The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-06-14
Shocking Calamity at a Fire in
Rri0QeQOrf, Conn.

Bridgep0rf, Conn.
A most disastrous fire occurred on the
night of June Z, at Bridgeport, Conn. At
11:30 light was discovered in the fourth story
of Glover, Sanford & Sons factory. The
alarm was sounded, followed by a second,
and the whole Fire Department responded.
| The water supply proved Insufficient and
| the fire thereby obtained mastery. The flames
were first seen in the dyeing or mixed room
| in the northwest corner of the third story of
the main building, and, running along that
floor, were communicated by the dummy to
the stories below. The main building was
two hundred and eighty feet long, fifty feet
wide, and four and half stories high to the
top of the high basement. The brick walls
were sixteen inches thick. Above that was
astory eighteen feet, and two others eleven
feet high, surmounted by an attic, all sup
ported by twelve-inch walls. The windows
were forty.eight inches wide, and the col
umns between them forty inches.
While the volunteers were removing the
goods from the Office, one-story structure,
suddenly, without warning, the back and
front walls fell out. leaving the two highest
walls unsupported. The one adjoining the
offices leaned outward, and, as shrek
went up from the spectators, fell upon the
roof of the Office, crushing through to the
basement and burying those within. One
man. who escaped with a cash, stated there
were dozen men in the ruins and already
eleven bodies have been recovered, nearly
all fearfully crushed and more or less
burned.
At the same time the east end wall also
fell, carrying the fire into wing one hun
dred and ten feet long and fifty feet wide.
This was also completely destroyed, to-
gether with the engine, and boiler rooms
adjoining.
The walls fell about 1890 p. M, and as
soon SIS possible search for the missing was
! but Hva n,o1cnEy hafora
the first body was recovered. During the
next hour, eight were found, and by 1890 a.
M, two others had been taken from the
ruins.
The bodies were placed in wooden boxes,
awaiting the action of the Coroner's jury.
The names of those recovered are O. j.
Acker, age fifty, limbs burned off to knees.
He leaves a wife and two children. George
Acker, son of O.. j., aged twenty, crushed.
John Gallagher, aged thirty-fve; leaves a
wife and two children. Edward O'Toole,
aged thirty-fve; leaves wife and children.
} Charles F. Dart, aged thirty eight; leaves a
wife and four children. Hugh Smith, age
twenty-five; leaves wife and two children.
John Maloney, aged twenty eight. William
, Mcintyre, aged twenty-five, head severed
from the body. John Tomlin, aged thirty
) nine, burned beyond recognition, but
ring. One other body, supposed to be that
of young man named Sweeney, was found
with his limbs burned off. Another body
3 was so crushed and burned as to be un'
f recognizable, but is supposed to be that of q
3 man named Coyne. The original building
loss on the building, machinery and stock
t will reach about $250,000. Insurance
4 $15O,00O. There were in the building about
/ fifteen thousand hats ready for shipment
. most of which were destroyed. The hal
shop gave employment to two hundred anc
T. fifty hands, and was to have started tht
e following Monday with a full force. Mr.
e Sanford says they will sell or leave, rather
!. than put up a new factory, without bette
water supply. They had hose on every floor
, but no water could be had.
t. The F,ightf,sJ Storm at Mt. Carmel
: A special to the st. Louis Times from Nj
e Carmel, Illinois, giving an account of tn
e cyclone there on June 4, says the direction
!. of the storm was from the southwest littl
north of east, and its line of destruction EN-
braced all of Fourth Street, and a large par
1t OF the territory between Third and Fifth
Il Streets.
# The duration of the wind did not excee
=. two minutes, but the rain continued to fal
: for some time after the cyclone passed on
u. The velocity of the wind is estimated at on
y hundred and fifty miles per hour.
n- During its prevalence the air was file
=, with flying roofs, windows, doors, lumber
. rails, clothing, etc. Much of the debris wa
Is carried more than mile away.
IL Twenty persons were killed and man
d. others seriously in jured.
,e It being rainy day many farmers wh
q could not work at home were in town. Th
81 County Court was also in session, whic
C. brought many people to the city. Mel
IN women and children were blown distant
st of four hundred feet, as if they wei
We feathers.
s+ The best part of the town is destroye
Some seventy families are houseless, al
much distress is anticipated.
is There are eighty-fve buildings in ruins,
al number of them being among the large
in business houses in the place, and containt
~ valuable stocks of goods.
!. The loss of property is variously estimate
lis at from 100000 to S500,000.
M The official Report of the Rattle
ne Tongue hioP9', spttSs the
e Casualties.
HEADQUARTERS YELLOWSTONE COMMAND
CANToNMENT TONGUE RIVER, NJ. May Is.
IT. On the 7th inst. the hostile Sioux camp
ze- five hundred and ten lodges, under Ian
be Deer, was surprised captured, and destroye
~ Four hundred and fifty horses, mules, OIL
F'h ponies were captured, and fourteen India
Wy left dead on the field, including the prin
pal chief leader and head warrior, Iron st,
les Our loss was:
& Killed: Privates Charles A. Martinds
"a and Frank Glackowsky, Company F,
nu Cavalry; Privates Peter Lewis and Charl
'ed Springer, Company Ii, I'd Cavalry.