New-York tribune., 1913-07-20
.F|REMEN ENVELOPED IN
BOILING TAR SHOWER
Dozen Men Burned When Vat
ExpIodes During Blaze
at Kearny, N. }.
HAT FACTORY DESTROYED
Aid from Newark Helps IN saw
ing Endangered Houses
Plant Wiped Out Twice
Within Year.

hedrnI, y, j. July IA uo"'" -
men we're enveloped in shower OF
boiling tar when vat exploded durins
a fire that destroyed the plant or the
Kcarny Hat Works, in Sheridan ave-
nue. late this afternoon. The men were
burned about the faces and hands. Inc
vat exploded with enough force to plo"
ont n large section OF one of the walls
of the building.
The fire. which broke out shortly be-
fore 6 o'clock. completely destroyed the
factory, a three story frame structure
and had the Kearny fire fighting appa-
ratus not been augmented by six New
ark fire companies the blaze might nave
spread 20 a row OF tenement houses
adjoining the hat works.
Besides the firemen hurt by the boil
ing tar injuries which will cause them
to be laid UP some time were sustaiheu
Inv Daniel Desmond and John Durkih'
~ Hose Company ., and Edmund Bell
of Company T. Kearny.
Durkin was inside the burning ouilo-
ing. cropping his way across the moor
when he tripped on wire and tell' ne
reached out an arm 10 support himseh
and plunged it to the shoulder III d
vat Of boiling tar. In an EFFORT 10 re-
leye his pain some Of the tar was
scraped away. bringing with it the SKIN
from his arm and a part Of the hesh'
Fallen debris caused the injuries 10
Bell and Desmond. the latter having
finger cut from his rish, hand when ne
sought TO ward off sheet OF nylnS
glass Bell In an effort 10 remove
pile Of timber. part OF which was
ablaze. ran nail into the palm OF MS
right hand The spike tore deep INTO
the flesh and severed an artery.
Within the last year the factory OF
the Kearny Hat Works, in Newark
WAS destroyed by fire at loss OF SSo'-
600. and recently its business has oeen
carried on at Kearny while the Newark
plant was being rebuilt There were
almost a hundred workmen in the
building preparing to quit work at .
o'clock when the fire was discovered
this afternoon Defective insulation OF
electric wires. II is thought, started the
blaze. which spread rapidly throughout
the wooden structure.
Charles Greenfield. chief Of the
Kcarny Fire Department who re-
sponded at the first alarm, realized that
the extreme inhammability Of the fac
tory building and the close proximity
Of row of ten three family houses
made the situation dangerous. lie or
dcred a general alarm summonihs all
Kcarnv's available fire companies
Then aid was asked from Newark
Six companies from that city re-
sponded. and by their efforts the tehe-
mcnt houses were saved. although the
extreme heat drove the tenants TO the
streets cracked the glass In the win
dovs facing the burning factory ana
blistercd the paint on the walls ne
home Of James Brecn. three storS
frame structure next 10 the hat WORKS
tool, fire and the interior was burned.
Patrolman Magee was assisting IN
keeping tho crowd back when a chemi-
cal nrc extinguisher exploded and he"
toward his head. He lodged In time
although the metal container when
flew with the force Of prefecture
knocked the hat from his head.
Another odd feature Of the hre was
white rooster. which was seen
perched on corner Of the burning
factory when the blaze was at us
hoight. While the flames played about
il and scorched its wings 1t cro"ed re-
peatedly. and finally when the oIaze
was checked 1t flew into a tree when
fireman climbed TO the corner OF the
roof To seize it. From the tree the plro
made its way to the ground and disap-
peared.
The damage done to the hat factory
the Brcen residence and the three-
family dwellings is estimated at more
than $4,000.