Morning journal and courier., 1890-06-03
RIG FIRE MADISON.

Tho Most Disastrous Ever known In
she Place-Loss s55,O00-Two Large
Four-Massed Vessels at the shipyard
Dessroyed-Thc Shipyard Buildings
Burned-How the Fire Ssarted-One
Hundred Men out OF Werk-Insur.
ance $4,000.
MADISON, June 2.-The most disastrous
FIRE that ever visited this place broke out this
afternoon about o'clock. The flames
burned Asroely for Eve hours, and at one
time 1t looked as though good portion of
the town would be wiped out. As 1t is the
damage will exceed 5000 and the insur-
snce will not exceed half that amount.
Shortly after O'Clock the workhenv en-
ployed at Tucker 6 Barry's shipyard, the
largest in Madison, were startled by the cry
of Ere. At the Same instant a workman
named johnson rushed out of one of the
buildings belonging to the yard shouting
that the oakum was on FIRE. All rushed for
water, but when they reached the room In
which the oakum was stored they found
that the fire had gained so much Roadway
that it would be useless for them to try and
extinguishsd 1t. The building was quickly
the material. The men worked W. it'll all their
might, but the fire gained steadily on them
and it was evident to all that it would result
in disastrous conAagraticn. The 100 or
more men employed in the yard all fought
the flames, and when the news spread all
around the town that the flames were getting
beyond control many of the men volunteered
oakum was stored In the loft of the
building while below the tools of the
carpenters were kept. These were quickly
all destroyed and the flames communicated
to the next building. This also was oon-
suned, and despite the efforts of the men to
prevent 1t the flames rapidly made their way
to the hulls of the two four-msstsd schooners
which were In process of construction for
Captain Handy of New London. One of the
have been launched in few weeks. This
was the first to catch fire and the fierce
flames soon leaped from all sides. The ship
burned like shavings and 30 great
was the heat that the fremen We're driven
back and could not go within 200 feet of the
flames. AT this point word was sent to
Guilford asking the authorities for aid.
Deputy Sheriff Scranton arrived on the scene
soon after the schooner caught fire and
took charge of gang of men to fight the
flames. Piled near the vessels were over
300, 900 feet of timber, mostly yellow pine.
Under the sheriffs direction enough of the
timber was removed to check the progress of
two-thirds of the timber was saved and
the fire effectuslly checked. The other
schooner soon caught fire and was totally
destroyed in short time. 1t was in frame
and was being sealed. The vessels when fin
ished would have cost 5000 each. Cap
tain Handy, for whom they were being
built, says the one nearest completion was
worth $35, 900 as she stood when burned, and
the other $4,000. They were insured for
oh con mn The iv,x Dhioh
stored about forty tons of salt next caught
fire and was RACED to the ground. The tim
Der was burning 6ercely and the heat
in the vicinity of the shipyard was intense.
Most of the population of the town was on the
scene of the fire snd many from neighbor-
ing towns watching the flames. When
everything combustible had been destroyed
and the flames had nothing more to feed on,
the fire engine and company arrived from
fire was under control, and the buildings
and vessels were left standing charred ruins.
The total loss is fully S75, 600,
and the insurance Is about $4,000.
Most Of the loss falls on the
owners of the shipyard. Their loss viii be
fully $45,O00. on which there IL bat small
insurance. The ere was undoubtedly caused
by the carslessnsss of the workman johnson,
who rushed out of the oakum loft when the
FIRE broke out. He, it seems, was sweeping
In the oakum loft and either stepped on q
match or threw one that was blazing into the
oakum-which 10 hard to say. Sheriff Scran-
ton made close investigation after the FIRE,
but will not at present make known what he
discovered. The fire throws over one
hundred men out of work, many
of whom are French Canadians. There
was the greatest excitement In town over
the ere and the French Canadians were ter
ribly worked up. Sheriff Scranton feared
that they might do johnson violence and ad-
vlssd him to leave town for q few days.
johnson thought 1t was q good idea and
| readily acquiesced. 1t has not been learned
| whether Captain Handy will again begin the
| erection OF the schooners or not. It Is very
probable that he will, however. Barry &
Tucker are. under contract to build two other
vessels, but the fire will greatly interfere with
their work. The facilities for fighting the
flames here are very poor, q fact which has
often been talked about but never 80 pain.
fully demonstrated before.