The New York herald., 1875-12-15
WHEELER { WILSON'S FACTORY BURNED
THE SEWING MACHINE CABINET CoALPANYs
WORKS DESTROYED By FIRE-FALLING or
WALLS AND KILLING OF TWO BoYs-A LARGE
NUMBER INJURED-Loss, HALF MILLION or

WALLS AND KILLING OF TWO BoYs-A LARGE
NUMBER INJURED-Loss, HALF MILLION or
DOLLARS.
BRIDGEPORT, Conn, Dec IA, 1875.
About six o'clock this evening the night watchman
in the employ Of the Wheeler & Wilson Sewing Machine
Cabinet Company, whose works are located in East
Bridgeport In making his first rounds discovered nre
In what is known as the sewing room. He Immediately
gave alarm but the nre under full headway,
and when the Fire Department arrived the interior or
the factory was one mass Of flames.
The building in which the fire originated occupied
the centre Of quadrangle bounded by East Washing
ton avenue on the south, Pembroke street on the
west, Barnum street the north and Brooks
street on the east The main building fronting
on East Washington and the New York
and New Haven Railroad. was $50 feet long
and three stories high. building OF the same length
and two stories high faced Barnum street, Penn
broke and Brooks streets The buildings were each
$50 feet long The buildings occupied whole
block and covered about two All Of
brick and being devoted to the manufacture
and storage OF sewing machine tables and cabinets
contained much combustiblc material strong north
west wind was blowing when the fire broke out, and
the flames spread with great rapidy to both of tho
main buildings.
PROGRESS OF THE FIRE.
In spite of the efforts of the three steamers
comprising the Bridgeport Fire Department,
aided by the steamer owned by tho Wheeler
Wilson Sewing Machine Company, the fire
spread in half hour to the oil and varnish depart
ment in tho main building and at this time the heat
intense. Masses of fame shot up Illuminating
the sky for miles around and making light which
was distinctly in New Haven eighteen miles away
Some freight which stood the track of the New
York and New Haven Railroad, loaded with sewing ma
chimes caught fire but were hauled out OF their exposed
position by the engine. OF the passenger train,
which arrives here from New York at 1852
r. M Both the up and down trains stopped
by the conaagration AT eight O'Clock the whole vast
establishment sheet Of fire. The water poured
on the burning buildings made perceptble impress
sion Vast clouds of smoke and steam arose. burn
ing brands and sparks were hurled hther and thither
by the wind and the buildings occupied by the Secor
Sewing Machine Company in imminent danger
The fremen worked with will, and, by herculean
confined the fire to the block in which it originated.
At halrpast eight O'Clock the fire began diminish.
FALLING OF WALLS.
About nine O'Clock some fremen at work on Barnum
street noticed that the walls on Pembroke street were
falling and shouted to the crowd standing to them
OF their danger, but the warning came too late The
falling walls struck and knocked down at least dozen
spectators half Of whom were taken from the ruins
dead or seriously hurt.
THE KILLED AND INJURED
John Kimberly, lad twelve years of age, had his
brains dashed out by the falling brick, and taken
up dead.
Cornelius Mack, another lad eleven years OF age had
his skull fractured and cannot live.
son Company, was badly hurt receiving severe inter-
nal injuries
Patrick Mooney was badly cut about the head. He IS
dangerously injured.
Henry Cook had a leg broken, and was otherwise
badly hurt
James W. Mouton, Of New Haven, right ankle
broken and hurt.
Others injured. but they were hastily re-
moved by their friends their could be
tanned. The wounded removed to the office of
the Wheeler Wilson Sewing Machine Company, across
the street from the hre where they attended by
"a " nAnh n
the call for help. 1t is believed that some OF
the wounded will not survive. In the meantime the
fire continued its ravages, and at this hour, eleven
O'clock nothing remains OF the stately establish
ment but heap Of RUNS
Of the Wheeler & Wilson Company buildings and
stock is estimated $500 00o which there an
surance OF $4,000 The loss of the Sewing Ma
chine Cabinet Company will not probably be
less than 100000. The buildings burned those
formerly occupied by the Wheeler Wilson Company.
The new buildings Of this company erected about
years ago, not burned, they at
any time in jeopardy.
TWO HUNDRED MECHANICS EMPLoYBD.
About 200 skilled mechanics are thrown out of en-
poyment by this conhagration, which the most
serious that has occurred in this city for years.