Philadelphia Inquirer, May 14, 1900View transcription
DESTRUCTIVE WORK OF FLAMES IN CAMDEN
WHERE THE FIRE RAGED ALONG TAYLOR AVENUE
Boys Playing With Matches Started a Big Fire
FLAMES' WILD LEAP
Three Blocks Were Burning, When Aid Was Summoned From Philadelphia
4 ENGINES RESPONDED
Quaker City Fire Fighters Mastered the Foe and Were Heartily Cheered
ESTIMATED LOSS $225,000
RUINS OF THE MARKET HOUSE AND OLD POSTOFFICE BUILDING
Children playing with matches started a conflagration along Taylor avenue, and the fire quickly spread to proportions of a conflagration. Sweeping along the north side of Taylor avenue, and jumping across the street, the flames consumed a block of business houses and dwellings on the south side, and then leaped in all directions. The fire burned so fast that the flames on Taylor avenue and on those streets running north, east, and west soon had the rear of the block of business houses and dwellings on the south side. Aid was summoned from Philadelphia when the fire had been burning less than an hour.
As soon as Chief Foster arrived on the scene with his men he telegraphed for assistance from the Philadelphia department. Chief Superintendent of Fire Weckerley at once dispatched three engines, three additional hose carriages, and two hook-and-ladder trucks to fight the Camden blaze.
The fire was brought under control with the help of the Philadelphia firemen when the first-named company arrived. The woman who started the blaze was brought out and pressed into service as a guide, and when the fire was at its fiercest, Policeman Toy caught a man who is said to have taken a pocketbook out of Charles Foulon's residence, at 524 Federal street.
store of George M. Beringer, northeast corner of Fifth and Arch streets, caught fire, but the flames were quickly extinguished.
tinguished. The building is filled with chemicals and valuable drugs.
The residents along Taylor avenue are of the poorer class and they made desperate efforts to save their possessions. Furniture was carried out and piled promiscuously in a heap on Fifth street. Much of it is so badly damaged that it is useless.
Plenty of Water
There was a scarcity of water when all the engines first started to work on the fire, but this was quickly remedied by Chief of the Water Department F. Walter Toms telephoning to the Pavonia Pumping Station and having the five-million gallon emergency pump put to work sucking water from the Delaware River and adding it to the artesian well supply. When the Philadelphia firemen found they had a pressure of from 100 to 139 pounds from a 10-inch main with five other engines taking a supply from the same source they declared they would like to have an equal force at some of the fires in their city.
The flames were gotten under control about 5:45 o'clock and shortly after 7 o'clock, after they had rendered all the service possible, the Philadelphia firemen returned across the river. They were greeted with rousing cheers as they drove back to the ferry. Camden Lodge of Elks, at Broadway and Federal streets, kept open house for the firemen and the restaurants of Edward Foster and S. B. Morris furnished food to the firemen without cost.
THE BURNED DISTRICT IN CAMDEN
Streets shown: Bridge Ave, Broadway, Hudson St, 5th St, Taylor Ave, 4th St, Federal Street, Arch Street
DESTRUCTIVE WORK OF FLAMES
Continued From First Page
THIEVES AT WORK.
Sneak thieves took advantage of the flight of those whose homes were being burned out and began to pillage the houses of valuables under the guise of carrying furniture out to places of safety. Mrs. Robert Wible, of No. 3 South Fifth street, reported to the police that a gold watch and three gold rings were stolen from her house. Several articles of value were carried off from other houses, but the owners could not tell what was missing until they got their goods straighten out from the pile in which they were thrown.
Policeman Toy caught a man who is said to have taken a pocketbook out of Charles Foulon's residence, at 524 Federal street.
He was locked up and gave the name of Harry A. Miller, of 235 Berkley street.
When Chief of Police Foster telephoned to Philadelphia for assistance Superintendent Quirk generously offered to send a squad of policemen across the river to help the Camden blue coats protect property. While appreciating the offer Chief Foster thought the Camden policemen would be able to handle the situation.
After the flames were gotten under control Post 5, G. A. R. Hall, at Fifth street and Taylor avenue, and the old armory building, at West and Bridge avenue, were placed at the disposal of the homeless. Kind neighbors provided temporary quarters for the little ones.
