Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-06-24
FIRE CAUSES S 0, 900
OF new JERSEY
Blaze Starts In Boiler Room And
Spreads to Trestle Structure Used
For Drying And Storing.
EFFICIENT WORK BY FIREMEN

The workmen came close to the building
and worked at the risk Of their lives.
Most of them were drenched to the skin.
One of them had his hand burned by
taking hold of hot piece Of material.
Boats Taken to Safety.
While the fire was burning briskly,
and it could be noticed for miles around
tugs were busy in the sound looking af-
ter frame material along shore. The
tug Sprite, Of the Androvette Towing
the canal boat Lilly B, Daley, of South
Amboy, from its moorings at the. Bri-
quetting Company's shipping dock. It
was taken to Halls dock. The canal
boat was loaded with coal dust TO be
unloaded at the Briquetting plant. The
Lehigh Valley tugs Ganoga and Scha-
wanese and Pennsylvania tug piled
up and down the sound seeing that
harbor effects were not In danger.
Chemical Works In Danger
The Roessler g. Hasslacher Chemical
company had streams playing on its
buildings situated three or four hun
dred feet north of the burning struc-
ture. Residents in Fayette street also
protected their property by small
streams from garden hose.
Damage Covered by Insurance.
The only damage incurred was in the
drying and storage departments and in
the boiler room of the briquetting
plant. According to R. T. Heiston, Sec
retary and treasurer of the company,
the damage is about $4,000. That is
well covered by insurance. According
to Mr.. Heiston, who investigated after
wards, the fire started behind one Of two
boilers in the boiler room. 1t Is believ-
ed a partition became overheated and
burned sometime before it was noticed.
There are two Babcock & Wilcox boil
ers in the boiler room. They are each
of 100 horsepower. Connected with these
is 100 horsepower Atlas engine which
draws the various endless scoops about
the plant. East of the boiler room, is
corrugated iron building, in which
| briquettes. a fuel similar to coal, is
made. The fuel is conveyed to the dry
ing tables on the top part Of the build
i ing which was destroyed dried and
/ dropped into the bin below There were
approximately 450 tons of briquettes
in the bin at the time Of the FIRE. This
was valued at about $4,000, but it was
only partially damaged. It was short.
ly before O'Clock last night when the
back taps were sounded
Plant is Shut Down.
The plant is shut down at present and
viii remain SO indefinitely. It was very
unfortunate for the company to have tc
dispense with operations at this time
as they had large order on hand that
would have kept them busy throughout
the entire summer. They also had nu-
merous smaller contracts on hand.
It cannot be stated at this time
whether or not the plant will be re-
built. The company has several plants
throughout the state and owing to the
attempted sale of the Ramsay shipbuild.
ing and wet dock" property, the con-
cern may decide to transfer the business
to one or more Of these plants. The bri.
quoting department and the engine and
boiler rooms are undamaged, with the
exception of some slight damage to the
boiler room. In order to resume op.
erations, new drying table and stor.
age bin viii have to be erected.
Michael Tague, about nine wears
old, was the boy who attempted to
turn in the alarm. When he was
approached by Patrolman Andrew
Jensen he began to cry, fearing ar
rest.