The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-02-05
A SERIOUS FIRE In NORWICH
HOPKINS e ALLEN CO.'S EXTENSIVE
BUILDINGS DESTROYED.
Also Number Of Adjacent Buildings
Causing Total Estimated Loss of
saO0, 0,o0o-A 81, 500, 900 Fire In st. Louis
-Drycoods Houses Heavy Losers-A
Fireman Kulcd-Four Firemen In
jured In Chicago.
jured In Chicago.

| Norwich, Conn, Feb 4.--One of the
most severe fires that ever visited this
city took place this morning and re-
suited in the destruction Of the extern
sive factory of the Hopkins & Allen
Arms company, and some adjacent
building causing an estimated loss OF
S40O, 900. The Arms company had but
$780, 900 insurance, which will not half
cover their loss. The origin of the fire
is unknown, but is thought to have
resulted from an oil tank exploding.
AS the ruins were so hot during the
entire day it was impossible to make
any investigation as to the cause OF
the fire. The company manufactures
rifles, revolvers and shot guns and
gave employment to $50 hands, with an
annual payroll of $350,000. Members of
the company were unable to state to-
night what their plans for the future
were, but should they decide to rebuild
it would be nearly two years before a
new factory would be in operation. The
chief delay would be in getting the
special machinery built that they re-
quire
The fire was discovered shortly after
6 o'clock by Watchman Skelley. He
was on the second floor at the time and
and started to run to the rear of the
building to connect the fire hose. He
was driven back, however by the dense
smoke and were it not for timely assist
ance he would have suffocated in the
Building He was taken out in an al
most unconscious condition. Some
passersby noticed the fire and sent in
the alarm. When Chief Greeneberg ar
rived the fire threatened to assume such
serious proportions that general alarm
was sent in calling out the entire fire
department.
The building was a brick structure
az stories high, 200 feet long and about
75 feet frontage on Willow street
There were also several ellis to it. The
factory had been built many years and
the various floors were oilsoaked so
that when the flames acquired headway
the entire building burned like tinder,
and the flames spread very rapidly. In
a southerly direction they were driven
across Willow street and set fire to a.
brick building owned by Max Gordon, a
junk dealer, who occupied the center of
it, while on one side was the livery of
w. r. Carver and on the other a drug
store owned by e. A. Small. The build
ing was practically gutted. In the
easterly direction the flames crossed
Franklin street and three wooden build
ings owned by J. P. Kingsley of Plain
Vile were considerably damaged. One
Of the buildings was occupied by J. p.
liveryman, while the two
others were tenement houses. The
flames did not spread to the north or
west as there We're no buildings near
by. The fire was SO intensely hot that |
the firemen could do but little to check
1t. Portions of the walls fell in short
Iy before noon, and other dangerous
portions were torn down under the di- |
rection of the street department. Dy- |
Mantle was used on one OCCASION and |
a flying brick struck Abraham Hyman,
a ten year old lad, on the forehead and |
fractured his skull. He was taken to
the hospital, where it was stated that
The injury was fatal.