Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-04-10
LlLLBY'S BLOCK BURNED.
\ FIRE THAT BURNED FIERcELY
 FOR FOUR HOURS.

Being the GreaeesS Sunerers-The WOrk
 of the Fire Department Severely Criti- l
 cised-The Blaze Discovered in Architect Jackson's Omce-Cause Not Known. At S:45 yesterday afternoon an alarm of fire from box No 3, in Exchange place, brought three fire companies and thousands of people into the center of the city, to find the handsome Lilley block on fire. Lines of hose were quickly laid and carried up the stairs to the third floor, to the office rooms of Architect J. A. Jackson, where the blaze had been located by the fremen. The flames had worked through, how ever, to the elevator shaft in the north east corner of the building, from a closet in Mir Jackson's office and shot up the shaft. The smoke and flames drove the chief and firemen out of the building and this stream was brought to play on the front.
 The inside of the Lilley building was way of fire. The offices, stores, etc, opened from a center on each floor and a regular shaft was thus formed to the top floor. When the flames, therefore, had worked through the first partition they were practically free to do as much romplng as they pleased, and romp they Idid. On the top floor the new business college of Bliss 6 Harrington took up the entire front, making a large open hall, several windows in which had been left open. These openings helped draw the flames towards the top of the building.
 Chief Snagg realized now that more men and apparatus were needed and sent out the second call, bringing the remaining hose companies to the scene
 The fire burned freely in the front of the building and apparently out of the reach of the streams of water that were aimed at it. A lIne was raised over the , south side of the Masonic temple and on to the roof of the burning block by Protector Hose company's men, . while members of the Brass City com
 pany climbed up the rear of the Bron-
 son building, pulled up their hose and got to work. The flames in the rear
 were shooting out of all the top windows and burning tiercely.
 Fears were entertained for the safe'y y 7 which is located the Fourth Nationa B bank. R. N. Blakeslee, with one of his e large trucks and force of men drove !, Iup Bank street bound to remove the s safe and valuables of the bank, but wert l, forced back by the firemen and wen n around to the rear of the block and be n gan work. MT Blakeslee had succeeded e in driving his truck within the fir, 7. lines, being nearly dragged from hi
 across the chest. Chief Snagg ant
 Chief of Police Egan "held up" tn
 truckman and threatened to arrest hin
 if he did not drive outside the ropes. v Considerable talk was caused abou
 the action of No steamer. The rule O -e the department is that the steamers shal le locate at the corner of the green at
 frAK hN SnF d messenger to the engineer of No 2 tellin ct him to take the steamer to the corner c Id Grand and Canal streets. By some mis ) take the engine was taken to the corne le of Grand and Field streets and the mis l, take was not noticed for some time. le A ladder was placed against the iron I; of the building early in the fire and tn Id men were told not to go up uutil the ,h received further orders. The front | or the building was deemed dangerous ot life and the chief ordered the laddt ne moved further up the street. "Th at streams playing on the front" said tf he fire marshall, "did not amount to mucl e, because there was not sufficient ore n: sure, but we had all the lines that W u- could use in other portions of the bull, nd ing. Those streams showed what W d. have to fight fire with in high buil n. ings."
 at George l. Lilley severely criticise n- the work of the fire department. | sic declared that the building might hay
 been saved, and indeed that seems to oo the general opinion of men of jud of ment. The firemen were there in lare on numbers, but to all appearances we
 not properly directed. Somebody scene to be badly "rattled" and instead making general attack upon Jackson ng office, where the fire was discovered, tl
 water was wasted in washing the wi ve dows in the front of the building.
 ill The origin of the fire is unknow ts. Two of Architect Jackson's employe a A. Lecroix and Frank Merwin, were
 the office a few minutes before u uc alarm rung. It was suggested that ol w. of them may have carelessly dropped
 lighted match or spark from a cigaret
 among the papers in the closet adjoi M ,a0 ing the elevator shaft. Both assel however, that this is not so.
 It was after 7 o'clock when the rect pig was sounded, so difficult was it to e en tinguish every spark.
 The Lilley block is owned by Geor as L. and Anna Lilley and was built of 1890 at cost of about $50, ,000. The lC ay. on the building is estimated by S. yes Williams to be about $30,000 and it re- insured for $40, ,000. Mir Williams had ch, ten years lease of the entire structu Iell above the first floor, with the privile he of purchasing at the end of that time.
 The firm of Reid & Hughes suffer t ,ed greatest loss. The stock carried inve
 toried $100.OOO, on which there W
 $72 2,0O0 insurance. Mrs E. J. Weller
 Co.'S stock of millinery was thorough
 soaked; the loss is estimated
 $2, ,5O0, and fully insured. Archite
 J. A. Jackson puts his loss
 g ,O00 and no insurance. The sens
 billiard parlors suffered 5000 loss, M. Capron says, which is only partially
 sured. Printer w A Gill estimates his lC
 at $50; no insurance. The offices of t
 Sunday Herald are damaged about $4
 Dr Springs loss is estimated at $500;
 surance $450. Professor J. E. Bartlet
 music studio, loss $2,5OO; partly
 sured. John Hancock, Life Insurar
 company, loss $400; fully insur,
 George Robarts, loss $200, no insuran
 Ernest w. Taylor, watchmalxer, lt
 $4OO; no insurance. s. B. Terry, l.
 $500; insured. Benjamin SedgwiC
 Nohfrt fockorv locc &S00. ;0eur