The Lambertville record., 1921-02-25
FIRE DESTROYS
RAPHAEL PROPERTY

LAMBERTVILLE-Fire completely
destroyed the Peoples Bakery at 33
Church street and did extensive dam
age to the home of Lewis A. Mitchell
at 81 Church street early Sunday
morning.
The fire, which started in the rear
of the oven in the bakery, was dis
covered about o'clock in the morn
ing, and a few minutes afterward
flames were shooting through the roof
and endangering surrounding proper
ties.
Mrs. Kwiatkofsky, wife Of Benja-
min Kwiatkofsky, who conducted the
bakery, together with their son, were
gotten from the building with diff
Guilty, they sleeping in the fiat adjoin-
ing the bakery. Mr.. Kwiatkofsky
was in New York City, having been
absent several days.
About $400 is believed to have been
destroyed in the fire, Mrs. Wwiat-
kofsky stating that that sum had been
left in the store at the front of the
bakery, and this was practically
gutted by the fire, so that a complete
search later in the day failed to re-
veal any trace of the money.
The Union, Fleetwing, Hibernia and
Columbia Fire Companies, of this city,
and the Eagle Company, of New
Hope, responded to the alarm. Lack
of water badly handicapped the fire.
men, it being impossible for all the
companies to draw supply from the
city mains, and the canal feeder has
been emptied for repairs.
While the heavy snowfall deadened
sounds and prevented a large number
of firemen from hearing the alarms
and responding there was no wind
and the temperature mild, so that
there was little trouble from that
score. Otherwise several adjoining
buildings would likely have burned,
and possibly the entire block of houses
on BlackWelfs Court nearby.
The last of the fire was finally ex-
tinguished about o'clock.
The bakery property is owned by
Elias Raphael, and is part of large
the first floor and flats upstairs. The
bakery part at No. 81 is total wreck,
even the brick walls having fallen in
at the rear, while the remainder of the
building is badly soaked with water
and damaged some by fire on the sec
ond and third floors. The house occu-
pied by Lewis Mitchell is one of the
Henry Treftz properties, and the dam
age by fire is largely on the third
floor and in the rear, but the whole
building is water-soaked. Some Of the
household goods were destroyed and
much Of them damaged. The total
loss will amount to several thousand
dollars, partially covered by insurance.
An incident of the fire was the
escape from death Of a score of hens
located in a chicken house at the rear
of the bakery. 1t is a small building
and within a few feet Of the burned
building The flames appear to have
passed entirely over it and the "bid-
dies" appeared none the worse for
their narrow escape.
1t is safe to say that but for the
efficient work of the volunteer firemen
there would have been a disastrous
fire. Several members Of Fleet Wing
Company were enjoying social game
Of pinocle in the building when the
fire broke out. But the fire had such
headway that it looked bad.
1t was plainly demonstrated at this
fire that there should be rules provid
ing that ropes be stretched around
fire areas in the future to prevent
the fremen being hampered in their
work. Only members Of the fire COM
panies should be allowed within fire
lines except those who may be called
in by the chief. 1t became necessary
at one time during the fire to call for
volunteers to guard the doors of the
property where curious people per-
sisted in entering even before the fire
was finally out.