Bridgeton pioneer., 1903-10-01
FIRE DEALS ITS WORST
BLOW TO BRIDGETON

blow to Bridgeton S industriallife. fell
sunday night. Game suddenly at the
close of peaceful. restful Sabbath.
and in an hour Bridgeton's most i'm
portant manufacturing enterprise was
horrible, twisted mass of hopeless
| ruin.
The Ferracute, the hope of South
jersey. the one great plant to which
everyone pointed with pardonable
pride, the splendid concern that sent
Brldgeton's name and fame, with
Its model. high class. finished ma
chlnery. to all parts of the word, is
gone-completely wiped out.
The industrial achievement which
had been accomplished by determined
effort, in the face of many discourage
ments. overcoming what seemed al
most unsurmountable obstacles, after
shlrty-five years of hardest work. was
wiped out by fire in an hours time.
1t was sad blow for Bridgeton, and
scarce one in the thousands of onlook-
ers, quickly gathered, but was filled
with greatest sadness as they watched
the awful flames sweep with mighty
roar through the frame structure.
Scarce any of the employees Of the
company but were upon the soere and
with hearts heavy saw their employ
ment swept from them.
1t was fearful fire. None has
ever been witnessed here like it. It
was just twenty minutes of six when
the alarm was sounded from box No.
46, the alarm station at the water
works. In just six minutes the fire.
men were upon the scene. the chemi-
cal engine heavily loaded with hose
being followed Immediately by the old
reliable Silsby engine.
Chief Kinkle found fearful work cut
out for himself and men. The flames
had started almost in the centre of
the plant, probably in the boiler room,
which. was located along the east
shores of East Lake. The strong
wind which had sprung up with the
rapidly approaching storm but short
time before, swept across the wide
expanse of water and famed the
flame in fearful fury. The great
building, all frame, the interior being
saturated with the oil accumulated
for many years, fed the flames like
powder. and within fifteen minutes
the fire was sweeping through the en-
tire plant. The best efforts of the
firemen were but puny indeed. With
the lines of hose placed at advantage.
with powerful streams of water di-
rected upon the flames, the fire seemed
to mock the department. and spread on
apparently without hindrance. In
credibly short was the time when the
fire broke through roof and front of
the buildings. and the wicked flames
leaped far out in the street licking
the great trees whitening the leaves
and firing them.
The firemen on the Commerce street
front of the building we're driven back
from the roadway, back across the
open lot east of the pumping station
of the water works. so far back that
the water from the nozzle would not
touch the flames.
The heat was intense. Across the
street at the pumping station, the
glass in the windows were SO hot they
could not be touched from the inside.
Water Superintendent Woodruff at
tached small hose to plug and
played upon the framework of the
brick building. and despite the fact
that the frame was drenohed the paint
blistered and the wood scorched.
The firemen made another effort to
fight the flames in front of the doomed
structure. They advanced foot by
foot in spite of the intense heat, but
some of them could not stand the
fearful punishment and were driven
back. Others took their places and
kept the stream directed upon the
flames. Their faces burned and their
clothing steamed. Then a stream
from small hose at the pumping sta
tion was directed upon the men and
by keeping the brave fellows drenched
they were enabled to advance nearer
and still nearer the flames, and did es-
pecially good work in driving the
fire from about the vaults in the
Offices in which were secured the val
liable drawings and papers of the
concern.
The lines of hose that were run
along Commerce street could only be
saved from burning, by turning the
water upon 1t from time to time.
Trolley and electric poles out in the
street in front Of the plant were fred
and there was grave danger that the
electric light wires would fall in.the
street, and hurried orders were tele-
phoned to the electric power plant to