Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-09-09
START AT ONCE TO
REBUILD TERRA GOTTA
Continued from page II
ed, pending action Of the Board Of
Aldermen, and taken home.
Factory Men Eighi E.ameS.

FACTORY Men Right tsameS.
The factory employees battled in
vain with the flames, which rapidly
consumed the three one-story frame
buildings. They used the company's
apparatus, which included 200 feet
of new hose, but the pressure re
ceived from hydrants about the
premises allowed the water to run
but slowly from nozzles, rendering
them almost powerless to battle
with the rapidly spreading flames.
When the firemen arrived the fire
had gained considerable Roadway.
1t soon became evident hat more
apparatus and principally more hose
and men were needed so three threes
were sounded on the alarm, calling
out the entire city department. This
alarm brought out additional fire.
men and thousands of residents from
all parts. The spectators covered
almost every point of vantage for
several blocks about the burning
h~ousetops.
All the Hose in Use.
All hose in the city's department
was pressed into service, necessitat-
ing two trips by some of the compa-
MES to CONVEX auxiliary hose to the
fire scene. Half a dozen streams
were played on the fire, but for al
most an hour we're of little avail.
Not one of them reached the top Of
the newest two-story building,
whereby 1t might have been saved.
BY the time the firemen got down to
effective working order the frame
structure at the northerly end of the
plant had been consumed and the
roof of the new building burned
briskly. This caused the illumina-
tton In the sky to become brighter
than at any other time during the
Are. As the ~smolder1ng roof timber
fell through the building the parti-
tions became ignted and the inside
Of the structure was as a roaring
furnace for a time. The first and
second floors were saved from much
damage by fire, but were damaged
by water and many pieces Of terra
Gotta In the course of production
were ruined.
Valuable Plans Saved.
While the flremen and employees
battled with the flames about this
building other employees worked
s~trenuously in saving drawings, val
liable records, books and tools from
the buildings. Most active in this
work were most of the foremen, en-
| gineers and draughtsmen of the
works. Hundreds of plans, in blue
print II tracing form, were poured
as a liquid from second story win
dows of the Office and draughting
building and were carried about
thirty feet west from the burning
row of buildings to the fitting shed.
Books and Instruments were carried
to the same place, many men Drawing
probable suffocation by smoke in
order to save valuable documents.
The rescue party was seen at work
with handkerchiefs about their
mouth and nostrils while the vast
throng of spectators at the westerly
side of the works shuffled about rest
lessly.
Workmen Lose Tools.
Many of the pressers, modelers
and other workmen in the plant
braved the flames in efforts to secure
their tools. Some were successful,
but the greater number were not.
One of the pressers at the fire esti-
mated the average loss to each man
at s25 through the destruction Of
working Implements which the en-
ployes owned.
Soon after all the companies had
arrived on the scene Washington
Hose C Chemical Company was sent
back to its headquarters to guard
the remainder Of the city. Most Of
It's hose was left on the scene and Its
streams were handled by Protection
Hook & Ladder men.
Firemen Cut by Glass.
Many f1remen were more or less
cut and scratched by falling glass,
by nails and the like. Former Fore
man John A. Danner, Of Lincoln En-
CINE Company, M Of the steamer
engineers, fell from the rear Of the
company's steamer at the southerly
end of Cortlandt street and was
painfully Injured about the knee,
back and neck. AS the apparatus
was being driven rapidly to a by
drant he is declared to have stepped
off. He turned a somersault back
ward, striking his knee on the ap-
paratus and landing on his Shout
ders. He sustained a badly wrench
ed knee and several painful bruises.
He has sustained what is commonly
called water On the knee" and may
be laid up for some time. DR.. c. w.
Naulty, Jr., Is in attendance. De-
spite his Injuries he worked with
the other firemen at the blaze.
Chief Engineer Frank Comings
had his face scorched slightly in act
ing in his official capacity. He en-
tered the two-story brick building as
the interior was burning briskly and
gave orders to the respective compa-
MES. M. j. Donovan, a fireman, had
his left ear scratched. George Germs,
an employee of the works, ran a nail
in his hand while hastily gathering
up some of the company's records in
al effort to save them. Other men
received minor scratches and many
were drenched with waiter.
Covered by Insurance.
The damage to buildings and con-
tents owned by the New Jersey Terra
Gotta Company is fully covered by
insurance. 1t is intended to rebuild
at once, perhaps on a more elaborate
scale than the buildings which were
damaged. Pressers, modelers and
mitre cutters will be put at work in
the open, in spare room in buildings
unchanged, SO hat they will not
lose a day, officials declare. Press
ers were located in the three frame
buildings destroyed and in a part Of
the first floor of the new brick struc-
+X,.D AJ,trN 800 - x-