Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-01-14
WEST BRASS MILL FIRE.
A SPARK FROM THE MUFFLEs CAUSES
A LOSS OF $25o,ooo.

AT the Clmo OF Cno luLu OeT ydTu uFSS d
few weeks ago, somebody remarked
hat two other fires were sure to follow
within a short time. His theory was
that Waterbury fires, like New England
railroad accidents, never come singly.,l
Last night the second great fire oc-l
CURED ! and it was the most destructive
in tile history of Waterbury.
At 11:45 o'clock people living in the
West End, were awakened, by the sharp
of engines on theHNew Eng
land road. A minute or two later an
alarm was rung from box 4, at the cor
ner of Willow and West Main streets,
and this was followed by an alarm
from No "a, the private box of the
Waterbury Brass company.
The fire department responded with |
great promptness, but when they ar
rived the scene was one to appal the
stoutest heart. The entire rolling and |
wire mill plant of the Waterbury Brass |
company was mass of roaring flames |
How the fire gained such Roadway is a |
mystery. James English and William
G. Kenney were on duty as watchmen,
and the former says that ten minutes
before the fire was dlscovere he was in
the building and everything was all
right. He was in the boiler room when
he saw the blaze shooting up
through the muffie room. There were
six muffles and fires were kept burning
continuously.
When the first alarm sounded, Chief
Snagg, who has been grip sufferer for
bed and not expose himself by going
out into the damp night air. Almost
Immediately he was notified by Tele-
phone Operator Remington of the
magnitude of the fire. The chief hest
tsted no longer, but started for the
scene with a rush and sent out general
alarm. The fremen worked with
will, but all that could be done
was to save the surrounding
buildings from destruction. The
flames eat their way through the roof,
astonishing rapidity. The fiercest blaze
was In the engine room, two story
structure abutting the east side.
| It burned like tender. In the building
were two engines of $50 horse power
each, dynamo for electric lighting and
fire pump. The main building was
300 feet long, seventy five feet wide and
one story high, with a sloping roof.
Efforts to save the machine shop, south
of the mill, proved unsuccessful. 1t fell
with a crash just as the clocks were
striking the first morning hour.
Hundreds of people viewed the spec
tacle. The bridge over the New Eng
land road tracks, leading to the factory
yard, was crowded, and every place of
vantage on the surrounding hills was
occupied. Shortly after the flames
reached the engine room two loud eX-
plosions were heard and the crowd fell
back for minute, believing that there
was powder stored somewhere in the
building. There was no danger from
this source, however, as the powder
house is isolated from the other build
ings and the cartridge factory is located
several hundred feet from the rolling
mill. Just before the engine room col
lapsed crowd of spectators sat on a
bank a few feet away. They were
warned by the firemen that the wall
was giving way and left their danger
Gus position. A minute later the wall
fell outward and the place where the
men had stood was covered with bricks
and debris.
In speaking of the fire this morning
Treasurer Steele of the company said
that in all probability it was
caused by sparks lodging in the dust
from the muffles, which burned fiercely
causing the fire to spread rapidly. Nc
blame is attached to Watchman Eng
fish. He is an old and faithful employe
of the company, in whom the officers
place full confidence. There were POS
| tAIC HILL, LuOoO vi
whom will be thrown out of work tenn
porarily. AS many as room can be
made for will be provided with places al
the east mill, while the burned building
is being rebuilt,
, The entire plant of the company il
covered by a blanket insurance aggre
eating more than half million dollars
The loss by fire is estimated at $3.50, 900
covered by insurance of S187, 900 divided
: among the following companies: Etna
Hartford, Phoenix, Connecticut anC
National of Hartford; Germania, German
American, Niagara and Citizens of New
York; Fire Association, Pennsylvania
NorthAmerica of Philadelphia; Firemen'
Fund of California; Providence anC
Merchant of Providence; Springfield O
Springfield. Mass; Queen Imperial
Guardian, Worcestershire, London ant
Mort British of London; Hamburger ant
Bremen of Hamburger.
NOTES.
The last great fire in Waterbur,
occurred about twelve years ago, whei
a large part of the Holmes, Booth {
3 Haydens plant was destroyed, entailin,
8 a loss of $138, 900.
! Many of the men employed in tn
: mill knew nothing about the fire unit
they arrived on the scene this morning
! some having dinner pals on their arms
+ There are seven immense boilers il
l the boiler house, which was saved
a 1.-Two of them arc in Use to-day SIInDlv