The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1912-02-09
Disastrous Fire That ENDANGERED
New Hope.
Four Hours Fight With Flames
With Thermometer Below
Zero.

| LGIO.
Fire which originated either from q
defective fiue or an overheated stove
in the cooking department of William
Majors restaurant, in the Stintsman
Building, New Hope. early Monday
morning threatened the destruction
of that borough.
Discovered shortly after 3 o'clock.
the fire was not under control until
four hours later when it had caused
loss of about $4,000 aud had en-
dangered many lives.
Members of the fire departments of
New Hope and Lambertville which
responded to the alarm worked under
great difficulties, with the thermom-
eter registering degrees above zero.
Because of the inadequate water sup
ply, due to the fact that the water has
been left out of the canal, it was nee
essary to pump supply through i 200
feet of hose from the Holcomb Mill
pond. Many times the water froze in
the hose and caused the line to burst.
The Major restaurant was destroyed.
the store of j. Conrad Fell was con-
sumed and the third and fourth floors
OF the Delaware Hotel were Quilted
The fire threatened other buildings in
the borough and at one time it was
thought practically the whole town
would be reduced to ashes.
Samuel Stintsman, aged 16 years,
son of Thomas IStintsmap, owner of
the Stintsman Building, was over
come by the smoke while at work in
a hall of the burning building and
fell To the bottom of pair of steps.
Firemen picked him up and carried
him to place of safety and medical
aid given by DIR. J. L. Scott, of New
Hope.
Mrs. Paul Albrecht, wife Of the pro-
prietor of the Delaware House, who
was i'll in bed, was taken to the resi-
dence of Isaac Scarborough.
Miss Major was awakened by the
smoke. She aroused her father and
mother and the three, unable to leave
the building from seoond-story win
dow because of the Roadway the
flames had made, sought the third
floor as place of safety.
From the third floor the Majors
leaped for their lives. Glad only in
their night clothing, the leap WAS
made and after landing safely on the
roof of the porch they found that they
were still in danger and the second
Jump had to be taken.
Landing in the snow, the Majors
gave an alarm and neighbors were
soon aroused.
Alarms were sounded and the Eagle
Fire Company, of New Hope, quickly
responded. Realizing that the fire
was of greater proportions than that
company was able to handle, call
was made on our city.
The Union, Hibernia and Columbia
Fire Companies and the Chemical and
Fleetwing Hook and Ladder Compan-
les responded to the call for help, BY
the time they reached the scene the
flames had communicated to the store
property belonging to Charles Rob
erts. In this building j. Conrad Fell
| conducted general store which was
stocked completely. The second
floor was an rnoccupied flat, while on
| A., al
! hold goods of Alfred Hambleton.
The building was destroyed, as were
all of its contents. IL was impossible
to save anything from either the store
or single article of the Hambleton
furniture.
Just as soon as the Lambertville
| fire companies arrived they found
| themselves confronted with the same
obstacle with which the New Hope
Company had been contending-a
lack of water. The fact that the
water had been let ont of the canal
made it impossible to get a supply
from that source, and the Delaware
River offered but poor accommoda-
tons.
1t was decided that the only place
from which supply could be secured
was the Holcomb Mill dam, and from
there lines of hose were run.
The Holcomb dam is a considerable
distance from the place where the fire
was raging, and the lines of hose were
l 900 feet in length. After the hose
had been strung another difficulty
confronted the fire fighters. This
was the continual freezing OF the
water and the bursting of the lines.
When the line of hose was being
run, sparks from the Fell grocery
} showered upon the shingle roof of the
rear portion of the Delaware House
A strong northwest wind famed the
flames and carried the sparks il
showers to the hotel across Main
street.
While the fremen were busily en-.
gagged plying streams of water on the
Fell grocery building it was discover
ed that the sparks had ignited the
roof of the hotel. Despite the fact
the firemen ran several lines OF hose
to that building aud began playing
on the flames. the fire gained rapid
Roadway, with the result that the two
top floors were destroyed. The en-
tire building was watersoaked. Paul
Albrecht, owner, is the heaviest loser.
The hotel was damaged to the extent
OF rs, 900. The Stinstsman loss will
reach $1,000 and Majors loss will
reach 300. The household goods
OF Alfred Hambleton, burned in the
Fell grocery we're valued at $1,000,
while the grocery property was valued
at 81, 500, and Fell stock and fixtures
at $1,000. Some of the losses are
partly covered by insurance.
At a congregational meeting of the