Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1909-02-01
SCHOOL FIRE
WAS STARTED
BY THIEVES

1ultfcb DTOhe luJO SC1OUl NO. y
at Johnstone and Barclay streets
Saturday night and, after ransaclz
ing desks, set fire to the building
and made their escape. The blazs
was soon discovered and an alarm
sent in from box SO, at Amboy ave
nue. and Washington street, b,
Charles Jorgensen.
The firemen quickly responded
and by hard work managed to save
the building. The blaze started
shortly after $40 o'clock In the
principals room on the second flool
and ate its way to room No. 18 OF
the floor above. Everything in the
principals room, including the Ii
brary and supplies, were consumed
and room 10 was practically gutted
although some of the desks can pos
sibly be used again.
Although the flames had consider
able headway when the firemen ar
rived. they worked hard and, aftel
two hours labor had succeeded II
extinguishing every spark. The fire
extinguishers in the buildings were
pressed into service and aided ma
terially in checking the flames
Dense smoke suffocated some of tht
firem en-, but they stuck to their tasl
and, according to a careful estimate
the damage will not exceed $4,000.
Patrolman Hartung and Walter G
Martin. janitor Of the school. wen
through the rooms to investigate thu
fire and found that someone hat
ransacked the teachers desks ant
thrown the contents on the floor
The door on the northeast side o
the building was found open, whicl
WAS proof that someone had been IL
the school, as Mr.. Martin declared
he had locked all the entrances be
fore leaving the building Saturday
Pieces of candles were found In tn
rooms. which showed that tn,
thieves did not work in the dark
Why the intruders should have Sc
fire to the school is mystery, un
less It was because they we're dis
appointed at not finding much none.
in the desks they ransacked. 1t Il
also possible that sparks dropped b.
them accidentally set fire to SOM
papers.
Teachers Room Damaged.
The teachers room was also dam
aged as was the ceiling on the sec
ond floor. The fire got under tn
metal work and the firemen had t.
cut through from the third floor ant
rip most of it down in order to pu
1t out. One of the rooms on tn
third floor was also damaged slight
" by water. On account of the cor
rugated iron ceiling in the court o
first floor, the fire In the principal
room could not burn through, ant
went up instead of down. Water
however, flooded the court.
Saturday night was the first FIR
that Garfield Hose Company attend
ed and they were the first on tn
scene, but Lincoln Engine Compan,
beat them in getting the first strean
on the blaze.
School No. has its main en-
trance on Johnstone street and tn
principals room, where the mr.
started, was on the west side of tn
building, south of the entrance Th
first floor is a court and on the sec
ond and third floors are thirteel
classrooms. The school is only fe'
years old and If consumed woul'
have caused a loss OF many thou
sands of dollars.
City Officials View Ruins.
Mayor Bollschweiler, Alderman
at-Large voorhees, and some mem
bers of the Board of Education, ant
Architect ]. X. Jensen visited th'
school yesterday afternoon and es
timated the damage at not NOR
than $4,000. Vice President Larson
of the Board of Education, was a
the school early yesterday morning
and spent most of the day there.
Patrolman Weitzen and Janito
Martin remained on guard In th'
school until late yesterday morning
The latter collapsed later on accoun
of the strain and Substitute Janito
Truman Canoe was put on In hi
place. Mr.. Canoe boarded up tn
broken windows and did what repai
work he could during the day.
Mr.. Larson says that he does no
believe that the thieves set fire t.
the building purposely, but that !
was probably accidental. In battling
with the flames several firemen wer'
slightly injured, among them beinl
Stacey Coutts, of Protection Hook 1
Ladder Company, who had his hant
cut by glass.
At first 1t was believed that thu
building could not be used today
but, by making temporary repairs. l
was made possible and every room
but No. 13 and the principals room
is in service today. Superintendent
Shull said this morning that, begin
ming tomorrow, Miss Agnes Hardi
mans class, who used room 13, ans
Miss Sue Franke's class twill hay'
halliday sessions Both are secont
grade classes and the former will b.
taught In Miss Franke's room from
s a. m. until noon. and the latte
class from 1876 D. m. until Alb
Each will teach her own class. To
day the eighth grade at the schoo
frouffuuoH On napa Al