Perth Amboy evening news., 1915-06-21

Flames Destroy Store Of H.
Wolff & Co. Caused by
Defective Wiring, Report.
FIREMEN ARE HANDICAPPED
Request Supt. Grieve to Give
Them More Water Pres
sure but He is Un-
able to Help.

SVeotub 70 fHe q HSlNU ~ WS.
/ South Amboy, June 21:-One of
the most disastrous fires in the his
tory Of South Amboy destroyed the
store of H. Wolff Z Company yester-
day morning. the total loss being
roughly estimated at $4,000. The
fire, which started In the rear of the
large store, is supposed to have been
caused by defective Insulation of
electric wires
The fire companies Of the city re-
sponded to two alarms turned in
from box As at the corner of Angus
ia street and Feltus street. The
Protection Engine Company which
has it's headquarters directly oppo-
site the store, was the first at the
scene and coon had stream play
ing upon the burning building. The
Enterprise Hook and Ladder Com
pany and the Independence Hose
Company also arrived and began to
fight the fire before crowd of sew
eral thousand spectators, who had
assembled shortly after the alarm
had been turned in.
The fire laddies struggled hero
Ficaily under the handicap Of low
water pressure, being scarcely able
to throw a stream upon the burning
building superintendent Grieve, OF
the Perth Amboy Water Department,
was requested to give more pressure
but was apparently unable to give
any relief. In short time the Pro-
lection engine was working with suf-
ficient pressure and it looked as il
T. -, Iar-
troll. In this they were disappointed
for as the breeze famed the fire It
resumed new energy and soon the
Whole Interior of the upper stories
was seething mass OF flames, which
in a short time communicated with
the woodwork of the roof, causing it
to collapse. The floors of the upper
stories held remarkably we'll under
the strain of their load of hot ashes,
,, and had it not been for the superior
construction of their supports, some
of the fremen who yentured inside
the burning building, would prob
ably have received fatal injuries. :.
The blaze was not one to be easily
subdued and several firemen were
nearly overcome by the smoke and
heat, it being necessary to relieve
them as they fought the flames for
several hours. Nicholas Howley, OF
the Enterprise company, was slight
ly singed by the flames and several
other firemen received minor burns
and cuts. Many of the volunteers
responded to the call as they were on
their way to or from church, their
suits being ruined by the water and
fire.
The fire was discovered by the
young son of Donald Reed, the su-
perintendent of the Eastern Coal
Dock Company, in this city. The
alarm was later turned in and had
the water pressure been right the
blaze would undoubtedly have been
easily controlled. AS 1t was the two
upper stories were gutted and the
building is roofess. All the mer-
chandise on the first floor was ruined
by water and the entire building may
be called a total loss.
The stock of this store, the largest
merchandise establishment In the
city, consisted of groceries, liquors,
furniture, dry goods, clothing and
other articles. Henry Wolff, the
head of the concern, is one OF the
eity's wealthiest and best known
merchants. He has been established
here for nearly fifty years and he is
now affiliated In business with his
son-in-law, Charles Safran, who is
president of the South Amboy Board
of Trade and also one of this city's
most prominent business men.
This morning Mr.. Safran, the
manager of the establishment. or
dered all employees of the firm to re-
port for work and force of carpen-
ters were placed at work making
the Delaney building, directly across
the street, ready for occupancy.
Large motor trucks have been ar
riving all day with merchandise, and
an entire new stock has been ordered
and is being dispatched to the new
store with all possible speed.
The fire is said to be the worst
that has taken place in this city
since the burning of the Howell
block on Broadway over twenty-five
wears ago. The Wolff building. be-
ing OF brick structure and slate roof
ing. made 1t difficult for the firemen
to fight the blaze in the interior.