Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-05-26
$1,000 BLAZE
/. YESTERDAY At
BARBER WORKS
Asphalt Block Plant is Par
italy Destroyed by Fire
OF Unknown Origin,
CITY DEPARTMENT DOES
EFFICIENT WORK

Starting from defective insulation
OF from the Ignition of matches In
clothing hung in the motor room,
the large block plant at the Barber
works was partially destroyed late
yesterday afternoon, the machinery
and the structure itself being dam
aged to the extent of about $1,000.
Owing to the long distance which
the local fire companies had to tra-
verse to reach the scene of the
blaze, the flames gained rapid head
way, despite the fact that two
streams from the plant and the
same number from the plant of the
American Smelling and Refining
Company were played on the burn
ing structure But for the timely
appearance of the locaI fire depart-
ment, the flames would have possibly
spread to adjoining buildings, and
in all probability would have dam
aged a number of freight cars sta
toned on track few feet away.
When it was seen that the blaze waa
gaining headway, two furnaces used
In the manufacture of the blocks.
were drawn and their fires extin-
guished
For fully half hour before the
arrival of the fire apparatus em-
ployes of the company battled with
the hames In vain effort to quench
them. The blaze was discovered at
about $3.50 o'clock, and fifteen min
utes later some one at the factory
telephoned to Chief Burke at police
headquarters. The police immedi-
ately sounded box "a on the trans
mltter.
Eight or nine streams, all told. in
terrupted the progress of the blaze
after the local men arrived. salt
water from the Staten Island Sound
was Tor the most part used, the hy.
Grants at the plant being connected
with the sound. The greater part Of
an nour was consumed In fighting
the fire, the combined efforts of the
city firemen and the employees Of the
company accomplishing the desired
end about $50 o'clock.
Just how the blaze started will be
Investigated by Superintendent Fow-
Ter and Chief Engineer Henderson
some time today. 1t is claimed by
employees of the block plant that
sparks from defective Insulation get
nre to a small room in which was
contained a forty-five horsepower
motor used for driving a stone eleva-
tor. Still others aver that matches
In clothing hung in the room be-
came ignited and that the flames
spread to the walls of the room.
About b:45 o'clock a foreigner
employed in the block plant, noticed
smoke issuing from the room, and
upon investigation discovered the
source. Buckets of water were hur.
riedly secured, but they were of lit
Tie avail, and an alarm for the COM
pany's fire apparatus was turned in.
Within few minutes after the
warning, three streams leading from
plugs inside the factory limits and
two from hydrants in the A. S. and
X. plant were being played on the
increasing flames. The water seemed
to have little effect on the blaze.
however, for 1t spread from the mo-
tor room up the shaft Of the eleva-
tor to the roof OF the building.
where a maze of machinery prevent
ed the streams from reaching the
burning wood. When the local men
arrived, several additional streams
were Immediately brought into ac-
ton.
Fortunately the major portion Of
the building was composed of tin
and stone. All of the woodwork
within the plant, however, was a wet
and charred mass when the water
was finally turned off, and parts OF
the machinery presented a twisted
and damaged appearance.
About IL O'clock last night, four
hours after the blaze was thought
to have been extinguished, flames
were again discovered high up under
the rafters Discovered In time,
few pals of water quickly elimin.
ated any further chance OF a recur-
renee of the first FIRE.
While practically every part OF
the building was affected either bv
fire or water, all of the employees are
working today. Only a few are ex-
ecuting their regular duties. The
are making what tempo
rary repairs they can to have the
machinery in working order 1t wifi
take month before the
block department is again running
normally.
The damage is covered by insur-
ance.