Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1911-08-31
BLAZE
At OLD BRIDGE
Store of Slower & Stonaker
and Residence of G. C.
ChittiCk Swept Away.
CALL UPON OTHER TOWNS
Fire of Incendi3ry Origin 1t
Being the Second Attempt
of This Kind.
Special to the EVENING NEWS.

= Z y
Old Bridge, Aug. 31:-Two homes
and a general store we're burned to
the ground here at 2:30 O'Clock this
morning, when an incendiary blaze
started in the store of Slower & Ston-
aker and swept away the building
and the beautiful residence Of
George c. Chittick, only few feet
away. The fire departments Of Old
Bridge, Spotswood and South River
fought gallantly in the pouring rain
and checked the confagraion in time
to save the home of Albert W. Ap-
pleby, member Of the firm Of APP
pleby & Sons, owners Of the other
local general store. The flames did
S14, 900 damage, mostly covered by
insurance.
On Sunday, August 6, the store
OF Slower & Stonaker was saved from
fire started by unknown persons. The
fire last night was started in the
same manner-kerosene and kindlfng
wood and enveloped the building in
a mass of flames before discovered.
Mr.. and Mrs. Henry c. Beebe, who
reside over the store, escaped BY an
outdoor stairway in their night
clothes. They had personal prop
I u
Set Fire TO Chittick House
Before the fire could be checked,
the flames had Ignited the home Of
Mr.. Chittick. The building was de-
strOyed, entailing a loss of S2,500,
covered by $4,000 insurance. Fur
niture worth only $3.50 was destroy
ed, as a large portion of the con-
tents of the house had been moved
fnT hn ~ in L.
This loss is covered by insurance,
also.
The entire contents of the home of
Mr.. Appleby had been moved out in
to the rain and will be greatly dam
aged. At one time, it was thought
the house would be added to the con
fagration, but the fremen worked
braveIN and succeeded in saving the
dwelling with only loss of $500.
1t is covered by insurance. This
home was the last in the row on the
west side of the burned store, and
/ would have prevented further de-
structiOn on that side.
I Postofice Threatened.
4 Postmaster and Mrs. Herbert Al
pleEy live on the east side of the
store building, only twenty feet ave.
/ while less than that distance on the
I +eesrsst5 es4asr-sst --=.cn, their home is tbA- fz4OI
Bridge Postofhce II esa "a aa7sss5l 81
ings were saved owing to the east
storm. Across the narrow roadway
is the handsome home of Ellis w
Appleby and the store of Appleby and
Sons. Both buildings were undam-
aged.
No one has the least suspicion
as TO who started the fire. The inte-
rior of the store was soaked with
kerosene, it is said, and could even
be smelled above the dense smoke
from the cooked canned -oods.
The firm had the contents of the
store insured to the full value, s6,-
500. The loss on August was
about $4,000 and had not been ad-
iusted. No business had been trans
acted in the store since that time.
Mrs. Jennie Brown, OF this place,
owned the store building, valued at
s3,50Q.f She had insurance on the
property to the extent of $4,000 The
building was one of the oldest in
the town and had been a general
store for many years. It occupied
a central location and the town looks
lonesome without the structure
Cali Upon Other Towns.
The Old Bridge Volunteers were
first on the scene and Immediately
summoned the chemical departm ent
from South River and the Spotswood
volunteers. The fire burned until
o'clock and attracted hundreds from
miles around. 1t was the biggest
and most disastrous blaze Old Bridge
ever experienced.
1t was the intention of Mr.. and
Mrs. Beebe, who owned and conduct
the local confectionery store, to moEs-
into new house as soon as possi-
They remained over the Inflated
store owing to their inability to Sc
cure other quarters. George Slower,
one of the members of the firm, in
tended to take up his residence over
the store upon Mr.. Beebe's removal,
it is said. He is married and has
little boy Stanley Stonaker, the
other member of the firm, is in Cal
ifornia with an incurable disease and
expects to come back TO Old Bridge
for his last days, within short time.