Waterbury Democrat., 1902-02-03

surely they began to lick up the build ings on the east side of Bank street and then it became apparent to the spectators that confagration was in progress that 1t would be difficult to stay:
 Directly opposite was the old build | ing at one time occupied by the Amer | ican and known as the old American | building That the flames should l first seize on this building seemed pe- culiar when later the new American building had to suffer | the loss of total destruction | This building was occupied by the l Waterbury Candy company, L. Sinons
 & Go and W. NJ. Cotte1, the florist. on the ground floor. Up stairs on the other floors were many tenants and John Charters. who had many dollars worth of decorations stored there. A barber shop was on the second floor and several offices The building was
 owned by Charles Miller of the firm of Miller & Peck. The estimated
 worth of the property was $5O,OoO and it was insured for two-thirds of that | sum.
 The O'Connor block, next to the old | <AL1ACAlNtu WdS tue -uGALs LO l become ablaze On the first floor of | this building was located the firm of
 Ryan & Fitzmaurice, shoe dealers The | first floor was soon burning furnace
 and the occupants of the floors above made g nasty exit, leaving their be.
 longings to the mercy of the flames. Ryan 6 Fitzmaurice had q stock Of $13O00. with fixtures valued at $1, 800 f YThn firm Tui11 oC +hnrv hoa a ] insurance of only $9O0O. The firm l have secured a store in the Thatcher building on Center street and will at 1 business until the block burnt out is rebuilt
 On the upper floors of this building lived Miss Mary O'Connor, the school
 teacher. Nothing was saved from her apartments and a small insurance was on the furniture. Joe Martucci, the
 tailor, also suffered in this building and his loss is complete, as he had no in-
 surance. Another family also lived in the building and they lost about every thing.
 Below the old American building
 came the Paul Ashefm cigar store and
 barber shop conducted by Ernest
  the Curtiss Art company and Hall the I Jeweler also occupied quarters on the
 first floor. As the building went down
 in ashes their loss is complete, with the
 exception of some insurance, which
 will not near cover the losses. Asheinl
 will be the heaviest loser, as he had but $3,000 insurance on the stock he
 carried.
 Next south of that was the building
 occupied by the Pollak Art company.
 Dr Walters, the dentist and four fami- lies occupied the floors above. The doctor was insured, but the families
 are said to have been not insured. The yPollak company carried some insur- ance, but it is estimated their loss will be between $4,000 and $5.0OO. The next blocks were saved because of the alley way which ran between them and the burning buildings, and by reason of the heroic efforts made by the ire department, who kept men on the roof of the D. T. Hart building and . played stream of water continually } on the burning building north The PolIak building was the last building } burned on the south part of Bank street.
 : North of the old American building the flames had gained good headway and they began to wreck the stores in ? that vicinity. J. B. Mullings 6 Sor , was soon filled with flames and the r building was doomed. The fire sho1 ) out from the front and the rear and : the flames mingled on South Mair l street with those coming from the t burning buildings below. The Null
 lngs building was soon a mass of fire
 and up the stairs shot the flames anc
 the handsome barber shop of George
 kleeber was next ablaze The Senate
 pool rooms on the same floor were soor : gutted and up to the roof sped the fire The Jackson Printing company ant Jackson and Cassidy, attorneys, were : on the third floor and they were soor : in the midst of the flames. On the toE floor were the quarters occupied by the American band. While the bane : loses but little the individual losse. s were very heavy, as many instrument: 5 had been stored there. The loss il g the J. B. Mullings store will amour g to $50,O00, and is partially covered b. I insurance. Kleeber, the barber. wa 2 covered with insurance, but the POI e cups and other private barber supplie a in the shop will have to be borne b. 2 the individual owners
 l Next south of the Mullings building was the Cannon & Webster company