The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-04
THE HELOSSs3,OOO,OOO
FLAMES RACED FoR TEN HOURS IN
WATERBURY.
A SECOND FIRE YESTERDAY
HEART OF BUSINESS DISTRICT A
MASS OF RUINS.

Rest Portion of the City Almost
Wiped Out-Tiamcs From the
Great CoRHnEration Had Hardly
Died Down when the Scovill
House Was Found to BE on Fire
and the City became Almost Panic
Stricken--Mnny Rushed Ont Into
the Icy Night.
Waterbury. Conn, Feb. S.-The sun
rose this morning on a blackened and
smoldering mass of ruins that marked
the main business section of the city.
There is a very strong suspicion that
the fire which completely destroyed the
Scovill House to-day. burning thous-
ands of dollars worth of furniture and
personal effects. imperilling many
lives, and the work of an incendiary.
The fire originated in the pool and
billiard room in the basement of the
burned district. The room was locked
and no one was supposed to be there.
No fire was kept in the room, all heat
being supplied from boiler in another
part of the building.
Manager Truman said at the police
station, while the fire was still raging,
that he had not the slightest doubt it
was of incendiary origin. No one
could be found to explain it's origin
and the authorities have been quietly
investigating.
The fire came so close on the heels
of the big conflagration that the thou
sands of spectators who witnessed it
were thrown into more complete
panic than the original fire caused. The
fire had only begun to die out along
Bank and South Main streets at 4
o'clock, when flames leaped upwards
as by magic and people feared the city
was doomed after ALL The call was
rung in promptly and the engines that
hurried to the scene turned their at
tention mainly to preventing the spread
of the flames. 1t was evident that the
hotel was doomed and If the fire had
reached the adjacent buildings there
would have been very little hope of
saving the center of the city. The fire
burned far into the day and was not
extinguished until evening. The loss on
the hotel will reach S150,D00
For ten hours last night and this
morning flames famed by high wind
held sway over the business portion of
this city causing loss that will ex-
ceed 81. .000. 900.
The best portion of the city, forming
a triangle bounded on the north by Ex-
change Place, on the west by Bank
street, on the south by Grand street,
M rNtz ar% 49,
was almost wiped out.
Work of the Flames.
The first fire, which started in the
big store of the Reid and Hughes
Dry Goods Company, on Bank street,
was not considered under control un-
til about $3000,000 worth of property
had been destroyed About the time
the firemen supposed they had the
flames under control second fire
broke out in the Scovil House. the
city's leading hotel, remodeled by the
late Judge E. G. Lewis few years
ago, at an expense of about $4,000,
and the establishment was com
pletely wrecked. The occu-
pants of the hotel were forced
to seek the street in their night
clothes. With the ringing of a second
alarm the entire city was thrown into
a panic. There was fierce gale blow
ing and sparks from the burning hotel
We're driven In lurid showers over
great area. The occupants Of buildings
located in the path of the wind pre-
pared to leave. Although the Water
bury fire department was reinforced
from near by cities it was for a time
impossible to stay the progress of the
flames. The fire in It's entirety burned
over Tour acres OF the city's best bus
mess section. Among the prominent
buildings totally destroyed are the
block occupied by the Reid and Hughes
Drygoods Company the plant of the
Waterbury American, the Masonic
Temple, the Scovill and Franklin Ho-
tells the w. l.. Douglas Shoe Com
pany. the Johnson block the Salvation
Army Working Mems Home. ana
scores of other buildings. In all about
one hundred of the most prominent
business houses are burned out.
Conditions Hard on Firemen.
Rarely have firemen been Obliged TO
contend against worse conditions than
those which prevailed from first to last
in this disastrous confiagratfon. The
wind was blowing gale and the cold
was intense. 1t seemed at one time as
though every structure In the heart OF
the city would be destroyed. In some
instances the work of the firemen
proved OF avail The Waterbury Bank
building. at the corner Of Bank and
Grand streets, was saved although The
New England Engineering Company's
$4,000 building but a few feet away.
and the Masonic Temple, on the north
side Of the bank building, were wiped
out of existence. During the night the
Mayor was In communication with Gov.
Mclean and the militia was called out.
Companies and G, numbering about
120 men, were detailed about the fire
district, and are still on duty
The city is now practically under
martial law, the blue uniforms OF the
Guardsmen appearing on every
side. Details are changed every two
hours. The arnory the City Hall, the
churches and other public places have
been turned into temporary shelters
hundreds being rendered homeless.
The scene about the city to-day was
only little less remarkable than that or
the previous evening. Thousands OF
people stumbled around the icy streets,
and with the greatest difficulty We're
restrained by the militia and police
from yenturing within the danger lines.
A revised list OF losses and insurance
is very difficult 10 obtain az this time.
Few know just what the loss was on
their buildings and stock. II IL be-
lieysd that when the truth n known
the figures given above viii not be far
from the correct estimate.
No Loss Of Life.
The remarkable feature Of the fire
was undoubtedly the absence, 70 far as
known. Of loss Of life. Two men who
were asleep IN the ScOyill House
Charles " Kent Of the Holmes. Booth