Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-04-07
xEsrERDAY,s BLAZE.

nj UGH Smoke and a Threatening Fire
ON Church Street-PrOmpt and K6ect-
i've Work by the Firemen-m us1c Hall
Damaged-SeveralS stores Drenched-
Loss About $4,000.
Jacob Goldbaum, a cutter who is employed
at Herman Goldbaum's, the merchant tailor
at No. 90 Church street under Music hall
was quietly sitting in the store yesterday
afternoon when he heard Q cracking noise
which seemed to come from the yard back of
the store He went to the back door and
looked out. What he saw nearly paralyzed
him with fright for q moment. The whole
end of the Music hall building seemed to be
ablazs. tongues of fire were leaping high in
the air and large clouds of smoke rolled up
heavenward. To Jacob it seemed 90 II
everything was afire ia the rear and turning
around he rushed out through the store, up
Church street to the corner of Grown, where
the fire alarm box is situated. He damned
his list through the glass, badly cutting his
hand thereby, and pulled down the hook.
An alarm Immediately rang out from box IS
and several engines quickly responded.
The fremen soon had four streams
playing on the FIRE, both from
Church street and from the yard in the rear.
The whole stairway in back of the building,
leading into the yard was ablaze, and flames
could be seen from the windows. Great
clouds of smoke came from the windows of
the hall up stairs, and it looked as though
the whole building was doomed. A ladder was
raised and smashed through window. Fire
Marshal Kennedy ran up the ladder and
looked in. The smoke was 80 dense that he
could see nothing, but ne could plainly hear
the cracking noise made by the fire. He at
once gave orders to play upon the inside of
the hall. After working hard for half an
hour the 6remen had the fire under control.
Long before this the street near the scene was
densely thronged with people who had come
from all parts of the city to see the fire. It
was found that the water had really done more
damage than the fire. It was three
or four inches deep on the dancing floor of
the hall and was coming down fast into the
various stores under the hall. It came down
in a miniature river from the front entrance
on Church street. It was lucky, however,
that the water had been put on the floor.
The decorations in the hall kept burning and
dropping on the floor and the floor had
caught fire in several places. It was waxed
for a ball which was to have been given there
tonight, and would have been ablaze in nc
time had the flames not been put out by the
foods of water at hand. If the floor had
once got to burning the whole building would
have been jeopardized. Sparks from the fire
alighted on the wooden building next to the
hall and set the roof ablazing, but the fire
was soon e1tinguished.
The firemen deserve great credit for thei1
prompt action and for getting the FIRE under
control as soon as they did.
The cause of the fire was nothing eiRe thar
pure mischievousness. A crowd of boys il
always hanging around the yard in back OF
Music hall cutting up capers and raising the
old Harry in particular. Yesterday Afternoon
they went off, leaving it burning. The fire
spread around the yard, catching on to tn,
straw, wood and stubble, until it reached thu
wooden stairway leading up to the hall
When it reached this it quickly spread, ani
1t was then that Mr.. Goldbaum discovered
the fire. When the firemen first reached
| the fire the big outer doors of the hall wer
| thrown open, but as this gave
| draught to the flames they were quickly
shut up again. Under the hall are stores a
| follows: McCusker & Schroeder, coal deal
| ers, whose store is in part occupied by Viii
liam Keane, plumber. Both parts wer
| damaged by water, Mr.. Keane's damag
being the greater. Next door was the store o
| Goldbaum, the tailor and Stodel, cigar dealer
| Their goods were damaged by water. Next doe
is the store of Frank Il. Hall, orockery dealer
Here water did damage. Oneto, the cand
goods were considerably wet down. job
| LIZ DohA CSk ouu OueuOA 1uVAOS
next. Water flooded the back PAL
of this store. The total damag
to Music hall and the stores below is est
mated at not over $4,000. Professor A. N
Loomis' dancing classes has something in tn
way of "regalia' on the upper floor whic
was damaged by fire and smoke. Mr.. Healey
owner of Music hall building, is in Europe
When last heard from week ago he was
Venice. He is fully insured and tho variou
occupants of stores under the hall are ais
insured. John j. Flynn, q supernumerar
officer detailed at Music hall, had his uni
form, hat and shield destroyed by the flames
They were in one Of the small rooms adjoin
ing the hall.
l At ma time tha fire. waa Of such oharaote
| as to threaten to communicate to Mr.. Bun
nell's Grand opera house, which adjoins th
rear of the yard where the fire started. Nj
Bunnell was on hand closely Watching tn
progress of the fire, and he desires to expree
his heartfelt thanks to the fremen for thei
timely aid and efforts In thus staying tn
FIRE and preventing the spread of the flame
| to his premises. When the flames had q
tended through the piles of infammable rub
bish in the back yard of Music hall to tn
hall itself, and the smoke was ascending Il
masses, the prospect seemed imminent tina
the strong wind would send the flames to tn
Grand opera house.