Morning journal and courier., 1890-10-08
THEY FEAR AN EXPLOSION.

1esidents of the FOur Corners LAlk Against the Hazard Powder Com. pany,s Magazine to the Selectmen-- The other Side-Other Town Busi. ness.
 A delegation of nine residents of the an | ,ex near the Four Corners appeared before l he selectmen last night to argue for the l removal of the powder magazine which is by the Hazard Powder com pany near that place. c. L. Burwell and others presented petition asking it's re. moval a week ago and last night was ap-:' pointed as time for hearing for all par- ties interested. ea7Fl
 Charles E. Woodward was first heard. This magazine is a dangerous thing, said he. If it should blow up when full of powder it would do great damage to the property of neighbors in the vicinity. It was put up in the first place to accommo- date but a few kegs of powder, but it has been used for dynamite and great masses of powder. The Hazard Powder company does not pay but very little taxes to the town. Lightning is apt to strike the place at any time and people are afraid to build houses or improve the property near the magazine.
 A. D. Jacobs said he had seen three loads of powder carried to the magazine in single day and he considered the magazine menace to. the whole neighbor- hood. Lightning is apt to strike the magazine at any time, said he. It has struck near by twice recently and if it should strike the place the shock of the explosion would cause great damage to the property and lives of the residents about the Four Corners.
 William A. Woodward said there were 8 dozen or more houses within quarter of mile of the magazine and thought the people would hold the town liable if the thing should explode and injure their property. An explosion of magazine in Stony Creek year ago shook the houses for miles around.
 0. L. Burwen and James E. Mills, the nearest residents to the powder house, whose dwellings are but 300 yards away, wanted the house abolished entirely. They thought keg of powder only exploding there would do much damage MT. Mills thought the powder company should not be allowed to store more powder than any other house in the city, where the extreme limit is ten pounds He said he would not pay dollar an acre for land there il the magazine could not be abolished E. B. Burwell, another near resident said he had often seen powder scattered about the vicinity of the house. The meadows get afire frequently, and it ii often miracle that the flames are not car ried directly to the magazine. John Streeter also asked that the maga zine be removed for the same reasons al his neighbors.
 Superintendent Clark, representing thu Hazard Powder company, expressed som, | surprise that the magazine should b' deemed to be dangerous. He said tn, ! powder comes in tin kegs, which eliminate ! 8 great amount of danger. The magazine said he, is thousand feet from the near est house, and the amount of poWde stored in it is much smaller than has beeu stated. New Haven business men nee, powder, and such business man as Pres ident J. D. Dewen of the chamber of com
 merce is opposed to any such move as tn | called nuisance, and we do not consider ! it any more dangerous than hundred other things right il ! the city. Some crank may get scared ant | bring in a petition here, but the compan, cannot build @ new powder house every | few years. It will not be wise to driv' this industry from the city, for the inter | ests of New Haven are much more impor tant than those of the Four Corners. Ou magazine is safer than those in Bridgeport | Waterbury and other cities in the state.
 The committee in charge of the matte
 will report their decision to the selectmel
 at next Tuesdays meeting.
 W. R. Sawyer sent communication
 stating that horse belonging to him has
 sustained broken leg by steppinl
 through hole in the West river bridge
 and asked that the town pay him dam
 ages. The paper was placed on file.
 Town Agent Reynolds stated that he hat
 made arrangements to procure all lumbe
 needed for the new shed at Springsid
 home of Austin county for $S50.
 On motion of Town Agent Reynolds, Sc
 lectmen Fleischner and Strong were ap
 pointed to the joint committee of the city
 town and school district to consider peti
 tions for abatement of taxes.
 Town Agent Reynolds was appointed t
 represent the town on the joint committe
 to consider the erection of an elevator il
 city hall.
 Selectmen Fleischner and Strong wer
 appointed a committee to secure suitabl polling places for the next state, city an,
 town elections.
 The condition of West Chapel stree
 just beyond the city line was referred t
 the committee on roads and bridges fo
 improvement.