cashier Of the firm
escaped from the building. He ha'
just closed the safe after putting tn
money turned in by the department
cashiers into it. He started back to in
vestigate the fire, but it advanced s
rapidly he had to flee. He thinks tn
fire started from an electric wire
SUPPLIES REACHED LADYSMITH
London, February IA letter ha!
been received from a man in the Frs
dragons now in South Africa, confirm