The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-03-15
The Old Mill Burned.

1 \ liz Ol0 Ux1x1 DA4A
The old erist mill on Mill street, belong
J ing to the Mount Holly Water Company
was entirely consumed on Friday night b.
fire of unknown origin. The building
was soon a mass of flames and the entir
town was brilliantly illuminated. Grea
volumes of sparks shooting high into tn
air presented grand display, and thu
leaping flames and burning trees wer
commented on by many people who wer'
looking out of windows.
The alarm was given about IL o'clock
and the glare of the fire spurred the fire
men to quick action, as they saw plenty
of work ahead. In the quickest possibl,
time, with the limited help at hand. thu
engines got into action, but not befor,
the mill was doomed, and attention wal
given to saving adjoining property.
On one side of the raceway members Of
the Good Intent Company, with bis
stream from the new water main, devoted
their attention to the building occupied
by Colkitt & Co. and Charles Challenger
The heat was 80 intense that it required
almost constant stream to save this
building, which was badly damaged In
the rear and on the west side.
Working on the south side of the race
way the Relief Engine Company had Its
hands full in caring for buildings close tc
the mill. The large barn of George d,
Worrell, formerly owned by Robert Myers,
was prevented from taking fire. InI that
locality burning fences and trees were ex.
tinguished, and because of its close prox-
unity to the mill, there was great diff
Guilty in preventing total destruction OF
the new barn owned by Anderson g. Den
mis-, the ice men. Plenty of water from
the engines and metal roof accomplish
ed this, however, although the barn was
badly damaged and on which there was no
insurance.
For while the occasion was marked by
one of the largest fires and smallest
crowds seen in Mount Holly for long
time. The alarm bells only rang for a
short time, and there were many people
who slept in ignorance of what was going
on.
Several blasts of the whistle on the Re-
lief engine was not thoroughly under
stood by the onlookers, but when discov-
cred that 1t was call for assistance from
firemen to look after other fires that had
started elsewhere. the excitement was in
creased. Several women living In that
neighborhood almost became historical,
fearing that their homes would be de-
SeAOJ ~ oA0 0uCI RoOhCA uP N0A0uOAOo w
be ready for hasty exit In case the worst
should happen. Many houses were COW
cred with sparks, and with buckets of
water on hand the occupants kept a close
watch.
The roof on the store occupied by Hen
ry Rosenfeld, on Mill street, was found
burning. Joseph s. Shreve secured a
ladder and with bucket of water soon
settled that trouble.
Harry w. Kempte, chief of the depart
ment, dispatched the chemical engine to
patrol Mill and Church streets. On the
latter sparks set fire to the residences of
George G. Deunis, Benjamin F. Stidfole
and Mrs. Edmunds. There was some
lively work on that street to prevent a Sc
rious confiagration.
Large pieces of burning shingles car
ried by the wind were found along
Washington street.
The iremen played on the ruins for a
long time, some of them not retiring I'M
I'll o'clock. The fire started up again In
the Challenger paint shop. and the watch
ers, who had hose stream ready for i'm
mediate use, forced an entrance and put
out the flames.
1t is thought that the total loss will
reach about $500. The Water Company
had no insurance on the mill. A large
portion of the flour, feed and grain car
lied by Colkitt q Co., was damaged by
smoke and is only fit for hog feed, but the
oss was covered by insurance, which
John r Howell promptly paid. Charles
Challenger reports his loss at about $15.
This building is owned by F. H. Lee, on
which he had 5000 insurance, which will
cover the loss
Had the plug at the Relief engine house
given any kind of stream, Edward Hack
Ind one or two others would have been
lble to put out the fire in its infancy. On
next Chief Kempte will test the
pressure to be obtained from each fire hy-
trant in town, and a report of their con-
iition will be presented to the township
committee.
The mill had not been operated for
ong time. 1t had been the rendezvous
or men who carousei aud drank liquor
here, and TO this cause the fire Is attribut-
I'd. The structure was being dismantled
md the material as needed used in other
building operations Spanning the build
ng were twelve by eighteen inch beams
erty feet long, hand hewn, that were
tut from giant oaks which grew near
Mount Holly in the eighteenth century.
The flames of Friday night wiped from
existence one of the landmarks of the
tate, and around which the oldest inhab-
tants of Mount Holly can connect their |
childhood days.
In 1923 primitive mill was erected on
his site, and during the Revolutionary
var was occupied by British soldiers
1t one time cannon and balls were made
n foundry located on Pine street. One
IT these, which is believed to be of local
make, rested in the ground at one corner of
he building, and steps have been proposed
or its preservation by the township.
In 1898 the mill became fire-swept, but
ome of the lumber that escaped the
lanes was used In the rebuilding by Cox
3 Davidson, so that portions of the mill
destroyed on the night of March IL, 1910,
vas 1877 years old.