Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-02-16
H. W. JOhnS-ManyilIe
Co.'s Cork Factory
Is Destroyed.
FIREMEN IN PERIL WHEN
HEAT MAKES BOILER BURST
Engine Breaks Down on Way to
Blaze That Causes Probable
$4,000 Loss. p

frames swept the I-snapeu plant OF
the H.. w. Johns ManvilIe Company
cork manufacturers, at the foot of EN-
met street, early today. destroying
completely the buildings and their con-
tents The flames also licked up five
new freight cars of the Passaic and
Waverly branch of the Pennsylvania
railroad. which were on siding. The
night force of twenty-five in the fac
tory had to flee for their lives, so sud-
den was the sweep of the flames. The
fire department estimates the loss at
$4,000 The superintendent of the fac
tory says $4,000 is conservative
figure.
Due to the location of the cork works
the greater part of the buildings are
on the meadows-the firemen could
fight the flames from but one side. This
handicapped them so, together with the
fact that it took a long time for the
apparatus to get there, that it was i'm
possible to save anything. On the way
to the fire Engine No. s plunged in a
ditch and the pole of the engine was
broken. The horses and crew of the
engine had to grope their way to the
fire, due to the intense darkness-there
are no street lamps-and the ground
was marshy and soggy, making the go
ing the worst the department has had
to face in some time.
The plant is one OF three frame
buildings, u centre building of two and
one-half stories, with corrugated roof,
and shooting off north and south are
two long, narrow buildings each of two
stories On the west side is the boiler
room, in which were two massive boil
ers
Workmen Discover Blaxe.
In the centre building was the ship
ping and finished products depart
ments In the low long building to the
north were the oven sheds and the
saving department, and in the building
to the south were three ovens, where
the corks were heated.
Joseph Regle, of "a Avenue c, was
in the factory at 2:30 o'clock this morn
ing talking to Robert G. Bellar, the
foreman, when they saw tongue of
flame leap from the central building.
The men ran through the plant giving
the alarm and organized fire-fighting
force II took them some time to con-
meet their hose, and when 1t became
apparent that they could not handle
the fire Bellar telephoned an alarm.
Captain Charles Macknet, who took
charge of the fire, at once sent two
special calls, which brought engines
1 and s. The firemen at once saw that
they had hopeless fight. When the
belated engines got there the entire
plant was a roaring furnace. The
corks burned freely and emitted a
sitting smoke which hung like cloud
over the meadows
Some of the engine companies were
cropping about looking for the fire when
the sky was illumined by a great burst
of light. One of the boilers had ex-
ploded. and this great flash of light act
| ed as a beacon to the firemen.
| The flames leaped across to the
| switch of the railroad company. A
switch engine was too late to get five
| freight cars on a siding ouf of dan
ger. The flames consumed them In
very few minutes.
Iron Girders warped.
So hot was the fire that the massive
iron girders which ran through the
| were bSiib etiiNA tNfS~ON- sN>f---
hairpins. The firemen dumped tons OF
water on the blaze. Ordinarily a ire
of this kind would result in a second
and possibly a third alarm. but when
it was seen that it could be fought from
but one side and that the entire plant
was already doomed and there was
nothing else to burn, no additional
alarm was rung.
There were 100 men employed in the
plant and this was the busy season
The firm has occupied it's present Local
ton since last April. The central
building formerly housed Heislers
White Lead Works. The other build
ings were put up recently. While the
building loss is comparatively light the
greatest loss is to stock. The men who
were at work in the building last night
had to get out in such a hurry that
they left behind every article of wear
ing apparel
General Superintendent f. L. LELAND
said today that he estimated the loss
at $4,000 He said that he could not
account for the cause of the fire. It IS
believed that some Of the corl1s blazed
up in the heat process in the ovens.
The ruins were smoldering at late
hour today and two engines were still
at work.