The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-09-27
WIND SAVES BIG
PAPER BOX PLANT,
MENACEO BY FIRE
Flames Discovered in Wayerly
Company's Factory for Second
Time in Two Years.
DAMAGE TO MILL is
ESTIMATED AT $500
Blaze Spreads to Empty Freight
Cars and Three Are
Destroyed.

A stiff breeze blowing from the north
saved the big plant of the Waverly
Paper Box Board Company, In Meadow
road, just east of the Pennsylvania
tracks today from complete destruction
by fire for the second time in less than
two years.
At 1920 o'clock this morning an en-
ployee of the Weston Electric Instru-
ment Company glanced out of a win
dow and saw smoke that was almost
Immediately followed by flames. rising
from the big storage shed, which Is at
the extreme south end of the plant.
The shed Is open on the sides, hav-
ing only roof to keep dry the raw
material, consisting of big bundles of
paper and rags. The open sides gave
the wind a clean sweep and even before
the alarm had reached headquarters
the entire shed, about 200 feet square,
and with an annex so by 100 feet, was
in flames. while dense pail of smoke
from the closely packed waste paper
and rags fell over Waverly Park.
In response to the alarm three engine
companies In charge of Battalion Chief
Mathew P. A. McDermitt, responded,
together with hose carts, chemical
pany. The engines were forced to cross
the long viaduct over the Pennsylvania
tracks but made splendid time. They
found when they reached the scene of
| the fire that the water pressure was
entirely insufficient to cope with the
blaze.
| The salvage corps, In charge of Assis-
tant Superintendent George J. Hamber-
/ hoI h,,rr 10 IA
| fire and at once got busy protecting the
| office OF the company. which stood close
to the burning shed and was In danger
| several times. Chief McDermitt saw
at once 1t was no use trying to save
any of the material In the burning
storage shed, and with the aid of what
water pressure he could get. devoted
his time to saving the office building
and preventing the fire from exter1lhg
northward into the paper mill proper
which is filled with costly machinery.
! In this he was successful. and an hour
after the department had reached the
scene, the fire was under control with
loss to the Waverly company OF only
| the raw material In the open storage
sheds and few holes burned through
| the roof of the beater-room. 1t is In
tills room llldt tile raw Ildlciidi 10
started through the different machines
to come cut as perfect box board at
| the other end of the building.
AS soon as the fire was under con-
troll. Jonas B. Boggs. superintendent
of the company, made an inspection OF
the big beater machine. Afterwards be
told his employees to resume work. as
not a piece Of the machinery had been
damaged. The damage to the mill,
which is owned by Matthias Plum. jr.,
| was estimated at $500, practically all
of the loss being on the raw material
stored in the burned shed.
In addition to this loss four rail-
roads suffered damages in burned cars
York. New Haven and Hartford car No.
so. .057. Lehigh Valley car No. S0.256 and
Pennsylvania car No. 5663S were
burned SO. badly that nothing but the
trucks were saved while Central Rail-
road of New Jersey car No. 30.60S was
so badly dana eed that it will require
an entire rebuilding. The loss to the
railroads was a bout $2,500.
| The fire will not cripple the Waverly
&c mpany in the leaet. as there Is plenty
OF reserve raw material stored in the
yard. BY noon the mill was running as
though there had been no trouble.
Fire on June go DESTROYED the napef
box factory OF william T Plum. .
brother. causing loss OF $4,000 The
factory, which was n brick one was H.
Gated at Blanchard street and Morris
canal.