The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-09-07
FLAMES BAFFLE
THE FIREMEN
Blaze in a Morris Street Rook-
cry Gives Them a Hard
Battle tuesday Night.
FREDERICK c0BBETT INJURED


I Fire damaged three frame BUILDINGS
on Morris street owned by William
Enslee Tuesday evening and one fire.
man, Frederick B. Cobbett, OF Resp
lutte Hook and Ladder company. was
SO badly hurt that he was taken 10
Memorial hospital. Cobbett fell down
a stone stairway from the sidewalk To
Che cellar of one Of the buildings ana
struck his head against stone ana
was badly bruised. He also suffered from
smoke and exhaustion. He was car
ried to the hospital and it was some
time before he regained consciousness.
He is doing well and his injuries did
not prove serious.
Fred Day, Of Independent Hose
company. burned his right hand while
! working at the fire.
The fire was discovered in the cellar
of No. 49 Morris street Just after eight
O'Clock. officer William Burney tels-
phoned for the auto chemical and the
red wagon. When the red wagon ar
rived it was seen that the IRE was be-
yond the chemical stage and Driver
Ridge hustled back to the truck house
after the hook and ladder.
The chemical engine made a plucky
attack upon the blaze but were driven
back. Officer Burney hurried to che
Lackawanna depot and turned in an
alarm from the fire alarm box there
Just as an alarm was being turned 10
from the box at police Headquarters
In consequence the fire bell sounded
jumble of numbers, but the indicators
In the fire houses showed the proper
box number and the tiremen had no
difficulty in locating the blaze.
The flames crept up through the
building from the cellar and soon
spread to the buildings on either side.
The firemen battled for two hours be-
fore the blaze was e1tingpished. The
auto chemical went back to the fire al
one o'clock in the morning to put oup
a blaze that had been famed to life
by breeze.
The three buildings we're badly
damaged by fire and water, The
stores on che tiEst saIoas sIoass =qAsss qsAss u!
by Antonio Patagonia, shoemaker, in
the cellar of whose shop the fire was
started and who was burned out Z.
g. Brown, notions, stock damaged By
smoke and water Nicholas Margiotta,
burned out; and S. MatrOw. grocer
damaged by smoke and water. The
loss on the buildings Is estimated to
be $4,000 and it is said they were In.
sured for Sl,70O. The stbrekeepers
were all insured.
| Over the stores were apaftments o.
cupied by colored families. James Burti
and viii White, whose furniture was
burned; /; and James Scott. Mrs. Peter
son and A. White, whose household
goods were practically all rescued from
the flames. The coIored people aides
by firemen did some effective salvage
work, a continuous stream OF furni-
ture and bedding issuing from the
burning and endangered buildings IN.
Til everything movable was taken out
One woman put her baby to bed and
then with her other children went. TO
the band concert. A fireman entered
her room and was about to throw the
bundle Of bed clothes out Of a window
| when he discovered the babywhich he
tenderly carried to safety. Il
| Chief Day was in charge Of the fire
in the absence of CHIEF Runyon ami
| aided by Chief Mack ably directed the
efforts OF the firemen. On several Oc-
casions it seemed as il the flames
Il would destroy the three buildings FOR
I they were old and very combustible,
| but each time blaze would break ouD
it would be speedily extingnished by a
stream of water. ssq
! Though driven out OF the cellar bTg
| the flames at the start Of the fire the
! men IL: charge of the auto chemical
i did effective work with the chemical
i streams, using nine tanks before their
evening's work was over.
Il The origin of the fire Is shrouded ID
mystery but there are suspicious cir
cumstances that point toward incen-
/ diaries. 1t is said that the odor Of
burning oil was noticed at the begin
ming of the fire and other circunn-
stances have been cited that have led
the police to make an investigation.
| About year ago Oftlcers Youngs
and Wildey found a fire blazing in the
same cellar about midnight and after
| lighting it yainly were compelled TO
send in general alarm. At that time
the blaze was soon extinguished when
plenty Of water was available and tile
loss to the building was slight.
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