The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-06-09
DOMESTIC NEWS.
A CONNECTICUT HORROR.
TINE WALLS OF A HAT FACTORY FALL
IN ON A LARGE NUMBER
OF PEOPLE
Thtrty-twO burned and Disngured
COrpses Taken from the Ruins.
Especial to the Democrat

Especial to the Democrat
| BRIDGEPORT, Conn, June THE most dis
astrous fire ever experienced here occurred
last night. At 10 80 p. m. a light was discov-
cred In the fourth story of Grover Sanford &
Sons hat factory. An alarm was at once
sounded, followed by second and general
| alarm, and the whole department responded
to the call at once. The water supply proved
however, insufficient, and the fire gained in
| consequence complete mastery of the build
ing. The flames were first seen in the yeing
or mixing room, in the northwest corner of
the third story of the main building, and
running along that floor, communicated
through an opening to the stairs below.
The main building was two hundred and
eighty feet long, fifty feet wide and four and
half stories high. The top of the basement
walls were sixteen inches thick; above that
was story eighteen feet high, and above this
two others, each eleven feet high, srrmounted
by an attic, all supported by twelve inch
wallis The windows were forty-eight inches
wide and the columns between them forty
inches.
While volunteer fremen were removing the
goods from the Office, the back and front
walls of the one-story structure suddenly and
without warning fell out, leaving the two
highest walls unsupported. One of the ad-
joining Offices leaned outward, and as shrieks
went up from the spectators fell upon the
room of the office, crushing through it to the
basement and burying those within. One
man, who escaped with cash, stated that
there were dozen men in the ruins, and
already eleven bodies have been recovered.
Nearly all the wounded men are fearfully
crushed and Eiore or less burned
At the same time the east end of the wall
also fell, carrying the fire into the wing, 40
feet long and 50 feet wide. This was also
completely destroyed, together with the en-
gine and boiler rooms adjoining. The walls
fell about IL 80 q. m, and as soon as possiblea
search for the missing was commenced, but it
was O'Clock a. m. before the first body was
recovered. During the next hour eight were
found, andby 10 o'clock thirty-two others had
been taken from the ruins. The bodies were
placed in wooden boxes and are awaiting the
action of the coroner's jury.
The names of those whose bodies have
been recovered are: o. j. Acker, aged 80,
limbs burned off to knees, who leaves wife
and two children; George Acker, son of 0. j.
Acker, aged &c, crushed; J. Gallagher aged S.
leaves wife and two children; Edward o.
Toole, aged So, leaves wife and children;
Charles F. Dart, aged 3s, leaves wife and
four children; John Maloney, aged 2s; VIM.
Mcintyre aged %, head severed from body;
John Tomlin, aged 80, burned beyond recog-
milton, but identified by warts and a ring
One other body, supposed to be that of
young man named Sweeney. was found with
his limbs burned completely off. Another |
body was SO crushed and burned as to be un-
but it is supposed to be that Of
a man named Coyne.
The original building was erected at a cost
Of $4,000. Sandford's loss on the building
machinery, stock, etc, will reach about
S25O000; insurance $15O.ooO.
There were about $1,000 hats ready for ship
ment, most of which were destroyed The
hat shop gave employment to $50 hands, and |
was to have started Monday with full force
of men