Perth Amboy evening news., 1915-02-11
Fire Destroys Part Of Floor Of
the Gymnasium, Causing
Damage Of S154.
FROM 0VERHEATED FLUE
Steel Beams are Being Placed
Instead of Wooden Sup
porters Today-lnsur-
ance Settlement.

The new Y. M. G. A. building In
Jefferson street was threatened by
flames when stubborn, smouldering
FIRE destroyed portion of the beams
under the floor of the gymnasium,
often used as an auditorium, be-
tween 4 and 6 o'clock yesterday af-
ternoon. A large hole was cut In the
dressed maple floor OF the gym" by
the firemen before the flames could
be reached and extinguished. The
damage Is estimated at between $3.50
and $500. The fire originated from
an overheated 1ue extending over
the furnace, which set fire to the
beams of the first floor notwithstand-
ing the fact that they were protected
by an intervening layer of asbestos
covering the fiue and layer of met
al mesh lathing. The damage done
to the gymnasium was in the north
east corner and will not interfere
with the entertainment which will
be held there tonight.
Fire Smouldering Long While.
Firemen declare that the flames
had been smouldering between the
first floor and the ceiling of the base
ment for several hours before they
were discovered, because parts of
two beams were charred through as
If having been eaten away by a slow
fire.
A boys class had just finished
their exercises on the gym" floor
under the direction of Physical d.
rector s. c. Pew, Jr., and were leav-
ins the room about 4 O'clock whey
~ sPew sIr1iiSFe a.ss1sa, - ~ - :
edN L-.<hanate from the basemen,s
He located Engineer Fl. P. Hendrick-
son, WI vent to the furnace room,
but cot, :. find p1 indication there
from whence the smoke came. He
then came up stairs, and with Di-
rector Pew and Assistant Secretary
Theodore Marsh discovered the
smoke issuing at intervals from the
northeast corner of the gymnasium
They tried to extinguish the flames
themsel IS. but soon heard the fire
beneath the flooring eating away the
beams Mr.. Marsh thought that
only chemicals would be necessary to
extinguish the flames and called the
police. Sergeant McDermott notified
the Protection Hook and Ladder
Company. The firemen were caution
ed not to do any more damage than
was absolutely necessary, and at first
were forbidden to chop hole In the
floor They removed the wall appa-
ratus in that section of the gym, :"
which proved a laborious task, in
that 1t was removed without being
damaged. They took up several of
the maple boards and exhausted
their supply of chemicals. The smoke
Increased and the fire then assumed
a dangerous aspect and William Pet
ty, of the company, gave a general
alarm from box 36. at New Bruins
wick avenue and New street, which
brought the Washington and Lincoln
companies. Chemicals from the for
mer company were applied after big
holes had been chopped through the
three thicknesses of the gym" floor,
and finally some water was used. The
f1remen could not locate the burning
beams until several holes were cut in
the floor. 1t was about 6 o'clock be-
fore the fire fighters left the scene.
To avoid the ignition of beams
through the fiue becoming overhead
ed, steel beams are this afternoon
being taken to the building to re-
place the burned wooden supporters.
The metal fiue will also be packed in
concrete, which will prevent 1t from
causing fires in the future, even
though 1t becomes super-heated. A
settlement was made today for the
damage done by the blaze, the dam
age being fixed at 1854 The gym"
floor will be replaced and the whole
repair work completed within a day
or two.