During the services in North Baptist Church last evening a collection was taken for the fire sufferers that netted $110.89. John W. Cheney, C. W. Nichols and F. W. Potter were appointed a committee to distribute the money. Additional subscriptions will be received by the New Jersey Trust and Safe Deposit Company, at Third and Market streets, where Mr. Potter is paying teller.
The fire was so hot that the first line of hose run down Taylor street was burned up before a stream of water could be sent through it.
The boys who started the fire were patrolled by the police in the custody of their parents. Each lad accused the other of applying the match to the string.
Boys Playing With Matches Started a Big Fire
Flames' Wild Leap — Three Blocks Were Burning, When Aid Was Summoned From Philadelphia — 4 Engines Responded — Quaker City Fire Fighters Mastered the Foe and Were Heartily Cheered — Estimated Loss $225,000.
Children playing with matches started a conflagration along Taylor avenue, and the fire quickly spread to proportions of a conflagration. Sweeping along the north side of Taylor avenue, and jumping across the street, the flames consumed a block of business houses and dwellings on the south side, and then leaped in all directions. The fire burned so fast that the flames on Taylor avenue and on those streets running north, east, and west soon had the rear of the block of business houses and dwellings on the south side. Aid was summoned from Philadelphia when the fire had been burning less than an hour.
As soon as Chief Foster arrived on the scene with his men he telegraphed for assistance from the Philadelphia department. Chief Superintendent of Fire Weckerley at once dispatched three engines, three additional hose carriages, and two hook-and-ladder trucks to fight the Camden blaze.
The fire was brought under control with the help of the Philadelphia firemen when the first-named company arrived. The woman who started the blaze was brought out and pressed into service as a guide.
The store of George M. Beringer, northeast corner of Fifth and Arch streets, caught fire, but the flames were quickly extinguished. The building is filled with chemicals and valuable drugs.
The residents along Taylor avenue are of the poorer class and they made desperate efforts to save their possessions. Furniture was carried out and piled promiscuously in a heap on Fifth street. Much of it is so badly damaged that it is useless.
Plenty of Water
There was a scarcity of water when all the engines first started to work on the fire, but this was quickly remedied by Chief of the Water Department F. Walter Toms telephoning to the Pavonia Pumping Station and having the five-million gallon emergency pump put to work sucking water from the Delaware River and adding it to the artesian well supply. When the Philadelphia firemen found they had a pressure of from 100 to 139 pounds from a 10-inch main with five other engines taking a supply from the same source they declared they would like to have an equal force at some of the fires in their city.
The flames were gotten under control about 5:45 o'clock and shortly after 7 o'clock, after they had rendered all the service possible, the Philadelphia firemen returned across the river. They were greeted with rousing cheers as they drove back to the ferry. Camden Lodge of Elks, at Broadway and Federal streets, kept open house for the firemen and the restaurants of Edward Foster and S. B. Morris furnished food to the firemen without cost.
Thieves at Work
Sneak thieves took advantage of the flight of those whose homes were being burned out and began to pillage the houses of valuables under the guise of carrying furniture out to places of safety. Mrs. Robert Wible, of No. 3 South Fifth street, reported to the police that a gold watch and three gold rings were stolen from her house. Several articles of value were carried off from other houses, but the owners could not tell what was missing until they got their goods straighten out from the pile in which they were thrown.
Policeman Toy caught a man who is said to have taken a pocketbook out of Charles Foulon's residence, at 524 Federal street. He was locked up and gave the name of Harry A. Miller, of 235 Berkley street.
When Chief of Police Foster telephoned to Philadelphia for assistance Superintendent Quirk generously offered to send a squad of policemen across the river to help the Camden blue coats protect property. While appreciating the offer Chief Foster thought the Camden policemen would be able to handle the situation.
After the flames were gotten under control Post 5, G. A. R. Hall, at Fifth street and Taylor avenue, and the old armory building, at West and Bridge avenue, were placed at the disposal of the homeless. Kind neighbors provided temporary quarters for the little ones.
During the services in North Baptist Church last evening a collection was taken for the fire sufferers that netted $110.89. John W. Cheney, C. W. Nichols and F. W. Potter were appointed a committee to distribute the money. Additional subscriptions will be received by the New Jersey Trust and Safe Deposit Company, at Third and Market streets, where Mr. Potter is paying teller.
The fire was so hot that the first line of hose run down Taylor street was burned up before a stream of water could be sent through it.
The boys who started the fire were patrolled by the police in the custody of their parents. Each lad accused the other of applying the match to the string.
