Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-01-15
Occupant Of One
Us Under Bail
( On Charge.
ACCUSED OF THE ACT.
FiremerA Had Hard Time Fighting
the Blaze.-NO Hydrant Within
Reach Used the Pond.

uOaot OSSu ttIO VIM
Fire, which started in mysterious
manner, destroyed two cottages in
Pacific avenue, at the western end of
Hall avenue, early yesterday morn
ing. Frederick Christensen, who oc-
cupied part of the first house and in
whose apartments the fire was discov-
cred, has been arrested charged with
setting fire to the building. The COM
plant is made by Mrs. Yusko, who
occupied the lower floor of the build
ing. He was released by Recorder
Pickersgill under $500 bail until an
investigation can be made. The fire
men arrived at the fire in short
time, but could do little good because
of the lack of water.
About 1870 O'Clock Saturday night
Andrew Yusko Of Forestdale Heights
discovered the blaze, but it was not
until LOS O'Clock that the alarm was
turned in by John Peterson, of 113
Woodbridge road who noticed a
bright glare in the sky.
Second Alarm Sounded.
The firemen responded at once but
they had hardly left the headquarters
when a second alarm came in. Pro
lection Hook and Ladder Company
was the first to reach the scene They
We're followed by the Lincoln's hose
wagon and the Eagles.
When the firemen reached the last
side street. they found that they
would have to cross a large tract of
land to get to the blaze and it was
only after the hardest kind of work
that the companies reached the burn
ing building.
A high wind was blowing at the
time and rain and sleet was coming
down fast. The firemen hunted for
a fire hydrant, but no one seemed to
know where plug was located. In
the meantime the steamer had ar
rived and was sent to Krogh's ice
pond some distance away. All of the
hose, said to be / 400 feet, was cou-
pied to the steamer and with les
pounds pressure she started to work.
Steamer Gave Out.
The steamer had been working on
ly a short time when she gave out
and it was necessary to drop fire for
fear of doing her damage.
In the meantime some one had dis
covered q hydrant at Hall avenue and
Woodbridge road and with the hose
attached the boys managed to get
stream of water about four feet high.
When the firemen first arrived if
they could have managed to get wa
ter the second building could have
been saved, but with the high wind
blowing, by the time the fire plug
was discovered and the poor pressure
at the heights, the second cottage
had caught on fire and half hour af-
terwards was burned to the ground
BY hard work and much danger the
tiromcn managed to save third
house which was about twenty-five
feet away.
Third Housc in Danger.
The third house was at one time
covered with big fire brands sent that
way by the wind, and it was a great
danger for the firemen to get on the
roof and try to put them out with the
poor pressure of water that they had,
but they did it.
The building in which the fire start
ed was owned by Andrew Yusko and
he occupied the lower floor, while
Christensen lived upstairs. The sec
ond building was owned and occu-
pied by Albert Nelson.
After the flremen had left, Mrs.
Yusko hade complaint to the police
charging Christiansen with setting
the first house on fire and at 4.30
O'Clock Patrolman Neis Tonnesen
placed him under arrest. He was
taken to police headquarters where
he was released under bail and held
for a hearing yesterday morning
The Hearing Last Night.
In the morning the hearing was
postponed until last night. 1t was
then learned that Christensen had
been to q party and had some little
trouble with his brother and had left
the place feeling rather sore. He
went home and shortly afterward
went out again. He had been gone
only a short time when the blaze
arted. Mrs. Yusko could not swear
pat he had set the building on fire.
hristiansen admitted that he had
bme home and then went out again.
~ Recorder Pickersgill said that the
question was, did Christensen set
the building on fire on purpose or
was it an accident? He said that he
felt he would have to hold Christian