Morning journal and courier., 1893-12-16
YESTERDAYS BIG FIRE.

ThOusand DOll8fs-The 1nsurances
 The Blair Building Blaze-Its Origin a Mystery-Many Business Firms Burned out Thousande View she Ruins. Another of those mysterious fires, the origin of which is unknown, destroyed the entire interior of the Blair building at 65 Orange street yesterday morning, nothing but the walls and badly burned and wrecked roof remaining.
 The fire had reached from bottom to top of the building before it was discovered, and the blaze spoke for itself to all parts of the city. Robert Steinmetz, young man who sleeps in the building, entered there about 6 o'clock yesterday morning He walked into the rooms of Russell & Go. He heard the cracking of boards. Looking through the door he saw the flames over the entire hallway. He rushed down the stairs to ring an alarm. Bank Watchman Cook had also seen the flames. He reached the fire alarm box before MT. Steinmetz and sent in an alarm.
 The fire department responded very quickly. A second alarm, and then gen sral alarm followed in rapid succession The entire fire department was called out ! for the first time sincs the rubber shep fire ! sixteen years ago.
 When Chief Kennedy reached the scene | the whole second story was in flames and | the fire had extended to the third story, ! while from the cellar 8 bright glare was ! seen, which indicated that the fire had gone down ae we'll as up. ! Up to the time of the arrival of No. 3 ' %hA Aoy hol ,,0&H Hv,,a fr, kloL L.iI but scarcely had the fremen of No. 9 got in front of the structure when there came 8 sudden deafening explosion, the flames bursting forth from the windows and send ing flying mass of debris over the fre- | men and horses, the principal ingredient of which was the glass from the front win dows. Several of the 6remen were slightly cut, but the horses did not escape so easily. A large piece of glass struck one of the horses, cutting deep gash, so severe that it was necetsary to take the animal to a also slightly injured, but not so badly as the other.
 Chief Kennedy arranged the streams so that they poured into the burning build ing from front and rear. Some of the en- zines were stationed on State street, and lines of hose were run through to the rear of the fire. The aerial tower was placed in front of the Armstrong building, and from the top stream was sent into the burning building.
 The flames ragged for fully an hour, light ing up the sky for many miles around. The elevator shaft which is in the north eastern part of the building made an i'm msnse draft hole for the fire The flames were not extinguished until everything except the walls were consumed.
 About o'clock several of No. 2's hose m oY1 afo in &ha oil at t1o south side of the building playing a stream through the second story window. Sud denly an explosion was heard on the top story and sheets of flame burst forth every few moments from the top story window with peculiar hiesing sound. The fire men beat nasty retreat to the west eide of Orange street from which vantage ground the sheets of flame looked very pretty.
 the room was occupied. The first floor was given up to J. O. Kababian, dealer in rugs and mats, and who but recently came to this city, and the under taking establishment of R. 6 J. M Blair. The second story was occupied by the New Haven Evening Leader company, O. D. Kinney & Son, builders, F. O. Lum and Russell & Keppel, printing office. The third floor was occupied by ! CiaIeuco h. nyoer, pIiuteE; CuttAss I Bradley, bookbinders, blank book manu- lecturers and stationary dealers, and the temperance rooms which were opened dur ing the crusade of Temperance Orator Murphy. The top floor was occupied by International Christian Workers assooia- tiou, of which Rev. John 0. Collins is the head. The garret, between the fourth floor and the roof, was used for storage purposes. The basement was occupied by 0. W. Rawson, the sign painter.
 R. q J. M. Blair, the undertakers, which is practically Lewis 6 Maycock, the latter firm having bought out the former firm some time ago, will lose about $2, 500; upon which there was an insurance which will cover the loss.
 George A. Maycock and George N. Lewis were both at the fire. They entered the office and opened the safe, taking all the valuables they thought necessary. Just ss the safe was closed they heard crash, Both made rush for the street, jumping out of the front window. Just as they reached the sidewalk the big press of 0. H. Ryder crashed through the floor from the