Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-05-16

DOfHt into the city on the SOutneriy
breeze that prevailed for a time at
the beginning of the fire and these
dropped on streets and houses as far
south as Lewis street. The ram
that fell late in the afternoon and
dampened the roofs probably pre-
vented other confiagrations. Streets
and lawns were strewn with the
Gead embers this morning.
The clear night afforded such ex-
ceilent visibility that calls were re-
ceived BY telephone from many sur
rounding municipalities asking the
location of the fire and automobiles
by the hundreds were lined up along
outer State street and on the heights
of Amboy avenue. In Tottenviile
just across the river from the plant,
the glare made it possible for per-
sons watching the fire TO read news
papers.
The first alarm was turned in from
box 5S. near the Lead Works at
1853 O'Clock. by Wtorysturl Anton
cry, of 615 Penn street. who is EN-
ployed at the plant. Shortly after
ward box 55. at Parker street and
Pulaski avenue. was sounded. When
the blaze was discovered the fire de-
partment of the plant was on the
job Immediately, but was unable to
check the fire because of the poor
water pressure in the mains. The
arrival of the city engines soon aft
erward, however made several hign
pressure streams available and the
battle began.
1t was soon evident that the
stack houses were doomed to de-
struction and the firemen then ap-
piled their efforts in saving the ad-
joining buildings of the United
States Cartridge Company, a subsi-
diary concern of the United Lead
Company, aud another building of
the lead works, located Immediate
ly in the rear of the stack houses.
The sides of the cartridge COM
pany's main building and the roof
were drenched with water from sew
eral hoses until the intense heat of
the nearby blaze had abated some
what. II has been salad that had
the wind been blowing in the oppo-
site direction the cartridge plant
would have been destroyed II is of
concrete construction, but the heat
might have caused the infiammable
material inside the building 10 ig-
mite. Thousands of cases of shot
shells are stored in the cartridge
factory,
Because OF the fact that powder
TO load the shells is only brought
In in quantities sufficient to meet
the needs OF the plant from hour TO
hour there was no loose explosive
In the factory, and the contents Of
The small magazine near the burn
!ng stack houses were removed soon
after the fire started. The amount
contained in the magazine IL de-
ciared not 20 have exceeded
Irifie over one hundred pounds OF
black or smokeless powder packed
in tins OF about twenty pounds
each.
The cause Of the FIRE has not been
determined. and because the build
ings were totally destroyed Il ts
probable that no definite origin VIII
be found. Aside from the buildings
themselves there was nothing in
fiammable in the stackhouses- There
was little machinery IN the place
and the supposition IS thar a defect
in the electric wiring may have
started the FIRE. Automatic sprink-
lers were installed in the factory but
the FIRE gained headway so rapidly
that the water discharged By the
sprinklers was Ineffective.
Reports were prevalent during the
course of the fire that the blaze had
started at o'clock. and that plant
employees had been nghting Il for
several hours before turning in the
city alarm. This was fatty denied
this morning by officials OF the CON-
pany who said the flames started be-
tween the rounds OF the watchmar.
II has been established that the
wsSchman made his regular inspec-
ton at 1915 O'Clock. The next in
spection was not due until ..15 ana
the FIRE was discovered a halt hour
before that time.
The stackhouse process includes
storing the lead for three months
packed in tanbark soaked IN acid.
The purpose is TO effect the reaction