The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1902-02-08
BLAZE BRINGS Ruin.
The Business Center of Waterbury,
Conn.,, Swept by Fire.
Many Blocks In Ashes-The Losses
Will Aggregate Fully @2,OOO,-
OOO-Militia Called Out
to Guard Streets.

Waterbury, Conn, Feb. 3, 4 a. M
With a gale blowing at the rate of Sc
miles an hour, the City of Waterbury
spent the night battling for life. Be-
ginning at seven o'clock with gen
eral alarm, to which the local depart
ment was slow in responding, calling
for help from it's immediate neigh
bors among Connecticut cities three
hours later, and ending with general
call upon the fire departments OF
southern New England municipalities,
the city kept up an unequal and losing
fight. y
Loss About s2,OOO,0OO.
The total loss will be in the neigh
borhood Of $2,0OO,Ooo, unless the fire,
which is now practically under con-
troll, starts up anew, which Is not like
ly, as most of the big buildings are
gone.
The state militia is guarding the
town. and many thieves have been ar
rested while trying to rob residences
temporarily deserted.
In a panic caused by the fire there
were many rumors of accidents and
fatalities. but at the Waterbury hos
pital it was said that no accidents nor
deaths had been reported there.
Under Control at 3,3O am.
The fire at $3.50 was under control.
with modcrating wind. The flames are
not out by any means, though it is be-
lieved they can now be confined within
the area already burned.
Till midnight it seemed as if little
more than 100000 would be the to-
tai. The entire business section of
the city is wiped out, and the fire
fighters are limiting their efforts to
simply preserve the immense brass
manufactures across the Naugatuck
river and the residential sections.
Starts In q Dry Goods store.
The fire had its origin in burst Of
fame and smoke and terrific explo-
sion on the third floor of the Reid &
Hughes Dry Goods company's FIVE
story building in Bank street al $3.50
o'clock Sunday night, and half an hour
later it had swept beyond the brick
walls that interviewed and was roarin z
through half dozen other structures
on the same side Of the street. Then
the wind carried the flames across the
road, over the heads Of the frmen. and
ignited three big buildings on the oppo-
site side of the thoroughfare. From
there II gained another street, and
marching on. whirling around corners
and mounting over roofs, soon threat
ened TO destroy the better part Of the
entire city.
Cities Send Relief.
The Waterbury fire department
found itself helpless 10 cope with the
danger and urgent appeals were sen;
TO neighboring cities. Engines from
New Haven, Naugatuck, Bridgeport
Torrington, Providence and other
nearby points were loaded on fat cars
and sent 10 the stricken city at a rate
of speed that eclipsed the usual time
for passenger trains. With even these
requirements it was found difficult
task TO stop the work Of destruction.
When the flames jumped from the
Lilly building 10 the Jones & Morgan
establishment the local fire depart
ment sent its first appeal for help from
outside the city. The message was
still on the wires when the wind hat
carried the flames across the street
and fired the buildings over there.
Destruction Spreads.
Bank street, with South, Main and
Grand streets. forms triangle at this
point Of the city, and by nine o'clock
every section of the three-cornered
formation was at the mercy of the
flames. The old post office, the Frank
lin hotel and its annex, the old Water
bury American building, the plant of
the New England Engineering COM
pany, the Masonic temple, O'Connor's
block, the McGrath building, the Judd
and Ashworth blocks, Contin Broth
ers, the Boston Furniture company,
the Bronson block and dozen other
buildings lighted up one after the other
with the dull glow that marked the
progress Of the fire.
Some of the Losses
At midnight the losses and principal
firms who suffered most heavily were:
Reid & Hughes ........................$ 500 900
Jones & Morgan, clothing. ....... $4,000
j. Il. Mulling a Sons ..,.,....,,,,.,. 100 900
Canon WahGtnr gtn