The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-10-18
MANY FAMILIES
MADE HOMELESS
BY A $4,000. FIRE
Water Used in Extinguishing
Flames Renders Two Houses
Unfit for Use.

Twenty-eight families were made
temporarily homeless today by. a fire
in the two three-story frame houses at
81 and 64 Belmont avenue. The fire
damage win amount to about $4,000,
but the water thrown on the flames.
which started beneath the roof. rem
dered the houses temporarily unfit for
use.
The buildings are situated directly
opposite the Belmont Avenue School.
and several Of the pupils attending 1t
live in the houses which were burned.
A panic among the scholars was avert
ed by the quick action of Principal
Charles II. Gleason.
The fire started in the top floor Of
No. SO in clothes closet of the apart
ments occupied by Felix Danielsowsky
The cause is not known, but by the time
the alarm was turned in the old dry
frame work had caught and the flames
were eating their way under the caves
and soon spread to the adjoining roof.
Smoke poured out of the windows of
both houses into the upper windows of
the school
Instantly the children, partly through
fear and partly through curiosity. be-
came restless. Those who lived in the
burning building demanded to go home.
The teachers tried to quiet them, but
with scant success. and Mr.. Gleason
took hold of the situation. He has
taken great pains instructing children
in the fire drills and the necessity of
obedience in time of danger. Instead
Of dismissing the pupils or allowing
ia,, 70, in ctr hn
dered them to pass by rooms to the
front windows, where each division was
allowed to watch the fire for a few
minutes and then return to it's seats.
In that way all were convinced there
was no danger, and returned to their
studies long before the fire was out.
Only women and children were in the
house when the fire started They at
first refused to leave their homes,
choosing TO risk their lives In the fire
rather than abandon their goods. When
police from the Fourth Precinct arrived,
however, they cleared the house of the
tenants and gave the f1remen free room
in which to work.
The fire by that time had spread from
No 62 to the building next door, and
the flremen We're kept busy choppng
holes in the roof to get the water on
the blaze. AS result the water de-
scended upon the rooms below. carrying
down the ceilings and wreckng the
furniture.
The greatest individual loss was sus-
tanned by the Danielsowsky family
Mrs. Danielsowsky told the police that
she had $500 concealed under her mat
tress. The firemen made repeated eff
forts to get it, but 1t could not be found
The flames were seen first by Adolph
Lawrente. who also lives on the top
floor. Mrs Danielsowsky was out mar
keting at the time. Lawrente saw the
smoke issuing from the room. and,
breaking down the door, attempted to
eXtinguish the fire in the clothes
closet without help. An alarm was sent
in in the meantime.
| While searching the house for forgot
| ten property. Plainclothesman Sebold,
Of the Fourth Precinct, found 5000 worth
| of jewelry. Among the articles were a
gold necklace. several rings and dia-
mond pin.
| Annie Burkowski, a sister of Mrs
Danielsowsky. with whom she lives
| also lost $19, which, she said, was on
| the mantel when the fire broke out
The Danielsowskey's fire insurance pol
ICY which, with the $500, was under the
mattress. was found and saved by Cap
tain Harry Martin, OF the Salvage
| Corps. He could not find the money,
! however.
Four canary birds were suffocated in
| the smoke. Several more were rescued
! by Detective Sergeans Koeber and
Templeton.
| The Belmont avenue and Kinney
| street cars were held up for half an
hour, until the hose, which was stretched
across the tracks could be brldged.