Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-02-03
TANNED BY GALE.
CcnAagraiion Sweeping Bust
ness Part Of Waterbury, Ct.
Fierce Wind Blowing the Flames
Across Heart Of the City.
No Casualties. Loss Will Be Not Less
Than 100000.

Waterbury, Conn. Feb I'm the
hardest gale of the winter Waterbury
struggled, tonight with a fire that de-
strOyed a large area of the business
section of the city and threatened to
wire It out completely. The blaze
started in the upholstery department
on the third floor of the store of the
Reid 4 Hughes Dry Goods Co. at JOS
to 30 Bank street and that store as
we'll as many adjoining buildings were
reduced in :, few hours to smoldering
enlbers An estimate Of 1000 900 as the
amount Of the property loss on build
ings and contents was considered con-
servative by insurance men.
The Origin,of the re is unknown and
it was undiscovered until it had gained
tremendous Roadway. At 6.15 =. NJ. the
three employees We're in the store and
when they left noticed no odor Of
smoke about the main floor.
Fifteen minutes later flames were
seen to burst with great force from the
windows of the third floor and almost
simultaneously from the basement. Be-
fore anybody could ring in an alarm
the whole interior Of the building was
a mass of flames.
When the fire department reached
the scene. flames We're pouring from
every window Of the building and it
was evident that the structure was
doomed and the entire business section
of the city was i!nperilled.
The fire started in I; drizzlins rain.
with u rapidly rising wind and with the
increasing cold the rain turned to snow.
The wind was at first shifting and then
settled toward the east and carried de-
struction with it.
The first building to catch from the
Reid e. Hughes Co. store was a tall
structure in the rear TO the westward
occupied by the Salvation Army BAR
racks and a Turkish bath.
A moment or two later the flames
leaped back to the eastward across
Bank street and wiped out the Ryan &
F'itzmaurice block. Cannon Il Webster's
drug store. Davis Cigar store and the
store of ]. +. NIullings & Sons.
They burned rapidly through to South
Main street. jumped across that street,
shriveling the buildings like paper.
At the same time the flames caught
the Masonic Temple and travelled from
the salvation Army building to the rear
of the Franklin house on Grand street
and the entire block, consisting of
seven or eight handsome five-story
buildings. with 30 tenements and the
large and commodious quarters of the
Waterbury American We're in ruins be-
fore midnight.
After 3 o'clock. the militia was called
out to preserve order. There was Sc
rious talk of blowing up buildings to
prevent the spread of the flames.
The fire was partially under control
at 1880 o'clock. 1t had been checked
on South Main street and indications
are that it would content itself on Gen.
ter street, with burning out the Long
block that contained the Franklin
house and the American office. The
First baptist church opposite the lat
ter structure was endangered but was
not burning at late hour. tonight.
Losses on buildings reported up TO II
o'clock we're rs follows: W. III. Camp
block in which was located Reid &
Hughes store. $4,000; Masonic Temple.
s50.00o: O'Connor block. $4,000: Green
herg & Buckner. $4,000: Old American
block. Charles Miller. owner. SD, 0Oo:
& Co, clothiers. s5o.oao: j. u. Mulings
& Son. clothiers. $780, 900; Camp block.
ia process Of demolition, $4,000; New
England Engineering Co., $4,000:
Franklin House. totally destroyed. $780,
05o: Turkish bath. w. q. Schlegel. pro-
prietor, s2o,onO: Jean Jacques block.
$40 100; Mrs. W. e. lannon's block. oc-
cupied by Alison Se!lew Co.. $4,000:
George +. Judd block, occupied by La
Palme Hoffman Co. $4,000: Astworth
block, occupied by T.. G. Church Co.,
$4,000; Waterbury American. loss on
building. 10000; Schlitz Brewing Co.,
3G.O00: Conlom Bros. $4,000; Edward
McGraw, two blocks. $4,000: Meigs
block, $4,000: Whittlesey block. $4,000;
Boston Furniture Co. $4,000: Bronson
block, $4,000.
At IL O'Clock, property estimated at
s20o.e90 in value was still burning.