The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1908-01-25
Saw Flames Burst From
Roof and Awakened the
Family in Danger.
THREE HOUSES DAMAGED
Summer Avenue Residents Start.
led in Early Morning..Flames
Spread From Building in
Which Fire Started, to
Two Other Houses.

Had 1t not been for the presence of
mind displayed by Mrs. Frank L. Poole
when flames burst through the roof of
a two-story frame residence at Isl
Summer avenue, shortly after 7 o'clocil
this morning. and created excitement
among the neighbors of that select sec
tion, loss of life might have resulted.
Mrs. Poole's home is directly opposite
the building in which the fire was dis
covered and it spread to two others,
enc on each side. The occupants of
the houses did not have time to carry
out any of their personal property
Mrs. Poole knew that the family in one
Of the houses slept late and took pro
cautions to see that they were awaL-
ened.
Mrs. Poole lives at 2S4 Summer ave-
nue., and standing on her stoop this
morning she saw smoke rolling from
the house at PSI, the centre building of
"a group of three. Before Mrs. Poole
had time to give an alarm flames
burst through the slate roof.
The buildings stand apart from the
others on the eastern side of the street
and adioin each other. All are two
story structures. A residence on one
side is occupied by John Terhune
and family; the middle building is oc-
cupled by Mrs. Anna Yohe. who owns
the building as well as the one oc-
cupied by the Terhunes. and the build
ing on the other side is occupied by
j. C. Connolly and his wife,
Mr.. Terhune is employed in New
York, and had left his home for his
orh before the fire was discovered.
Mrs. Yohe conducts a boarding house,
and the boarders had already left for
their employment, leaving the 1andlady
alone.
None of the members OF the Con-
molly family were up when Mrs. Poole
saw the flames, and knowing their dam
ger she ran across the street and
tugged violently at the door-bell and
aroused the occupants. who discovered
their rooms to be filling rapidly with
smoke.
An alarm was sent in from the near
est station. and Engine Companies Nos.
8, 10, and Truck 6, under command OF
Acting Battalion Chief Towey, together
with the Salvage Corps. were soon on
the scene. Captain Towey saw at q
glance that he had a hard task. The
flames seemed to be confined to the roof
OF the middle house, but before the
men had settled down to give battle,
the fire had eaten under the roof to
the rear. and extended to the buildings
on the side.
While the flremen were cutting holes
through the slate roof the Salvage
Corps men We're busy covering the fur
nlture in the three houses, and sue
ceeded in saving a major portion of it
from damage by water,
Mrs. Terhune and her children left
their home when they saw that they
could not do anything, and went to the
home of a relative. Mrs Yohe had to
be assisted from her home in half
hysterical condition, but she hung on
tenaciously to a pet terrier which she
carried in her arms. She was taken 10
the home of friends across the street
Mr. and Mrs Connolly refused To
desert their hoine, and amid all the ex-
element coolly stood on the lower
floor, helping the Salvage Corps men
to cover their furniture with tar
paulins.
After an hours hard fight the fire
men got the upper hand. The interiors
of the three houses were damaged
mostly by water, while the three roofs
were almost entirely destroyed. The
damage to tho buildings will not OK
ceed $1,000, fully covered by insurance