Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-02-26
FLAMES SWEEP
BIG BUILDING;
LOSSES $4,000
Electric Plant Fire Throws Fifty
Girls Out of Employ
ment.

Fifty girls we're thrown out of en-
ployment and there was a loss of more
than $4,000 last night when flames
swept the greater part of the Ave story
brick building at 81 Hamilton street,
used by the Standard Electric Com
pany. Although the flames had a fine
swing before the iremen got there the
TACT that a third alarm brought a host
Of f1remen, who could fight the blaze
from all sides, confined it In small
space. At first it looked as If several
factory buildings adjoining would go.
Bernard w. Cummings, the watch
man, was in the boiler room in the
basement shortly before IL o'clock,
when he heard the cracking of fiames,
and going to the first floor was driven
back by a big tongue of fire. He then
ran TO box 81 and gave the alarm and
called his father, Patrick, who is an
engineer in q rear building.
When the fremen arrived the build
ing was ablaae from top 10 bottom, ex-
eelsior which is used in packing Jew
eiry, furnishing a fine morsel for the
hungry flames. A second alarm was
turned in by Battalion Chief Towey,
and when Battalion Chief Morgan |
thought the fire might spread to ad-
joining buildings he sent In a third. |
Then the combined forces quickly
drowned it out. There were fifteen
lines Of hose playing on the blaze. The
flremen had the FIRE beaten inside of
an hour.
Every nrm in the building suffered
loss by fire and water. 1t Is one of the
largest manufacturing buildings in the
city and WAS occupied almost exclus-
tveiy by jeweiry and novelty makers.
Today they were unable to accurately
compute their respective losses, but
said that they would be heavy.
The basement and first three floors
OF the front of the building were oc-
cupied by the Standard Company,
which lie the heaviest loser. Other con
Germs We're y. Freund. Egler Company.
Wiedergreen & Clemens, r.. II. Juenge,
Steeber-Graus Company, ! e, Gar
rigus g. Co, Otto Fessler Il Go, Lee,
Dodd & Co. and the Young Manufac-
turing Company.
The buildings IN both sides. at IS
and SO, were also damaged. The build
ing at Sc is occupied by the VILLA
p. Mes Company. horse collar manu-
facturers, and the Strattop Manufac-
turing Company. The plant of Okum
Brothers. manufacturers OF wood trunk
handles and novelties. at ee. was dam
aged by water. This fire threatened ths
big plant of M. Gould's Son Il Co, 81
and So Hamilton street,
Maurice H.. Welsh, superintendent OF
the electric company. said today tina
he was the last to leave the building
and that When lie left he turned off
electric light switch which supplies
and nnWaf. TJa QaxrS the Fno 10 - I
mystery. Charles c, Curry, the pres
Of the company. was on HIS way I
to his home IN East Orange at l o'clock |
this morning when he saw the glare In
the sky. He said he thought 1t was
the flaming arcs and did not know OF
the fire until this morning. (
The Salvage Corps thinks the fire {
started IN the elevator shaft or I'm a 9
which leads from an alley. 4
The ownership OF the building was to
Monday. Former County Audi a
TOR Patrick J. MeGuinness, who Is 10 d
be the new owner. said today that tho 8
fire would not alter his plans to take +
/
One of the horses of Engine Com I
No. 6, responding to the alarm, n
In front of the Court House G
after the reins had snapped, and Police
Commissioner John Bladder was one of Y
hose who assisted in getting the horse n
N It's feet. There was only a slight Z
delay. A tire on the Salvage Corps t
burst in Market street, near c
7alsey, but was quickly replaced. The G
aud members Of the firm are Il
nystifed as TO how il started and say a
here wasn't anything in the building II
hat could nave caused a blaze. Il