Morning journal and courier., 1882-03-28
Fatal Fire in AnsOnia.

Two Persons Lose Their Lives fn the
 FIames-Three Buildings Destroyed-
 Inmates Escape by Jumping From the
 Windows.
 About a quarter to o'clock yesterday fire broke out in the middle build ing of three buildings at the corner of Maple and High streets, West Ansonia, at the west end of what is known as the ''upper bridge" over the Naugatuck river The fire depart ment, which consists of two hose companies and a hook and ladder company, were promptly on hand, but there was very little for them to do, as the fire had got under such headway that no power could save the block from destruction. Two of these houses are owned by Charles Stillson, and the third by Timothy Mccarthy. The first floor of the first Stillson house was occupied by Iung Lee as a Chinese laundry. Over him lived Walter Betts. The second Stillson house was 8 double one, so that there was room for two stories. In one Mir. Betts kept harness shop in the other George Hall had his meat market living overhead. The McCarthy house was occupied down stairs by Daniel Mccarthy as liquor saloon. The up stairs part, and also the attic, was rented to w. F. Nichols, who used the place as boarding house. The Bassett brothers slept in the attic.
 Later it was learned that Mrs. Joseph Whitmore was probably fatally injured while jumping frenfs sslie of the burning buildings, while Mrs Nichols is said to be hurt badly.
 When the bodies of James and Elliott Bas- sett were found they were side by side. The shorter body, presumably James, as he was the shortest, had nothing left but the trunk, the head and arms to the elbows being burned off The other body had the head partially burned off, and the legs at the knees and the arms at the elbows were gone. The eharred trunks were placed under an adjoin- ing shed to await the action of the coroner.
 Shortly after 10 o'clock Justice of the Peace John B. Quillipan, acting as coroner, summoned jury of inquest, of which w. A. Barnes was foreman, and after viewing the bodies under the shed where they lay, re- paired to Town Clerk McMahon's office to hear witnesses In about an hour verdict was reached that death resulted from burn ing, and that the cause of the fire was un known The testimony seemed to show that the fire had it's origin in Halls office. The funeral of the victims will take place Wed nesday.
 Mir Stillson estimates his loss on both
 buildings at $6, ,OO0, on which there is an ill. surance of $1, 800 in the North British and Mercantile Insurance company of London, and $1, 800 in the American Fire Insurance
 company of Philadelphia, placed through E.
 Bartlett The McCarthys estimate their loss
 on building and contents of the liquor
 store at $5, 5,50O. Timothy McCarthy
 has an insurance on the building
 of $1,25o in the La Coniance
 company of Paris. and $1,25C in the Hamburg Madgeburg company ot Germany, while Daniel Mccarthy has his Ii quor stock insured for $500 in the Etna ot Hartford Mr. Betts loss is $1, 800, insur ance $500 in the Commercial Union of Lon don, and Mr. Halls loss is $2, 800 and his in surance $1 600 in the Home of New York All but the Stillson insurance were placed through John l.. Lindley. The Chinaman Yung or Ying Leo, loses about $500 in money, which he had saved. The fire is supposed to have been of incen diary origin. One of the first, if not the first to see it was Mir. Sturgeon, who boards in the Hotchkiss block on Main street, Ansonia. His bedroom faces to the west. About 3:25 ir the morning he happened to be up, and look ing out of his bedroom window he saw the fire burning in the lower part of the middle house of the three just over the br1dge-tha building occupied by Hall and by Betts. Ii then blazed quite brightly. The dwellers II the burned houses, who numbered about ht, teen, were in nearly every case first awakened by the smell of smoke, The Betts family go' out all right but did not have chance tc save much beyond what they had on. The same with Mr Hall, who is bachelor, and his housekeeper. The story of MT. Nichols is, that being awakened by the smoke he rar out to get & ladder to save the two young men in the attic, it being presumed that those on the second floor could get out all right At this time no general alarm had been given
 and at such an early hour but few people
 were about. With the help of these the lad
 der was secured and placed against the house It did not reach within few feet of the attic window. Climbing up the ladder as far as he dared, MT. Nichols excitedly shouted
 'Now, boys, here's your only chance!" There was no answer, but MT. Nichols could hear, groans and cries of My God My God !'' in weak voice. He formed the
 impression that the occupants of the attic
 were partially suffocated by the smoke that
 just then began to pour out of the window
 which was open. and wkich finally forced hin away from where he stood on the ladder.