The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-02-04
\ GROWING BELIEF
 THAT FIRE WAS SET Second Outbreak of Water- bury ConAagration Prob ably the Work of an
 Incendiary.
LOSS OF THE SCOVILL HOUSE
MANAGER TRUMAN DECLARES IT
 DUE TO 4 FIRE PEND.


 DUE TO 4 FIR E PEND.
 Blaze Originated in the Billiard Roon
 Locked and No One Supposed to be fl
 rt-Ruined District to be Rebuilt a
 Ouce-MerchantsG Getting Into Tempo
 rary Quarters-MiIitta Give VaIuabI
 Aid in Keeping Order.-No Lives Ye
 Known to be Lost.
 Waterbury, Feb. 3.-The sun rose thi: morning on blackened and shoulder ing mass of ruins in the heart or the business section of the city. But sad dening as the appearance was and bit, ter as the disappointment to many bus mess men and families, there was one fact backer than all the others. This was the very strong suspicion that the fire that completely destroyed the Sco- vill house, burning up thousands ot dollars worth of furniture, appoint ments and personal effects, and imper- filing many lives was the work of fire fiend.
 The fire originated in the pool and billiard room in the basement of the house on the further side from the burning district The room was closed and locked No one was supposed to be there. No fire was kept in the room, all heat being supplied from boiler in another part of the building.
 Manager Truman said at the police station while the fire was still raging that he had not the slightest doubt that it was of incendiary origin. No one could be found to explain it's origin, and the authorities have been quietly at work Investigating.
 The fire came so closely on the heels of the big contiagration that the thou sands Of spectators who witnessed it were thrown into more complete panic than the original conflagration caused
 The flames had only begun to die out down along Bank, Grand and South Main streets at o'clock when long tongues of flames leaped as by magic into the sky and people groaned with the apprehension that the city was doomed after all.
 The call was rung in promptly and the engines that hurried to the scene turned their attention mainly to pre- venting the spread of the flames. It was evident that the hotel was doomed and if the fire had reached the adja- cent buildings, there would have been very little hope of saving the center of the city. The fire blazed far into the day and was not extinguished entirely till evening.
 The scene about the city to-day was only little less remarkable than that of the previous evening Thousands of people stumbled around the icy streets and with the greatest difficulty were restrained by the militia and the police force from venturing within the danger lines.
 The fire cut through the heart of he city and the appearance of the gaping opening from Leavenworth to Brook street was typical of the deep wound sustained by the commercial life and Importance of the city.
 A tangled network of wires on Bank and South Main streets greatly hind cred the work of extnguishing the last flames and clearing away the wreck age.
 The Connecticut Railway and Light ng company had men on the streets all lay removing, repairing and replacing the wires. The city's telephonic com tion, lighting facilities and cleo -ric power were restored before night all.
 revised list of the losses and in- 'urance is very difficult to obtain at his time, Few know just what the oss was on their buildings and stock t is believed that when the truth is snown the figures printed this morn. ng will not be far from the correct ,stimate. These figures total about $3,- 100, O0O
 The remarkable feature of the fire 1 vas undoubtedly the absence, as far as ;nown, of loss of life. Two men who | were asleep in the Scovill house, Charles : Z. Kent of the Holmes, Booth & Hay lens Co.,, and member of the board of ducation, and the second cook, a Ger man. but both have been located. The rebuilding of the ruined struc- ,res is only question of time. Tenn orary quarters have been secured by Il the firms and though very small so ar as actual space goes, the mer- hants. who have lost so heavily have efused to yield to defeat and will soon e in commodious headquarters. Many ave already telegraphed for new stock nd will resume business immediately. The American Publishing company is mong the heaviest losers, the building eing entirely ruined. but the paper ,as issued in an abbreviated form to- fight. The walls of the mechanical apartment are still standing, and it is aid that it will be roofed in inme- lately. The press and machines are elieved to be not seriously damaged, hough buried under water. The plans the company have not been formu- tied as to the future
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