Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-01-07
Firemen Near Death as
Wall Falls at Big
Blaze.
FLAMES WIPE OUT FEED
PLANT in NESBITT STREET
Dense Clouds of Smoke Fill
Streets. Block Traffic and
StifIe Crowds.

In the fastest and smokiest
fire the fremen have had to
fight in many a day, the 2]ss-
story frame building of the A.
Cyphers Company, 60 to II
Nesbitt street, with its tons of
hay, feed, oats and grain, was
laid fiat as pancake in less
than two hours today, entailing
a loss which. is estimated at
$500
battalion CHIEF Moore wns
slightly hurt when ono of the uail-
fell.
During the progress of the fire four
firemen were trapped by falling wal,
and We're yanked out of danger before
they received severe injuries, A thiclc
pail of smoke hung over the city and
in streets within quarter of mils
OF the fire breathing was difficult
The fire started shortly after noon.
when most of the men employed in the
building were out to dinner. IL is not
known how it started, but the accept
ed theory Is spontaneous combustion.
by the time the firemen got to the
place the building was blazing fiercely
and the smoke was binding. II was
at once apparent that the fire was -
bad one and second and a third
alarm We're sent in. The building IS
on hill which leads to the Laclsa-
wanna railroad tracks.
The firemen fought the fire from all
sides, but were severely hampered bs
the elevation on which the building
stood They had to lay their ladders
on the embankment leading from the
Lackawanna tracks and they slipped
and fell on the icy covering. one Of
the first acts of the flremen was 10 re-
lease twenty horses aud get out
OF the way several wagons of the com
pany. Fourteen horses and four wagons
were in the southern part of the build ;
ing, and they We're got out of the way
In good time. Thirteen other horses
We're in the stable of Frederick I'll
Price. a coal dealer which adioined
| the west wall of the doomed building.
II was at once apparent to the fire.
men that they could not save the build
ling or its contents, although they
fought hard. The flames rapidly licked
up the hay, grain and other material.
! The building was an egg-like structure
and offered no resistance.
Captain Gilbert Stimis, Lieutenant
Andrew Stiff and Firemen Bennett and
Carter of Engine Company No. 8, were
hghting the fire from the north side
OF the building, which faced the Lack
awanna tracks, when the north wall
which had been gradually bulging. due
TO the heated bags of oats within, fell
VII crash, and the men were caught
beneath the falling wall and flaming
i bags of oats. Other members of the
company made q concerted rush and
pulled the men out. Their escape from
death was almost miraculous All or
them were sent home, suffering siightiy
from shock.
4 The cries of the fire. fighters were
punctuated by the crash of Calling
walls, and finally but one wall-tlat on
the Nesbitt street side--was left stand :
ing. The firemen got their grapplers
on this wall and pulled it down.
Grain chutes which ran through the
building afforded a great chance for
the flames to spread. A lack Of water
pressure also retarded the firemen.
Thousands watched the firemen's vain
battle with the flames. Henry
Schweerdt, saloon-keeper, of Orange
and Clifton avenues, supplied the tire-
men with coffee
Frank B. Cyphers, who is president OF
) the company. was not prepared TO esti-
mate his loss today. The firm was
carrying the largest stock in its his
tory, four carloads of hay being re-
ceived today. The hay was being Ibid
in because of its low price.