The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-06-14
Nanufactory Of Charles E.
Gross & Co. at Bay and
Provost Streets Entirely
Destroyed
LOSS FOOTS up $4,000
FIRRMEN BY HEROIC EFFORTS
/; CONFINED THE BLAZE TO THE
{ FACTORY AND SAVED ADJOIN-
. ING TENEMENTs


a fire that broke out at nine o'clock
this morning in the candle manufactur-
ing plant of Charles E. Gross & Co., at
Bay, Provost and First streets, COM
pletely destroyed the plant. The loss on
stock, fixtures and machinery foot up
pver 100000 and on the building nearly
$4,000. 1t was one of the hottest fires
tie fremen have ever had to deal with
in the history Of the city. Shortly after
it broke out it looked as though nothing
could possibly save the entire block on
which it is located. 1t occupied one
third of the block. 1t Immediately adj
poins a number of fran frame buildings
and stretching away from these are a
number of ram-shackle one-story frame
structures that reach four-story brick
tenement houses fronting on Bay and
Henderson streets.
within the four walls of the plans now
in ruins is a tribute to their splendid
work. but it is also lesson as to the
issuing Of permits to erect frame build
ings within fire lines. After seeing the
great blaze sweeping high into the sky
no one of the thousands who focked 10
the scene ima gined for a moment that
the whole block was not doomed Not
only this. but many feared that Jersey
City was to be the next to suffer a great
conha agration. Fortunately there was no
wind Besides the flames that shot up
from the roof, every window of the vast
establishment belched forth dense vol
umes of smoke through which even the
protruding flames found it difficult to
make their way. From spectacular
point the fire was a great one. Through
the windows of the brick walls. some Of
them oval in shape, after the smoke dis
appeared, one could see numerous great
vats filed with tallow, paradne and other
materials used in the manufacture Of
candles. the woodwork dazzling with the
eating flames and the contents sending
them skyward. The flames were so hot
that the police had but little difficulty in
keeping back the crowds to a safe dis
tance. The faces of the fremen We're
scorched.
Two hundred employees, including
thirty-6ve women, were at work in the
building when the fire broke out. Every
one of them succeeded in reaching the
streets safely. but all of them are thrown
out of employment. 1t is not known ex-
actly how the fire originated. 1t broke
out in the work room at the First and
Provost streets corners and with remark
able rapidity reached the big store room
at the Bay and Provost street corner,
where were stored thousands of boxes
of candles ready for shipment. 1t is un-
derstood that the loss is pretty well COW
cred by machinery.
Immediately adjoining the burned
plant is that of the Pierce-Well Engi-
neering and Supply Company. of which
Charles D. Pierce is manager and owner.
T k,rtld b,xff In frnr kic
sheathed in iron. The plant contains
much valuable machinery used in the
preparation for the boring Of artesian
wells. With the flames licking the open
windows from the burning building this
plant was saved and prevented the
spread of the flames in the direction of
the tenement houses on Bay street, and
directly west of the plant is low two
story double frame house. one of which
is the Office Of the Jersey City Pipe Yard.
The yard is in the rear of it. Superin-
tendent James Carroll and Storekeeper
John Kenny lost no time in getting out
the Office records and the force of hands
removed much valuable property from
the yard. The Office building connected
Immediately with a four-story double
brick fat, the occupants of which. be-
lieving the block would have to go, COM
menced moving out their household eff
fects. The scene was one Of almost in
describable confusion.
1t was three-alarm fire, the six en-
gine companies down town and three
trucks were reinforced on the third
alarm by Nos. and 8 Engines from the
Hill and No. 10 Engine from Lafayette,
making altogether twelve fire companies
with apparatus at work in an effort to
eonfne tho flames to the candle factory
plant. The 6remen were hampered some
what BY the low pressure of water.
! nhA scene Of the fire is in the heart