Perth Amboy evening news., 1913-03-18
MANY IN PERIL
AT FIRE TO-DAY
Two Families ard Eleven
Roomers Rescued by Fire
men Early This Morning
MANHATTAN CAFE BURNS
Origin of Blaze Which Gut
ted Saloon at 19 FaYstts
Street is Unknown.

While two families and eleven
roomers slept on the two floors over
The Manhattan cafe at 19 Fayette
street, the interior Of the first floor
containing the bar room, was being
destroyed by fire about 100 this
morning. Many of the roomers on the
third and fourth floors continued to
sleep until the arrival of the firemen.
Ladders were used to vacate the
house of people, who escaped in their
night clothes. while the fire cut OF
one of the avenues Of escape. The
total damage will approximate $2,-
500. The origin of the fire Is un.
known, although 1t is believed to
have been started from a stove in
.the rear of the cafe, which was burn
ing when the saloon was closed for
the Eight. Frank Breitfeller and
Jack Hacker conducted the saloon.
but the license is held by william
Wheeler, who is now trying to have
it transferred to Breitfeller. The
house was insured and belongs to
Judge John w. Beekman.
About $3.50 o'clock last night
William Kenna. watchman at the
Patrick White machine shops dIscoy-
cred the fire in the lower floor OF
the frame building. and telephonAd
to the police station. Before the
alarm could be turned In from that
place. Patrolman Steed. who had also
seen the fire turned In the alarm
from box 72, at Smith and Front
streets. John Hacker, who slept on
the second floor, says he WAS awak.
ened by fhe noisn NJ the H-a down
stairs. He smelled the smoke aris-
Ing from the first floor and imme-
diately got out Of bed and awoke his
wife and three children, whom he
lead out back door, which leads
to the ground from the outside.
They had no time to get their clothes
and in only their night apparel they
faced the cold morning air. He took
his family to ne1ghbor's and start
ed back to arouse other occupants
of the house, who were still Sleep
Ing.
Ia the meantime the Washington
Hose and Chemical Company, fol-
lowed by the Lincoln Eneine and the
Protection Hook and Ladder Compa-
niesi arrived on the scene. Lad
ders were erected to the second and
third floor windows and the occu-
ppnts of the house In their night
clothes scaled down them to safety
Several of she ! oarders tried to es-
cape from the house through the
stairway leading to the bar room,
but found that exit cut of by flames
and got out doors by breaking and
climbing through door window at
the bottom OF the stairs which leads
outside. Several cut their hands In
getting through the improvised out
let. They did not stop to open the
door because It was double locked.
While the hook and ladder COM
pany were rescuing the occupants of
the house the Lincolns and Washing
tons had two hoses trained on the
flames, which when thev arrived had
eaten their way from the rear room
and were cutting the saloon. It did
not take long to get the flames un-
der control. but not before the whole
inside OF the building on the first
floor had been charred by the
flames, and the fixtures of the saloon
had been wrecked. Many bottles OF
whiskey and beer were broken. A
barrel Of whiskey became uncorked
and the fire water" flowed along
the floor to the street like little
rivulet.
Insurance amounting to $1,000
was carried on the stock, good part
Of which was wasted and destroyed
during the fire. The fixtures were
insured by Rubsam and Horrmann,
who hold mortgage on same.
William Petty. before the extent
of the fire could be ascertained was
asked to go to the third floor and
rescre $12O in bills. The fireman
quickly scaled the ladder, and turn
ed the money safely over to the
boarder.
Frank Breitfeller. one of the pro-
prfetors was the last man to be
awakened nv the firemen. having
slept through the first part of the
excitement.