The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1864-02-18
DESTRUCTION OF COLTS
3r= ARMORY.
Additional ParticuAars--T'he loss
mot SO Heavy as at first RepOrtA
ed-Half n Million Covers All
scenes and Incidents.


ed-Half n Million Covers All
scenes and Incidents.
In addition to the telegraph accounts al
ready published, the Hartford papers fur
nish the following interesting facts i'll con-
nection with the burning of Colts Pistol Fac
| tory:
The fire began in the attic of the center
| wing close by the door leading to the i'm
mense upper loft of the factory. In the wing
attic where it took was shatting and accord
ing to Mr. HARRISON, the Secretary but lit
tie of anything else Others, who were em-
pIoyed in the room beneath, and who went
directly up when the FIRE began, say that
there we're gunstocks drying there-that the
fire could have been put cut with few pals
| of water had these been at hand, but that the
fire extended rapidly; Mr. Farnham says,
'"as fast as a man could walk"-and quick
lly got into the great upper room OF the Ar
lmory,where there were patterns fancy stocks
and various inhalDmable materials. Once
there, the flames literally ''spread like Wild
fire.
Col. Colt never had the factory insured
while he was living. He preferred to devote
that expense to system Of night and Gay
watchmen.
1t is the most disastrous fire that ever took
place III the State, and 1000 workingmen,
with dependent families will be thrown out
of employment.
So quickly did the flames spread that In
! few minutes less than six minutes accord
ing to the testimony of all who saw it the
fire had run almost through to the old or
main Armory, the woodwork burning as if
soaked with camphene. The walls were of
solid stone masonry and the lofty windows
protected by massive iron bars, but the
floors and machinery soaked with OIL and
the flames spread with amazing quickness
all through the Pistol Factory.
The southerIy wind and the solidity OF the
wall between the center wing and the new
factory (where the revolving rifles were made)
saved this latter structure 1t is an immense
factory in ITSELF as large as the pistol tacto-
ry was
So fiercely did the flames come on, that
hundreds of the workingmen on the second
story had barely time to escape with their
lives. Some seized their tools, and others
seized cases of machinery and attempted 70
carry them out, but in many cases they mad
to drop them, and some barely saved their
lives BY leaping from the windows
High above the din arose the steady roar
of the Steam Gong, and, its far sounding note
of warning seemed to change,as the destrnc-
ton of the factory progressed, into noarse
shrek Of lamentation over the work OF rum
Like the minister chimes in the midst OF the
conAagration of Hamburg. peahng forth the
grand old German hymn,
Ian good soui. praise the LORD
while all around were crashing walls and
falling ti,nbers, SO here, in the midst of the
destruction of Colts Armory, the faithful
note of this far-heard steam sentinel contln-
ued to sound, in the midst of the destruction
of the great Factory.
Great efforts were made to save the ele-
CANT business office, by pulling down the el"
waited frame connection between 1t ana the
burning factory So solidly was 1t built
however. that the massive timbers would not
Weld. even after portion of them had, al
great hazard, been cut; and TO the grief ana
surprise of everybody, the Office was seen to
he ou fire about o'clock. Its valuable and
varied contents were hurried out rifles, pis-
tolls, patterns, plans, books, papers, cases and
every thing; and superintendent and police
men had busy time oft in preserving
them in the crowd. A large number OF
things were taken into Charter Oak Hall,
near by.
All the upper part of the Office was soon
enveloped in flames The beautiful Byzan-
tine dome with its blue and gold metal-coV-
cred roof, soon became a prey to the flames,
and presented a striking light, as all but the
four supporting pillars below it destroy
ed. the elegant Oriental architecture OF the
dome itself was seen wreathed with flames,
and looking like balloon or fire in md
air
The main walls of the factory began
to tumble in various places as early as . o.
clock.
At half past there was dull explosion,
from powder kept to test the arms Not
great deal was kept in the armory-the main
part OF the powder being in the powder house
further down on the dyke.
Mrs Colt stood upon the dyke and wit
messed the flames as they swept away that
vast building, with the most valuable machln
cry
! There was an insurance Of $3.50, 900 on the
factory and contents. Ofthis amount S2lO,-
OOe in Hartford Offices as follows; ..
| Etna $40. O0G Hartford --..- $1O 600
| phnenix....40 600 North American. 40 900
| Merotnnts' 30, 900 Connecticut 20 900
| Citv....... IL. 600 Charter. Oak. 10 900
! New England TO- OU .,-o ~
| Total Observation-Disclosures .....-.. t%lO,OOo
| VIM. Conner corner of Main and Grove
streets, is the Agent for eight offices in New
York, Springfield. and Providence He has
| policies in all of these, amounting in the
aggregate to $125,O00--making $4,000
insured in Hartford and agencies established
here.
The policies issued on each Of the main
! buildings, a certain sum to each company