The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-01-02


c. C. Schiller. which is just in front
and only thirty feet distant from Mrs.
Stephen Jenkins two-story single
frame dwelling, occupied by Mrs. Caro-
line F.. Wick, where a fire broke out
yesterday afternoon that threatened
to do dire damage to the little old town
of Nicholson
Only twelve years ago, come plough
ing time, a devastating confiagration
o'erswept the village and before the
rulnous ravages of the fire
iend could b. checked store
building. with most of its contents.
and newly erected wagon shed.
which cost $67. lumber furnished, were
laid In ashes.
The contemplation of this catas-
trophe and the location of the store
building OF the burgess. resulted in
Northeastern Pennsylvania being made
wildly excited. The sight Of the flames
bursting through the roof of the Wick
home and licking the caves of the Jen-
kins' house adjoining sent the burgess
flying excitedly to the railroad station
with kilograms summoning the fire de-
partments OF Scranton. I!allstead,
Great Bend and Binghamton.
EXCITING MESSAGE.
Town threatened with total destruc-
ton. Rush engines and hose. Borough
will stand all expenses. stephen Jay,
burgess is the tenor of the tele-
grams that We're flashed over the Lack
awanna roads wires.
Nicholson burned down. Town COM
pletely wiped out" was the burden of
the story after 1t had been repeated
verbally a few times and passed from
one to 'tOther all over these parts. a
special train was hurriedly gotten
ready at the Lacka wanna freight house
switch and Chief Zizelmann with the
Nay Aug company and all it's appa-
ratus hastened to board II to fly To the
rescue.
Mayor NIoir. Chief Robling. Train
master Mccain, two dozen firemen and
several hundred citizens colided one
with the other in a half hour of ex-
cited effort to load the big Nay Aug
steamer on a fiat car and just three
minutes before the arrival Of a second
telegram announcing that the fire was
under control. they succeeded ip tipping
the engine from the improvised skid"
and landing ii in such position that
II ""-''i~"' '""ther hour tn get 1t down
out OF midair.
OFF FOR NICHOLSON.
The newspapermen upon learning
that the special would not be run and
that the next train for Nicholson was
not to start until o'clock tried to
dicker for special engine, but It was
Ia
cept wait till o'clock and for an hour
and eleven minutes they paced excit-
edly up and down the station platform
botherinE the life out of every rail
roader who hove i'm sight with queries
as to the running of the 4 O'clock train
was it ever late? How long would
the run require? and so on.
a 4 o'clock was never slower COM
ing but it came at last and with il
came the Nicholson "Jerkwater" The
newspapermen. railroad officials, par
ties Of young people out for a holiday
and many others filled with curiosity
made a scramble for the seats on the
side of the train which would first per-
init of a view OF the confiagration. 1t
is a slow train at its best but yester-
day afternoon it seemed aggravatingly
slow to the three carloads of curios-
ity-filled Scrantonians who were wait
ing with excited anxiety to get view
Of a town being swept off the earth by
fire.
If 1t was the first Of April instead of
the first Of January the crowd would
have been able to figure out the differ
ence in the conditions that obtained
and those they expected to view when
the train finally pulled into Nicholson.
THE DAMAGE DONE.
You wouldn't go three blocks to see
it II the fire was right here at home
One house worth $500 was burned and
another worth a couple of hundred dol
lars more was half burned. The total
loss, including furniture, was 81 500.
The fire was held in check by the
bucket brigade and the well-directed
energy of the Tiffany boys. OF the
Nicholson Examiner, whose office just
across the road from the scene of the
fire rejoices in a garden hose and a
head of water, supplied from the rail-
road tank. The controlling and eXtin-
gushing of the blaze was accomplish
ed by the Hallstead Hose company,
No l. which arrived OH the scene on
n special train one hour after the bur-
CESS telegram was received.
The activities of the Hallstead COM
pany proved the unnecessity of a fire
department in Nicholson. or, in fact
any other place within easy reach Of
Halstead.
The buildings were not more than
80 4i-lOO consumed before the tiremens
special was in the switch extending