The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-03
" AT|ERBURY
LAID WASTE
Business Part of Connecticut
Town in Ashes.
LOSS OVER $3,000,000.
Four Acres Burned Over, a Hundred
Firms Suffering.
CITY PUT UNDER MARTIAL LAW
Special Trains From All Over the
State Bring Means to Help
Fight the Fire.

Special Trains From All Over the
State Bring Means to, Help
Fight the Fire. 49,
Waterbury, Conn.,, Feb. 3.-For ten hours
last night and this morning flames famed
by, a high wind held sway over the busi-
ness portion of this city,. causing loss
that will exceed $3,ooo,OOo. The best bust
ness portion of the city, forming triangle
bounded on the north by Exchange place,
on the west by Bank street, on the south
by Grand street and OF the east by South
Main street. was almost wiped out.
The first fire, which started in the big
store Of the Reid & Hughes dry goods
company on Bank street, was not under
control until about $3,000,000 worth of
property had been destroyed. Then a sec
ond fire broke out in the Scoville House,
the citys leading hotel, remodeled by the
late Judge E. c. Lewis few years ago
at an expense of about $75, 900, and this
establishment was completely wrecked.
The occupants of the hotel were forced to-
seek the street in their night clothes.
With the ringing of second alarm the
1S e
was fierce gale blowing and sparks from
the burning hotel were driven in luril
showers over great area. The occupants
Of buildings located in the path of the
wind prepared to leave.
Four Acres Burned Over.
Although theaWaterbury fire department
was reinforced from nearby cities it was
for time impossible to stay the progress
of the flames. The fire burned over four
acres of the city's best business section.
Among the prominent buildings totally
destroyed are the block occupied by the
Reid & Hughes dry goods company, the
plant Of the Waterbury American, the Ma
sonic Temple, the Scoville and Franklin
houses, the w. L. Douglas Shoe COM
pany, the Josnson block and the Salvation
Army workirgmen's home. In all about
100 leading business houses are burned
out. r. 49,,
Rarely have f1remen been obliged to
contend against worse conditions than
those which prevailed from first to last in
this disastrous conflagration. The wind
was blowing a gale and the cold was in
tense. 1t seemed at one time as though
every structure in the heart of the city
would be destroyed, but in some instances
the work of the f1remen was unavailing
The Waterbury bank building at Bank and
Grand streets was saved, although the
New England Engineering company's &c.,,
600 building but a few feet away and the
Masonic Temule on the north side of the
bank building were consumed. 800;
Under Martial Law.
During the night the mayor was in COM
munication with Governor Mclean and
| the militia was called out. Companies A
and G, numbering 12O men, were detailed
about the fire district and are still on
duty. The city is now practically under
| ~ 1s4
the churches and other public places have
been turned into temporary shelters, hun
| dreds being rendered homeless. The moral
effect of the fire upon Waterbury will be
far-reachiug. Mayor Kilduff, being asked
If he would call for financial aid from
outside cities, said:
| Waterbury, although suffering a grievous
blow, will take of herself, although ex-
tremely grateful for the expressions Of SYM
pathy that have poured in on every side.
! At $3.50 a.. m. the entire fire department
was on duty, the danger being by no means
passed. The Sc6ville House is still burn
ing and adjoining buildings are in danger.
The buildings in the track of the earlier
fire are still burning.
J ..>.... The Start.
| The fire broke out almost Simultaneous
ly in the third and first floors of Reid &
| Hughes store. The burning building was
lOCdCeu III Luo Q6kTL OF Inc CITY duu WlLulQ
view Of many residences, which flank the
! city park or commons. The fremen soon
! abandoned any attempt to save the burn
! ing structure and turned their attention
| to adjacent property. 1t was of no avail,
however. Within fifteen minutes the Sal
walton Army barracks to the rear and
westward were burning. From there the
| flames leaped across Bank street and
! wiped out three places of business. A few
! moments later the fire again crossed Bank
street and destroyed the Masonic Temple.
The wind was Of almost hurricane force.
T Appeals for help were wired to
New Haven, Hartford, Bridgeport, Manga
tuck and Winsted. Within an hour special
trains from those, cities were speeding to-
ward Waterbury with apparatus.
The arrival Of help served to inspire
courage, but still the fire continued its
work Of destruction. Meanwhile thieves
took advantage of deserted houses and it
became necessary to order out the mi
lttia. Just as the firemen seemed about
| to stamp out the ire 1t would break Out
! in another place. -. 9 5s
At 2:30 a. m. twenty handsome build
1 ings, occupied on lower floors by stores
and on upper floors by tenements and Of
fees were in ruins. At a: m. the fire.
:, men seemed to be gaining control Of the
\ fire. An hour later many citizens hat
withdrawn to their homes, only to b.
thrown into renewed panic by another
: outbreak, this time In the Scovil houst
: adjacent to the city hall. This fire, it il
stated, originated in the billiard-room ant
is surrounded with mystery. It was no
until 10 o'clock this morning that it wa
definitely felt the fire had been con
81 uuered. The scovil and Franklin hous
ruins were still blazing and in the ruinet
{ district volumes of smoke arose from tn
debris. a..---
Il ~ nQtHiJeH T,osses
: Following are some of the losses, OF
3 buildings only: -@.
Mrs. NJ c.. Bannon, $35, 900; Judd, $35, 900
Richard Ashworth, $4,000; American build
ing, $4,000; w. ]. Schlegal, $4,000; Caslli1
e Bros, $4,000, Edward McGrath, $4,000
: Meigs building, $4,000; r. E. Whitlesey, $50.
600; Estate Nelson Morris, $4,000; Lii
, block, $50, 900; Clark M. Platt, 100000; Plat
: estate, $4,000; O'Connor, $4,000; Greenbur
8 & Buckner, 100000; Charles Miller, $4,000
: John Mullings, 100000; Jones & Morgan
4 $50, 900; New England Engineering company
2 $4,000; Franklin House, $4,000; E. L. JAG
ques, $40, OOO
: The loss by the burning of the scovi
house will reach $150,000. There ar
rumors of incendiarism in connection witt
the burning of this property. For
t | time the fire threatened to spread. from
the Scovil house to the city hall, but tina
4 beautiful and costly structure was saved
r,Ar