Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-06-27
DOES NOT
PREVENT WORK

Employees Of the Blanchard
Brothers & Lane leather factory, Nc
Whorter and Bruen streets, were able
to start to work today, despite the
fact that last night fire did $35, 600
damage to the plant. The fire-a
three-alarm affair-which started in
an unknown manner, was confined
to the wet packing department, which
is on the second floor of the Nc
Whorter street site. The enclosing
department, the boiler rooms end
j%apanning departments, which are
around the burned building and face
on Bruen street, were not touched.
Several theories were advanced as
to how the fire might have started.
but the most plausible Is that it was
due to a cigar or cigarette carlessly
thrown aside. The firm mas e!gns
posted about the building forbldding
smoking, but still, It Is SAID, there APP
pears to be nj other way in which the
fire could have started. The firm to-
day gave great credit to the lremen
for saving the adjoining buildings.
The fire, which was IN the rhree-stcry
brick building, was kept from spread
Ing. and the enormous amount of
smoke was from the wet hides which
were stretched on 1900 wooden
frames.
McWhorter, Hamilton and Bruen
streets, which surround the plant,
were in an incredibly short time
packed solidly with people and auto
mobiles were wedged in the streets
in all directions for several blocks.
L. was with great difficulty that the
fire Engines could find a passage
through the jam.
The flames were discovered by
Michael Thagusak, who was sweep
ing on the second floor on the Nc
Whorter street side. SO dense was
the smoke when he rushed into the
hallway his way to the auxiliary
alarm box was shut off and there
was some delay before the fire de-
partment could be summoned.
Next door, In the clearinghouse
conducted by Mrs. Katherine Dunn,
supper was just being served, and
there was a wild scramble to reach
the street. Responding to the frar-
tic cries of Miss Kate Dunn that her
mother was in the building, Patrol
IIidI1 JdCOD SlCtNtG anu ID DTHIIUl
fought their way through the chok-
ing smoke in search of the woman
and came upon two of the boarders
who were trying to carry a trunk
downstairs, but were nearly over
come. Mrs. Dunn, 1t was found, had
been one of the first to leave the
building.
Moro than 300 skins on the first
floor were saved by John Duff.
Thomas Callahan, Barney Smith and
William Kerry, employees. who re-
side in the neighborhood. Those
which were consumed were the most
valuable. however, as they~were in a
more advanced stage of preparation,
and were estimated to be worth, in
Guiding the racks on which they were
drying, about $40 each.
A dozen engines were working on
the fire after the third alarm and
the high pressure engine was also
used. The flames ate their way up
ward, and 1t was only a short time
before the third floor gave way and
shortly afterYard the root fell in.
The water from the hose flowed from
the building and into the basement
of the structure of the company
across the street, where 1t required
quick work to rescue a large number
Of stored skins.
George Lees, inspector for the Pub
lie Service Company. who was
among the first persons on the scene,
noticed that an electric twire
stretched cross the street to the
burning building and which carried
a heavy voltage. was liable to drop,
into the crowd. He telephoned to the
company and had the current cut off.