Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1902-02-07
. Loss OF $4,000, 900!

iLAn0e AnEA Vt BUSINESS SEC'
TIoN OF WATERBURY, CONN,
b y BURNED OVER.
Fully Hundred of the Leading Bust
ness Houses Wiped Out by the Con.
hagration and Scores Of Families
Rendered AomeIess-MiIitia compa.
MES Called Out and the City Praeti.
caIly Placed Under Martial Law.
Waterbury, Conn.,, Feb. 4.-For 10
hours flames famed by a high wind
held sway over the business portion
of this city, causing a loss that will
exceed $3,000.000.' The best business
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 on the
east by South Main street was almost
wiped out. 49,
The first fire, which started in the
big store of the Reid & Hughes Dry
Goods company on Bank str was
not considered under control until
about 100000 worth of property had
been destroyed. Then a second fire
broke out in the Scovil House, the
city's leading hotel, remodeled by the
late Judge E. y. Lewis few years ago
at an expense of about $4,000, and
this establish ment was completely
wrecked. The occupants of the hotel
were forced to seek the street in their
night Clothes
With the ringing of a second alarm
the city was thrown into panic.
There was fierce gale blowing and
sparks from the burning hotel were
driven in lurid showers over a great
area. The occupants of buildings To-
| Gated in the path of the wind prepared
to leave. Although the Waterbury fire
department was reinforced from near
by 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 com
pany, the plant of the Waterbury
American, the Masonic temple the SEQ
vii and Franklin Houses, the w. L.
Douglas Shoe company and the Saliva
ton Army Workingmen's home. In
all about 100 leading business houses
are burned out
| Severe Task for Firemen.
Rarely have fremen been obliged to
! contend against a worse conditions
than those which prevailed from first
to last in this disastrous conf1agration
The wind was blowing q gale and the
I cold was intense. It seemed at one
time as though every structure in the
4 heart of the city would be destroyed
but in some instances the work of the
firemen was availing. The Waterbury
bank building, at the corner of Bank
and Grand streets, was saved. although
the New England Engineering com
pany's $4,000 building, but few feet
away, and the Masonic temple, on the
north side of the bank building, were
consumed. During the night the mayor
was In communication with Governor
| 4sANAL(0A eAAIu LAO ulA1AI4fI "0l0 Galley
out. Companies A and G, numbering
about 100 men, were detailed about
the fire district and are still on duty
The city is now practically: under mar
tia1 law. The armory, the city hall
the churches and other public places
have been turned into temporary shell
tiers, hundreds being rendered home
less. The moral effect of this fire upor
Waterbury will be farreaching. Ar
Associated Press correspondent asked
Mayor Ki1duff if he~would call for fl
nancial aid from outside cities. The
mayor said:
Waterbury. although suffering a
grievous blow, will take care Of her
self, though extremely grateful fo~ tn:
expressions of sympathy that ka7;
poured in on every side.''
At $3.50 a. m. the entire fire depart
ment was on duty, the danger being By
no means passed. The Scovil House
was still burning and adjoining build
ings were in danger. The building.
in the track of the earlier fire are still
burning.
The loss by burning of the scovi
House will reach $150,000. There ar,
rumors of incendiarism in connection
} with the burning of this property. Fo
time. the fire threatened to sprea.
from the Scovil House to the cit,
hall. but that beautiful and cost,
structure was saved.
L