The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-03-10
FAMILIES MADE
HOMELESS
Top Stories of -Four Morris
Street Tenements De-
stroyed by Fire Last
Night
ALARMS ALL AFTERNOON
Examination by Firemen
Failed to Reveal the Cause
Till FLAMES Burst
Forth No Lives
Lost.
ALARMS ALL AFTERNOON

A fire that Quilted the top story of
four four-story frame tenement houses
and routed twenty-eight families, render
ing most of them homeless, broke out
last evening on the top floor of No. 146
Morris street, owned and occupied on
the first floor by John Brinkman as a
blacksmith shop and the three upper
floors by six farailies as living apart
ments The fire extended to the top
floor of No. IA, owned by George Ban
non, of No. 13S Pacific avenue, occupied
by eight families; also to No $50, owned
by P. .Somers, of No. 40 Wayne street.
occupied by six families, and to No. IA.
four-story brick building, owned J.
Max LABEL, Of No. 10 Morris street,
occupied by eight families.
Though there was stampede and
panic of the tenants, who blocked the
narrow Railways IN the efforts to reach
the street, many carrying furniture.
wearing apparel and bed clothing, 40
one was injured, and there We're no
thrilling. reseues, such as one would i'm
agine would be sure to happen IT fire
Of which 50 many people We're victims.
The tenants of Nos 146 and 14S had
been appreheaslve all the afternoon and.
were on the aizrt. Some of tIHm had
even packed some of their belongings.
They had seen smoke in their apal1-
ments and wondered where it came from.
As early as 4 o'clock in the afternoon
pne Of the tenants notified She hremaa
IF No. l Engine House, close by, of this
fact. Lieutenant Muldoon and Firenen
IFlannigan and Post searched the prem
ses, but found no trace Of fire. At
5 O'clock another tenant reported that
his apartments contained smoke, for
which he could not account. Fireman
Flannigan. with the owner of No. 14S,
George Bannon. searched Mr.. Bannon 5
house from cellar to roof. They exam
med every fireplace and stove, but found
40 trace of fire. The adjoining build
ngs were searched, and still there was
30 trace Of fire. Lieutenant AIuldoon
md fireman Post and the janitor Of No.
l46 searched that building in the same
manner. Shortly after O'Clock flames
burst out from the fourth floor of the
building owned by Mr.. Brinkman. The
tenants of that floor started the stampede
N that building. Within few minutes
the flames burst from the partition be
tween Mr. Brinkmans building and
hat Of Mr. Bannon, No 14s. That start
d stampede Of the tenants on the top
door In the general excitement which
followed tie tenants of Nos. IA and $50
IN each side of the two burning build
mgs also stampeded.
An alarm from No. 11S fire box had
--NNH%
seen sent in meanwhile. and the appear
ince and noise of fire apparatus on the
scene alarmed other tenants in the same
block. 1t looked as though the FIRE
would prove disastrous one on account
If 50 many four-story frame structures.
crowded with tenants, being involved. A
second alarm soon followed the first. and
third alarm as quickly followed that.
Ehis brought almost every IRE apparatus
n Jersey City aud several from the Hill.
rhe blaze the rush Of FIRE apparatus
ilso drew many thousand spectators TO
Ae scene.
The big crowd drew chorused sigh
# relief when it was found that the
police and firemen had gotten oil the
rnants Of the burning buildings safely
d the street. The only ladders used
gere those up which fremen carried
ines Of hose. In the rain the great
asowd watched the excitement Of the
eaants n their elT rls to get al their
,lnble household belongings 10 tie
ltreet Those who lived on the top
iooFs Of Nos. lag and 14s were burned
ip and much If the property Of the
.enanis of The first three floors Of the
sane buildings was destroyed BIZ water.