Morning journal and courier., 1883-02-16
The Stamford Fire.

A Quarter of a Million Dollars Worth of
 Property Lost.
 The great fire in Stamford yesterday, as reported in this paper, it has been ascertain ed, was caused by spontaneous combustion, and the property destroyed is estimated to have been worth from $20O, ,Ooo to $25o,ooo. Stamford's business interests must greatly suffer, as more than hundred persons are thrown out of work. The burned billiard factory of H. w. Collender & Go. was east of the depot, and was five story brick struc- ure, 65 by S5 feet It was solidly built, the 1 first story walls being 20 inches thick and the stone foundation walls being laid in ce- ment, Il feet below the level of the ground. It was an ornamental and substantial build I ing, and the most conspicuous object seen by
 railroad travellers passing through the town. l The building proper was of pressed brick 1 with Ohio brown stone trimmings and bands | of white brick at the sills and window caps. | A brick tower at the center of the front rose
 to the height of 80 feet and the wood work 1 carried up the structure 26 feet higher. l The company employ watchman, who had made his rounds of the building, finding | nothing wrong until about o'clock Wednes- l day night, when, on opening door on the | southeast corner of the fifth floor, on which was the vanishing department, suffocating \ cloud of smoke poured through the upper | part of the building. At this moment an 1 alarm had been created in the street, as the smoke was issuing from the windows. But 1 little varnish was in the building, but there was 8 large quantity of thoroughly dry wood l to be used in the manufacture, and 1 though there was no want of hose for the
 conveyance of water, the pressure from the
 borough supply was insufficient at so great a height. The single fire engine, three hose
 carriages and the village hook and ladder ap- paratus were not calculated to cope with so | formidable fire, the engine being tardy on | account of the snow obstructing it's move
 ments. The contents of the safes-books,
 papers and money-and most of the stock of
 billiard balls in the factory were saved. Eve | rything else was destroyed: Adjoining the 1 factory is a wood cottage owned by Collender | $ Go. and occupied by Dr. Charles s. Daley. | The roof was partly demolished by section | of the falling walls of the factory. Antici- l pating such an event the doctor and his fam | fly removed themselves and their furniture from the house before the accident occurred. 1 Their loss is trivial. James Collins was struck | by falling brick and slightly hurt.
 l The factory was built in 1873. It was in- I sured for $6O, 1000, which will nearly cover 1 the loss, but the $1O0, ,0O0 insurance on the stock will not be enough. The factory was packed with costly woods, slates, cloth, balls | and other materials. There were about 100 | finished billiard tables and between 200 and 1 300 in process of construction, one being for
 Vanderbilt worth $2, 800.
 The Collenders intend to immediately re
 build in Stamford and they had already de- termined to greatly enlarge the establishment this spring.
 The building to take the place of the one
 destroyed will be of different style-not SC high and not so elaborated architecturally | Iuf oa