The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-12-09
OBLIGED TO CALL FOR HELP
ENGINE AND FIRElrEN SENT TO RIDGEFIELD ON 4 SPECIAL TRAIN.

I-'UANH ~ HND FLhtL~ihA1 SE' 1N RIDGEFIELD ON 4 SPECIAL TRAIN. teotlon the Entire Business Portion of Ridgefield in Danger of Destruction
 Telephone Operator Was oliged to Aban-
 don His Office.
 | Rldgefield, Dec S.-The biggest fire that has ever visited this town broke out at $50 tonight and because of the absolute lack of fire protection soon assumed the proportions of a conflag- ration which threatened to consume the entire business portion of the town.
 The fire originated in the big wooden block owned by G. $, Gage and To- cated on Main street. The building is three stories high and there is no larger building in Ridgefeld. It is sur rounded on all sides by other wooden buildings and the flames found great material upon which to prey The fire originated in the place of business of Bediend & Mead and gained headway with q rapidity which was appalling. It soon spread to adjoining buildings and nothing could be done to check the progress of the flames.
 Almost the whole town population was on the scene and at Il o'clock the excitement was intense Bediend & Mead were Soon burned out and the Western Union Telegraph company's S office was also ruined The business occupants in adjoining buildings be- places and the streets were piled with all sorts of articles. Directly across the street was the town hall and the office of the Ridgefield Press, news paper. Ex-Governor Lounsbury's s house is not far distant. The country was lighted up for miles around.
 Shortly after Il o'clock the flames had completed their work on the Gage block, nothing but ashes and chGrred timbers remaining. The correspondent of the Connecticut Associated Press. whose only mode of communication was by telephone, labored under the great est difficulties, as it became necessary to move the contents of the office. No estimate can be placed on the loss. At 11:15 the fire leaped across the street to the town hall and soon was making it's way to the Press office.
 The Gage block was located on the corner of Main street and Bailey ave nue. Adjacent to the block is a small frame building in which was located the Western Union Telegraph compa- ny. Then came the grocery store of Barhite & Walden and a residence. These buildings were burned before Il o'clock. Down Bailey avenue and to the rear of Cages block was a plumb ing shop and a row of wooden build ings recently built. These were de- stroyed On the opposite corner of Main street and Bailey avenue was located the town hall, The flames leaped across the street and devoured this. In the rear of the town hall was Scott's stable, big new wooden building, and this was destroyed On the other side of the town hall and on Main street was the Ridgefield Press, and in order a res- idence and two stores, one occupied by MT. Gilbert and the other by Iibbart &s Sherwood, fish dealers. In Gilberts S store the central station of the South ern New England Telephone company was located Opposite the town hall on another of the four corners is the Meth odist church and parsonage and the Ridgefeld Inn.
 At 12 o'clock the New Haven corr4- spondant of the Connecticut Associated Press. who was in communication with the New Haven office Iby telephone, an- nounced that he was compelled to aban- don the telephone central station, to- gether with the operator and others. It is therefore supposed that the Ridge field Press building, residence, two stores and a barber shop, located be- tween the town hall and the telephone office, have been destroyed.
 Danbury, Dec. 8.--At 11:45 a special train carrying a fire engine, a corps of ffremen and one thousand feet of hose, in charge of Chief Lounsbury left this city for Ridgefield, the scene of the big fire General Superintendent Baker had instructed a corps of telephone con- nection men to hasten to Ridgefield, where a new station will be established speedily and communication with the outside world reopened.