Evening journal., 1901-11-25
BIG FIRE ON
RIVER FRONT
Flames Ragged FierCOly Dur
Ing The Night
FlREAIEN FOUGHT BRAVELY
Charles Warner COmpanY'S Buildings
Almost a Total Wreck-LOSS Is
Not Known
FlREMEN FOUGHT BRAVELY

What proved to be one of the most
disastrous fires that has occurred in
this city for years broke out in storage
houses of the Charles Warner Com
pany shontly after II o'clock on Satur
day night, and before the flames could
be subdued damage was done to the
extent Of nearly 100000.
1t was few moments after III
O'Clock when Officer James c. Shields
was standing at Front and King
streets. Glancing toward the river
front he saw a cloud of black smoke
pouring upward from the King street
end of the Warner Companys place of
business.
OFFICER Shields at once ran to box No.
Al, and sent in an alarm, to which the
Reliance, Fame, Washington Weccacoe
and Liberty companies responded.
Chief of the Fire Department John p.
Welsh, First Assistant H. NJ. Wiley,
and Second Assistant John Palfrey
were soon upon the scene, and Chief
Welsh, realizing that millions of dol
lars worth of property was in danger,
ordered a second alarm sent in, which
brought the Friendship Phoenix and
Water Witch to the scene in an incredi-
bly, short time.
FLAMES SOON SPREAD
Before the engines reached the fire,
however. the flames spread to adjoin-
ing buildings owned by the Warmer
Company and in a short time the
boiler room, freight-house and coal
sheds were a mass Of seething flames
The light from the blaze illuminated
the sky for miles around, and, despite
the drizzling rain hundreds of people,
men and women ran to the scene of
cOnfagratiOn and watched the progress
of the fire. In the yards of the COM
pany were several freight cars, which
had been unlOaded and were standing
upon shifting tracks. Several of them
caught fire, but were pulled out by
shifting engines before they were COM
pletely destroyed. One box car, how
ever, which was standing near the end
of the wharf, was burned to the trucks.
STEAMERS IN DANGER
Tied to the wharf Of the Delaware
River Navigation Company We're the
steamers Ulrica and the John A. War
ner This companys property is To-
Gated directly across King street from
the Warner buildings. When the fire
begin to burn so fiercely the boats were
cut loose and allowed to drift into the
stream. Sparks from the burning
buildings dropped on the upper decks
of the vessels, but were quickly put
out by the crews.
PROPERTY IN DANGER
At the wfharves of tine company were
mOOred several sand barges, which had
arrived recently, and were awaiting to
be unloaded. All were pulled away
safely before they caught on fire with
the exception of barge No. g. The liv-
ing house on this boat was ignited, and
soon the entire vessel was a mass Of
flames She was cut loose from the
wharf and drifted into the stream. The
tug Taurus. which was lying nearby.
pulled out from her wharf, and the
crew made an attempt to throw line
over the capstan, but it was unsuccess-
ful. The barge, from which flames
were bursting. then drifted across the
creek and footed to the south side to
the wharves, upon which Blumenthal's s
and Warmers storehOuses are located.
After much effort, the tugs Jansen and
Taurus eXtinguished the flames on the
vessel before these buildings caught
fire. The Liberty engine was located
on the south side of Market street
bridge and flooded both structures. and
it was greatly through the efforts of
this company that a more serious fire
was averted
WHARF CAUGHT FIRE
In the meantime, Warmers wharf
front caught fire, and as it was impos-
sible for the fire companies to get a
stream upon the flames, the tugs put
their fire pumps in service, and soon
had the blaze extinguished.
TRAINS WERE HELD UP
Owing to the fact that there is a
scarcity of fire-plugs in the streets
north of Water street, in the vicinity
of Market, King and Front streets
nearly all of the engines were located
several blocks away from the fire
which made it necessary to lay lines OF
hose across the P, w. & B. railroad
tracks, in some instances 1000 feet
being in service. This necessitated the
stopping of all southbound trainE
on the road. and for one and hall
hours trains Nos. 97. and % wer,
tied up OF the French street station. Nc
northbound trains were interferet
4 with.
WATER PLENTIFUL
In regard to a statement made in
local paper THAT the fire companies haC
4 trouble in obtaining water from plugs
4 Chief of the Fire Department John p
Welsh. First Assistant H. NJ. Wiley
Second Assistant John Palfrey an,
members of every fire company in tn,
city we're interviewed last evening by
q representative Of the Journal re