Perth Amboy evening news., 1913-01-28
SEVERAL FIREMEN
OVERCOME AT BLAZE
Continued from page ID

Chemical Company and the Liberty
H and l.. Company were called out
separately.
The fire in the cellar which ig-
nited a tank of five gallons OF gaso-
lene, which supplied the light of the
store, rapidly spread to the packed
stock In the basement, and the first
floor vas SO quickly filled with
smoke that Barney Streif, one OF
the partners In the store, left an ex-
pensive overcoat, Dana Miller a
handsome suit and many Of the wo-
men clerks wearing apparel of diff
ferent varieties, sc quickly did they
have to make their exit Some OF
the garments were recovered badly
damaged by smoke and water. One
girl lost a much valued pocketbook,
which was found and returned by
First Assistant Chief O'Hara.
The fire, which was practically
confined to the cellar and first floor
fed on the large stock of goods In
boxes and bins in the place 1t orig
mated, and was SO located that the
firemen were unable to get at the
flames for a long time, and they
ia6Cu OltCd " thoi GA
hour. The Lincoln Engine Com
pany played their first stream In ut
the back door of the store only to
find they were above the flames.
The smoke vas 30 dense on the
first floor that they could not enter
to find a way for their stream to
reach the basement. A hose was IN
serted through the cellar opening
In the front of the store, but al the
iremen could only enter a short
distance because OF the strangling
smoke, and as the fire was in the
rear of the building the stream ac-
complished little. Reaching the
flames was found impossible. SO
streams of water were shot into the
building from every floor to soak
them In preventing the spreading OF
the fire to the other floors. Not I'M
til the cave in of part Of the first
floor. eaten by the flames beneath
more than IN hour after the fire
originated, did the firemen get a
stream to play directly upon the
blaze. During all that time the
blaze was entirely concealed In its
work Of destroying the goods in the
cellar. After the cave in OF the
soaked first floor giving the streams
al opportunity to reach the blaze,
the fire was soon under control.
This was about S o'clock.
The new aerial truck and Hart noz-
zle of Protection company was sue
cessfully manipulated for the first
time in %spouting water through the
third floor windows. Under the di-
rection of Captain Joseph Hornsby,
Jay E. FRANKIE and Stacy Coutts with
assistance got the high ladder In
wrenched his left ankle when he
stepped in a hole near the building
and walked lame for ONE time.
]. P. Goldsmith was in New Bruins
wick at the time of the fire, and his
wife was at the store at 327 State
street, when she received d telephone
message from ner servant girl that
the building, on the second floor Of
they had apartments, was on
fire. Mrs. Goldsmith Immediately
thought Of her little baby boy lying
asleep in it's cradle and hurried to
the room. In the binding smoke
she rescued her son and got the do
nestle to follow her out of the house.
On reaching the pavement Mrs.
Goldsmith was 30 overcome by the
smoke that a fireman took the child
and carried him to the store for her.
The interior of their kitchen was
burned the flames having come from
the cellar to that floor through a
dumb-waiter. The furniture of their
n ~ ~ ~ nrf u,o { ru,,Nod FNr yENn hyyf
Mr.. Goldsmith estimates the damage
from water and smoke and fire to be
about $500. New furniture and
bed clothes had been recently Install
ed In the rooms. The fremen kept
the flames confined to the Kitchen on
the second floor, SO that the third
floor where j. A. Christopulos keeps
a boarding place, was unreached by
the fire.
Christopulos, prop ietor Of the
Boston Confectionery in Smith street
board eight young men, who are en-
ployed by him. All their personal
effects were in the fated building
except the clothes they wore. All
their apparel vas either ruined or
damaged by the smoke and water.
They carried no insurance.
John Zaimes, one of the ~boarders,
started to go to the top floor to
rescue some of his effects, when he
was overcome by the dense smoke
and had to be helped from the build
ing by a p~atrolman.
John H. loft and Son, who have a
grocery on the south side Of the
building were we'll insured and did
not make any effort to remove their
stock. The Boston Confectionery on
the other side continued to do bust
ness during the fire.
A number of cash registers were
rescued from the debris Of the build
ing, but still there are three contain
ing about $76 which this morning
had not been found.
So much water was poured on the
building that the celler vas a veri-
table river, filed with about five feet
of water before the fire had been
quenched.
Chief Frank C. Comings reached
the scene about 4 o'clock, and I'm
mediately took personal charge OF
the situation. Mayor Garretson and
Fire Commissioners Wilson and Kut-
cher were on the scene.
Arthur DeMurray, proprietor Of a
lunch wagon in New Brunswick We
nue., les the flames, served coffee
free to the firemen.