The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-02-04
THE WIRE MILL DESTROYED
Continued From First Page.)

red roof. Those persons who arrived ol
 the scene early say that this tarred roo
 soon caught fire and that the fame
 then seemed to leap along the tarret
 roofing and soon enveloped all that par
 of the plant.
 A strange circumstance is the fac
 that three barrels of engine oil whicf
 were in the engine room were charret
 and the slaves of the barrels nearly
 burned through but notwithstanding
 this the oil did not catch fire. Abou
 5:30 in the morning a number of barrels
 of oil in the cleaning room exploded
 with a loud report and the flames sho
 high in the air. causing the hundreds o1
 people who had gathered on the side
 hill back of the works to scatter and
 run back towards Fairmount avenue
 away from the fire,
 It was remarked yesterday that all
 though there was said to be steam
 pressure on of 50 pounds the salt water pumps were not set to work to throw streams upon the blaze. The Annex firemen were complaining yesterday af-
 ternoon that they could get no water
 with which to fight the fire. They as-
 Eerted that the water supply was cut
 off, This statement seems, however, to be disposed of by one made by an off cial of the New Haven Water company
 last night. This official said that the
 National Wire corporation had for the
 last year wanted an addition to it's
 water supply and had communicated
 with the water company concerning the | m a 1nfi
 however, until last Monday, when MT.
 Hitchcock, of the wire corporation, | telephoned to the water company and said that an increased supply was
 wanted. He was informed by water company officials that if the wire mill was shut down Saturday larger sup Iply of water would be connected with the mill. Accordingly the mill was shut down Saturday and employees of | the water company put in new six | inch pipe connection, branching from the main on Fairmount avenue. This | work was completed at 6 o'clock Sat urday night and the supply was turned on. After the work was completed Su- perintendent Dillon, of the water con- pany, and Superintendent Jacobs, of the wire mill tried the hydrants connected with the newly laid supply pipe and found that, the supply worked very sat isfactorily with two streams. The ex- planation of the apparent inadequate supply yesterday morning is this: No. 5 engine was attached to the hydrants at the corner of Fairmount avenue and Mill street and in consequence the sup ply which went to the private hyrdants at the mill below, where the Annex company attached hose, was small and the pressure there weak. The pressure there, if not interfered with by other causes, as it was by No. engine be- ing attached above the mill, is about 60 pounds, more by 20 pounds than the pressure in the central part of the city, this pressure being due to the fact thta the mill locality Is just at the base of the hill on which the Annex reservoir is situated.
 Portions of the walls of the mill fell yesterday and it is thought that the walls left standing are in such weak ened condition that they cannot be re- paired The main building was erected about twenty years ago by the New Ha-
  chased partly from the old chemical works company but for the most part from the old Bushnell shipyard proper ty. Since then the buildings have been added to at intervals and when the National Wire corporation secured pos- session of the property extensive addi- tions and improvements were made.
 There was an insurance of s360, ,000 on the property and in addition to this there was an insurance of s110,000 on what is known as the use and oecu- pancy. The insurance was placed | the agencies of John c. North | and Charles Wilson & Co.,. of this city. The insurance is placed with about fif- ty different companies and the adjust ment of loss will take some time
 Thousands of New Haven people wis., ited the scene of the fire yesterday. The l ruins were smoking all day and a dark cloud of smoke hovered over the place.
 George R. Wales, president of the Ma tional Wire corporation, and E. B. Web- ster, the treasurer, both Boston gentle men, were informed of the fire by tele- phone yesterday and arrived in New | Haven last night. They were seen at the Garde hotel by representative of he Journal and Courier. Asked as to he probability of the plant being re- built MT. Wales said that that was natter to be decided by the board of directors, a meeting of whom would probably be held within few days. Mr. Webster thought that it was prob- lble that the plant would be rebuilt lnd said that if it was the new one would be built considerably larger than he one which has just been burned. Ie said that the company was rushed with orders and that the output was hree months behind the orders. He aid that the sales last month amount d to $S5, ,000 and that only few weeks go 750 horse power was added. MT. Webster thought that the loss would mount to at least $400,000. About 800 men were employed at the yorks and these are now thrown out ; f work at time of the year when uch misfortune is felt most severely The directors of the corporation are ,eorge F. Armstrong, of Boston, of the ,oston. New York and London banking ( ouse of George D. Armstrong X Co.,, '. B. Casey, Fl. B. Webster and George l !. Wales, all of Boston. MT. Webster aid last night that the corporation was ( n independent concern, not member ( f the American Steel and Wire com- I any. {
 SLIGHT FIRE LAST NIGHT. 2