Morning journal and courier., 1888-04-16
A BIG FIRE.

FreseniuS' Brewery Burned at an
 Early Hour Y esterday MornIng-LOss
 About S1OO,OOO, Insurance $40,OOO-
 The Brewery to be Rebuilt 1mme-
 diateIy-Work BeRun YesterdaY-A
 Fireman Injured-T The Origin of the
 Fire Unknown.
 The most destructive fire that New Haven
 has had in many months broke out yesterday
 morning, by which the interior of Fresenius'
 large brewery on Congress avenue was com
 pletely burned out.
 It was just eighteen minutes past two when
 the first alarm was rung from box No. 151,
 at the corner of Congress avenue and West
 street. Officers Cannon and Beegan were
 near by. They saw the flames at about the
 same time, and both rushed to the box.
 Officer Began left the police station at one
 and Officer Cannon at twelve. As the officer
 on that beat had come in at twelve the fire
 had good start before it was discovered.
 The two officers ss soon as they gave the
 alarm ran as fast as possible to the brewery.
 The flames were reaching to the top of the
 building from the rear. Adjoining the brew
 cry on the cerner of Congress avenue and Bond street is the Fresenius residence. It was the work of but few minutes for the officers to arouse the inmates, who were on the second floor. Mrs. Fresenius aroused her son Henry who was still asleep on the
 floor above, by ringing bell. They hardly waited to dress themselves before they were at work trying to save their furniture and other household articles.
 The large iron gate on the Bond street side was thrown open and an attempt was made by the officers and colored man named Hampton, who lived near by, to save ! the horses. The stable was not on fire but \ &aar fr111r hot ho fro TuQC near, but instead of working toward the sta bles and the office it had worked toward West street, and then the wind swept the flames | along to Congress avenue. The stables were ! filled with smoke The horses, thirteen in number, were with great difficulty rescued.
 Henry Fresenius, son of Philip, thlnly | clad, rushed into the barn, thinking all the
 horses were not out. He was almost over- come by the smoke, but soon recovered. I In the meantime engines 1 and 5, and hose company No. 8 had arrived. But the flames had gained such headway that the fremen could do very little toward checking their progress. The streets were crowded 1 with people. The fremen had to guard the
 nearby dwellings 50 that no more buildings l would go.
 l The flames swept on with irresistible fury and enveloped the great main structure four
 stories high and lit up the sky so that the H.
 illumination was visible for miles. The flames | NAOSAo open, and the elevator we'll gave strong draught At the Fresenius dwelling the | flames stopped, the heavy brick work and ! heavy iron doors proving a successful barrier. The roof, however, was damaged. The interior brewery buildings in the court yard were | licked up by the flames. A special alarm | was given to hook and ladder No. 1, vi1., I 1-1-1-1-11-1, end then box call 151 and then l a second alarm for steamers and 6. These | calls were quickly responded to. The fire | spared the stables and the big ice vault where ! are great vats filled with beer in different \ stages of preparation for the market. At 6:30 all the engines but one were dismissed. l A look at the building after the fire showed I that the main part and everything in the rear I excepting the ofics and the stables was burn ed. The walls remained standing. The ice house, also, had not been touched. The front | wall was badly scorched, but the one on the east showed no signs of fire. The big sign of ' a man representing brewer, which adorned | the front of the ice vault, was somewhat | scorched The fire was too much for MT. Philip Fresenius, and he returned to bed in \ the afternoon and could not be seen there after. His son Henry thought the fire might
 have been of accidental origin as it started over the boilers. Thereis no regular watehman in \ the building. He said that someone happen. ed to go through at 12 o'clock and found | everything all right, but when asked who if \ was he could not tell Mir. Philip Fresenius \ was to have assumed the management of the \ brewery, after years retirement, during | which time his sons had run the establish ment. At the time he left his old foreman was discharged owing to the strike, but to- \ day the old proprietor was to bring him back. The new foreman came up from New York | on Saturday in order to resume his old place. It was generally thought the fire was of | incendiery origin, as almost anybody, it is ! said, could gain entrance to the building | through windows.
 ! Detective Brewer, an ex-freman, however, thinks differently. He says that in his \ opinion the fire caught over the boiler and
 engine. Although the fire in the engine had
 been put out at six o'clock. yet the beams overhead, after being so near the engine and | boiler for so long 8 time and getting thor \ oughly dried and charred, could easily have ! caught fire. When the fire in the engine | was put out the woodwork might have been | afre and gradually ate it's way along. The detective was on top of the boiler yesterday | and not piece of wood as big as persons | thumb remained. The fire, instead of going ! toward the stables, worked In the direction | of West street and came to the cooper shop, and here he theoriEes that the wind caught the flames and blew them toward the main building, as the rear of the cooper shop still remains and the kegs in the place were only charred. He doesn't think the fire wSs of incendiary origin.
 Roger D. Blish of hook and ladder con- pany No. was struck in the head by large piece of ice and knocked senseless. He was taken in the patrol wagon to his room in the Yale bank building. He was much better last night.
 In the ice house were several tons of ice But little beer was lost, as most of it was in vats. Henry Fresenius said yesterday that they would try te deliver beer to-day as usual. Work would be begun immediately to rebuild. A gang of workmen were set at work yesterday under charge of Andrew c. Smith to clear out the muss made by the fire. Henry Fressnius said that the damage was
 more than at first thought for. It will prob ably be $125, ,000, with about $40,000 insur.
 ance. The firm received yesterday tenders of sympathy and assistance, if required, from
 brother brewers.
 Thousands of people rushed to the scene of
 the fire yesterday. It seemed to be the ob-
 jective point of everybody in the city. The
 streets in that vicinity were lined with peo-
 pie.