The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-05-23
Fire at Bridgeboro.

Fire of origin so far undetermined
threatened the entire town of Bridgeboro,
completely destroyed hardware store,
harness store, bakery and outbuildings
and reused the entire neighborhood early
yesterday morning. The flames from the
burning structures shot high In the air,
lighting up the sky so that the fire was
plainly visible miles about.
The heroism of men Lying near the
burning buildings saved the entire block
In which the stores stood from being
blown to atoms by kegs of gun powder
stored In the hardware store. Men and
boys rushed through the dense volumes of
smoke and sheets of flames to carry out
the powder and gasoline. A large guam
tity of shells was also carried out
Occupants of nearly every house in the
town fled to the streets in their night
clothes. A bucket brigade was organized,
the men worked frantically to save adioin-
ing homes, while the women worked the
pumps SO that the men could devote all of
their energies to extinguishing the flames.
A hurry call to Burlington when it was
seen that the flames were beyond the con-
troll of the bucket brigade brought out the
chemical engine. The distance between
the two places is five miles over a rough
stone road. By means of relays of horses
at several points along the road the Bur-
l1ngton tremen overcame the handicap
and made good time to the burning build
ings.
The fire blazed for more than an hour
after the engine arrived from Burlington.
The three stores were destroyed, only part
of the walls being left standing. The loss
to the buildings alone is expected to total
close to 5000, exclusive of heavy loss
10 contents.
The burned buildings stand on the main
street of the town, adjoining each other
Isaac Brown is the proprietor of the hard
ware store, Josiah Hackney of the har.
ness store and Charles Ziegler of the
bakery. Brown had two outbuildings.
as also had Ziegler, which were consumed
in the flames. Two horses were burned
to death in stable In the rear of the
bakery. A third horse was saved by
Ziegler. who ran into the burning stable
and blindfolded the animal, leading 1t to
the street.
Bridgeboro Is on the Rancocas Greek.
two and half miles from the Delaware
River. 1t has no train or trolley connec-
tions. The fire was discovered at 8 O clock
by Zeigler, who from his residence adioin-
ing the bakery heard the cracking of
flames. He reused his neighbors, and the
men Immediately started to carry the ex-
plosives from the hardware store. But
little of the stock In the three stores was
saved, with the exception of the explosives.
When the men forming the bucket bril-
gsde realized that the flames in the stores
were beyond their control they formed
lines to the roofs of adjoining residences
and by dint of hard work kept the flames
under control until the engine arrived from
Burlington. The work of the women on
the pumps did much to assist the men in
saving their homes. No one was injured,
although there we're numerous thrilling
risks taken by the amateur fire-ighters.
The town has no fire company of any kind
Before the arrival of the Burlington en-
CINE it was thought that the entire town
would be destroyed.
An investigation is being made into the
origin of the blaze. Many chickens in
the outbuildings of the three stores were
burned, but others escaped when some
one tore off the doors Of the coops. Large
quantities of hay and feed were also de-
stroyed.