The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-02-03


 ing the city, it appeared that it's vlgor
 was abating. Hope was expressed that
 the worst of the fire was over and that | it would soon be under control. 1 At 12:30 o'clock very conservative estimate placed the loss at $3,000,000 and the chances for gainng control of
 the flames at that hour were very poor
 and the inhabitants of this city are in despair to devise means to subdue the
 flames. The only possible thing which
 suggested itself was the use of dyna- | mite and this was immediately dis missed because it was feared the burn
 ing embers which would be blown about by the explosion would carry the
 flames further out of the reach of the
 firemen and apparatus and men from
 all parts of the state were constantly arriving on special trains and hurried
 to the scene of the fire to assist in the
 work which up to this time had proved fruitless.
 1t was reported that there were nu- merous vandals about laying hands on everything of value in houses whose oc- cupants had deserted to view the flames. A number of arrests were made. The north end of the Franklin house caught fire about 7:30 o'clock. There were few guests in the hotel at the time. Proprietor w. H. Oatley was badly burned while trying to fight the flames A commercial traveller also had narrow escape from being burned to death. The loss on this building is placed at about $10OoO, insured for sS,- goo.
 Losses on buildings reported up to Il clock were as follows: w. H. Camp block, in which was located Reid & Hughes store. $75,000; Masonic Tenn pie, $50,000; O'Connor block s95, ,oOO; Greenberg & Buckner, $3O000; Old American block. Charles Miller owner, $35,OO0; Johnson block S40,0O0; Jones, Morgan & Co.,, clothiers s50,000; J. B. Mulltngs & Son.. clothiers, s1OO, 900; Camp block, in process of demolition, S50,OO0; New England Engineering company, $75, ,oO0 Franklin house, total ly destroyed, S40000; Turkish bath, w. G. Schlegel, proprietor, $2O00O; Jean Jacques block, $40,O00; Mrs w. c. Ban mons block, occupied by Anson Sellew company, $75,000; George E. Judd block, occupied by LaPalmer- Hoffman com pany, $35, LOGO; Ashworth block occupied by E. C. Church company, 3O,O00; Wa terbury American, loss on building, $5000O; Schlitz Brewing company, s9O,- 900; Conlon Bros, S30O0O: Edward McGraw two blocks s5,oO0 Meigs block, $4O,00O; Whittlesey block, $20, 0OO Boston Furniture company, $400 000 l Bronson block. s35, 1000.
 Thousands Of people will be thrown out of employment by the fire, and it will be months before many of the l firms can find new quarters in which to | resume business.
 The manner in which the flames | leaped from one building to another, | and even across streets was appalling, and drove terror to the hearts of peo- pie who lived within quarter of a mile Of the flames for there seemed to be no earthly power to check the flames
 Thousands of people surrounded the lire which at 12 o'clock had burned LID acres of buildings. Each time a special train arrived bringing assistance to the department, it was met at he depot and willing hands unloaded he apparatus and hurried it to the scene of the first district Seseval times turing the evening it looked as though ne tlremen had finally confined the lanes to certain district, but each ime cry of disappointment went up rom thousands of threats, as flames were seen breaking out in another place.
 The Waterbury bank had a most re- narkable escape. both from fire and alling debris. This bank building tands on the corner. of Grand and Sank streets, adjoining buildings on 10th streets
 A Wlue path was cut by the flames trough the very heart of the business ortion of the town extending from the orner of Grand and Leavenworth ] treets to Bank street and thence across outh Main street to Brook street. The re also burned up and down Bank and outh Main streets on both sides, do- 1s enormous damage. I The origin of the fire is unknown I 'hree men prominently connected with | 'eid X Hughes Dry Goods company l ere 1n the store until 6:15 and when 1ey left there was on smoke or odor of l re discernible. I At 6:26 o'clock, only ten minutes af | 1T the men left the store, flames were