Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-12-03
TRACY BROTHERS LOSE HEAVILY. A S25, 1000 Fire, Origin Unknown, in the
 Lumber District.-WOuld Have Been
 Worse But For the Mad River Pump.

A S25, 900 Fire, Origin Unknown, in the
 Lumber District.-wOuld Have Been |
 Worse But For the Mad River Pump.
 Last nights fire on Benedict street l was a repetition of the memorable con fagration of May 16, 1885, when the lumber district was gutted, entailing a loss of $32, ,000.
 At 1:3O o'clock this morning Officer John Sullivan, who was on duty on the upper end of Bank street, saw the sky suddenly light up with the reflection of flames, in the vicinity of the lumber yards on Benedict street. He ran to the corner of Bank and Meadow streets and rang an alarm from box 312. By this time the flames had gained considerable headway, and when the firemen ar rived the plant of Tracy Brothers, builders, was solid mass of flames.
 c. F. Blake, watchman for the Platt Mill Go, whose elevator is near by, was one of the first to discover the fire. He rushed into the street and gave the alarm. Thirteen horses owned by the Platt Co and the City Ice Co, stabled in barn adjoining the Tracy Brothers property, were terribly frightened and were with great difficulty released by MT Blake, Officer Thomas, Conductor O'Brien of the New England road, the Harvey brothers and two reporters.
 The fire department experienced con- siderable delay in getting to the scene owing to the excavations in Meadow street. Three of the companies were obliged to return from the corner of Bank and Meadow to Grand street, reaching the fire through Canal street. When Chief Snagg arrived he saw at once that he had big job on hand and made no delay in sending out general alarm. Seven streams were played upon the burning buildings and sur rounding property and at 2:3O the fire was under control, although still burn ing fiercely.
 The Tracy Brothers are the principal losers, not even their office being saved. This was a handsome two story brick structure, built few weeks ago. The frame building occupied by A. B. | SimonS was gutted and the stables of Platt & Camp, together with quantity of hay and straw, were entirely con- | stunned.
 Superintendent Beach of the Nauga- tuck division, and Agent Taft of the | Adams Express company were among the first on the scene. MT Beach or dered out two engines to pull the passenger coaches from the car houses. A train of flat cars standing on siding caught fire, the caboose was badly
 burned, and will haveato be rebuilt. l Special mention should be made of
 the Farrell foundry hose company The boys were early at work and saved
 property on the west side. The Water
 bury Lumber & Coal company had a | line of hose attached to their power
 pump ready to use in case of emergency.
 The losses are given as follows: Tracy Brothers, buildings and lumber, S20,-
 900; insurance S12,000. A. B. Simons,
 building and supplies, 1000; Platt &
 Camp, stable, $1 ,50O, partly insured;
 City Ice Co, hay and grain, $500, in-
 surance small; New York, New Haven
 & Hartford Railroad company, building
 and light supplies of Roadmaster Lane
 and Supervisor Burns offices, caboose
 $700; Waterbury Lumber & Coal Go lumber, $500.
 Many narrow escapes of firemen art
 reported, but fortunately no one was
 seriously injured. Several of the boy
 were knocked down and thoroughly
 drenched by a stream thrown across thu low sheds. The men worked with will and are deserving of great praif e
 At II o'clock the fire was still shoulder
 ing, but as there was no further danger
 upon suggestion of Tracy Brothers, tn tired-out men were allowed to go home Two lines of hose were left and at nool the Tracys' men were playing upon tn ruins. The safe was removed from tn burned office this morning. It was un
 injured and it's contents had not suffere } from fire or smoke.
 . Hundreds of men, women am
 children began to congregate along tn , flats in the rear of the wet tch factor ; shortly after the first alarm was run . and many remained until the breaking of the gray dawn of morning.
 In speaking of the fire to day Chic
 Snagg said the origin was UT 2 known. The flames were first di' T covered in the rear of Tracy Brother a case of incendiarism. Thanks to tn e Mad river the water supply was all tha
 could be desired. Chief Snagg e1
 pressed himself as greatly pleased at tn : work of the pump last night. But fC - it, it would have hardly been possible { f keep up the pressure as the water in tn i distributing reservoir dropped fiftee = inches.
 g The losses by the other great fire in th f as follows: Waterbury Lumber an e Coal Go, S4,9OO; insurance $1,9OO. Go - nelius Tracy, $5,6O0; insurance $3, ,46; e George Tracy, $3, 800; insurance $2,00 g Platt & Camp, S700. Austin l.. Pee j. s, ,OOO. United Gas Improvement C.
 $500. A. B. Simons, SLIGO; insurant e $500. D. H. Meloy, $500. Floyd I l. Smith, S100; insurance $90. Willial r H. Smith, 5000; insurance $1, 1,537. 5 t Walker 6 Nutting, S2,0O0; insurant l. $1 ,000. A. B. West, $500. D. B. Wilsol Il $1,7OO; insurance $500. John Byro l. S250. Others, S425.
 D JOHN BURNS LOOKING FOR RELEAS d Says He Is Innocent of a Crime F V Which He Is Serving Five Years.