The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-07-16
SUBURBAN PAGE
FIREMEN OVERCOME
SEVERAL EAST ORANGE MEN
NEARLY SUFF0CATED.
Smoke So Dense at Blaze in Flat House
That ELAN, Coen and Others
Were Affected.

Several East Orange iremen were over
come by smoke while battling With 9
blaze that did about 500 damage to
two-family dwelling at 10 Main street
East Orange, last night. Harry ELAN, OF
the Chemical Company, and Samuel Coen,
of Engine Company No. 2, were among
the most seriously affected. ELAN was
taken to the Orange Memorial Hospital
by Fireman John Shannon in Chief Mark
with's rig. and the surgeons worked over
him a long time before he revived. Coen
was taken care of by his companions, and
put to bed. Both were on duty this morn
ing.
The house is constructed of wood. and
is occupied by two families, Richard
Shauger living on the second floor and
John Hanson on the first. The blaze
started in a bedroom on the second floor,
in which was stored bottles filled with
oil. These burst during the fire. and the
burning oil spread all over the room. The
room was also filled with clothing and
rags, which accounted for the large
volume q, smoke.
What caused the fire is something of a
mystery. The french believe that some
one dropped q lighted match in the bed
room or that spontaneous combustion was
the cause. Mrs Shauger heard a noise
similar to cracking flames In the ro0om,
which is situated near the hallway. When
she opered the door a rush of flames
drove ner back. She called to the Hanson
family, and Mr.. Hanson turned in the
alarm from box a at 9:07 o'clock.
Engine Company No. 2 was the first TO
respond, and the men had a line of hose
their headquarters. Many exciting inci-
dents kept the fremen on the jump, and
n large force of policemen. under Chief
James Bell. kept the large crowd which
gathered back. During the progress OF
the flames the oil bottles burst and the
stuff spread all around the second floor.
The smoke was dense and there, was hardly
any egress for 1t, the roof having been
built of shingles covered over with slate.
Firemen ELAN and Louis Samuelson
were working with a chemical line in a
stepped aside a minute and then toppled
over. Fireman John Flynn, driver of the
truck. who was on his vacation, came
through the hall with a lantern and fell
Samuelson, Flynn carried ELAN out in
the air and then hurried him TO the hos
pital.
Coen was working with Fireman John
Grannon on another hose line, and left
to get a lantern. On his way back he
fell unconscious In the hallway on the
first floor. and when found was carried
out In the air. A hospital trip was
thought unnecessary, and Coen was put to
bed In No. rs house.
Chief Markwith saw that the situation
was becoming serious. and he dispatched
a picked crew to chop through the centre
of the gravel roof to secure an outlet for
the dense smoke. The men had a tough
job. as the flames spread to the attic
rooms, and their faces were puffed out
with the heat. Meanwhile other firemcn
were feeling the effect OF the sitting
smoke. Fireman George Mitchell, driver
of No. 2, went up to the second floor on
a ladder and worked in the burning room
with a Babcock. He couldn't~s stand the
smoke long, and was rushed out in the
fresh air to be revived. Firemen Henry
lMenzel and Charles Mckinley. of head
quarters. were the next to give in. and
were hurried downstairs by comrades;
Chief Markwlth then Increased the force
that was attempting to find an outlet for
the smoke, and the men finally got a wide
hole cut in the room. The chief decided
to fight the flames with chemicals, and
the tanks on the engine were recharged.
Shortly after II o'clock the men had the
fire under control. and the men had to
take to the air, owing to their trying ex-
periences.
The Sbauger family practically lost
everything by the fire, the rooms and
furniture being burnt up. Smoke and wa
ter also did a lot of damage to the Han
sons furniture. A section of the house
will also have to be rebuilt. The fire.
men were given considerable credit for
performing meritorious work under such
irving difficulties.