The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-08-25
AN EARLY MORNING FIRE
MI CHINE SHOP OF GEORGE M.
MACKENZIE GUTTED.
Fire Broke Out in the Basement of the
Building at the Rear of the Leader
Office and for Time Looked Danger
Ous--Was Hard to Get At-Nine Horses
of j. ID. DeweIl d. Co. in Danger -
Flames COnfine ed to One building.

A fire broke out this morning about
1:30 O'Clock in the basement of George
M. MacKenzie's machine shop, situated
in the rear Of the Leader building, 61
1t looked as though the flames would
make their way to the Leader building
and to the stables of j. D. Dewell C
Co., which adjons the building in which
the fire broke out.
MacKenzies shop is in a two-story
brick building apart from the Leader
building. Up to an early hour this
morning the origin of the fire was un-
known Owing to the extreme difficulty
the firemen experienced in reaching the
flames, the fire gained considerable
headway before a stream could be
played on it. One hose was run through
the second story of the Leader building,
another through the alley way under
the building and still another through
the Crown street entrance to the rear.
Doors were smashed and windows
were broken in an attempt to locate the
flames, which, later 1t was seen, were
confined entirely to the basement of
MacKenzie's shop The smoke was SO
dense that the firemen were almost
blinded at first.
Shortly after the fire broke out a
rush was made for the stables of J. D.
Dewell & Co.. where nine of the COM
pany's horses are kept The flames
licked through one Of the windows over
the horses heads and 1t is a great Won
der that the hay just above was not
ignited.
Four stablemen and boys, who We're
awakened by the alarm, got the horses
out in safety and they were taken to
Nesbit's stables on Temple street. The
flames were kept from this building
with the greatest difficulty.
Adjoining the fired building is one
occupied by the New Haven Mirror
company, but aside from a few smashed
windows and little scorching the dam
age to that place was little
The Leader building was in imminent
danger shortly after the flames broke
out, but the efforts of the firemen kept
the flames from doing any damage
there.
The basement and first floor of the
building occupied by Machinist Mac
hSllLlG Nelt bOlllpiSNClJ SuetCd Gnu VIC
damage will doubtless be heavy.
Chief Fancher said a 2:30 this morn.
ing that the fire was nearly out and
that as far as he knew there had been
no injuries. He was unable to account
for the cause of the fire.
The flames were discovered by Tom
Madden and Edward Hogben, who
were coming up Crown street to
Orange. Madden happened to see
flames as he looked in the direction of
the burning building and Immediately
the two ran to the corner of State and
Orange streets and pulled box %.
On running back to the scene of the
fire Madden saw that it was centered in
a bad quarter and he broke in the gate
at the Orange street driveway before
the firemen reached the scene. BY the
time the firemen arrived the flames
were shooting up an elevator shaft al
the rear Of the Leader building, but
looked more dangerous than they really
were.
The left front wheel of No. is engine |
came off as the steamer was coming
down Crown street, to the fire The |
wheel was put on again in a short time,
with no damage to the engine.
The police service at the fire was |
something abominable, Sergeant Crock /
er in charge losing his head entirely |
and thus serving to rattle the men. The |
newspaper men were hustled out of the
ropes without regard to their fire |
badges, Sergeant Crocker throwing a
crowd of three or four out bodily. This
excited the patrolmen, who acted as if |
they had never officiated at fire be-