The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-04
ABOUT S2,5O0,OOO
WATERBURY FIRE LOSSES GREAT
Err THAN FIRST REPORTED.
-Four Acres of the City's Best Busi-
ness District swept of Buildings
by GaIe-Fanned Flames.
INSURANCE COMPANIES HIT
HAD RISKS AGGREGATING $4,000. 900
ON THE BURNED PROPERTY.
Sixteen Hours Hard Work by Fire
men Before the COnnagration
Was Under Full Control.
STATE MILITIA CALLED OUT
pATROLLING THE STREETS IN EN-
DEAyOR TO PREVENT THIEVERY.
ScOvilI House, Near the City Hall,
Supposed to Have Been Fired
by Incendiaries.
Sixteen Hours Hard Work by Fire
men Before the nhagration
Was Under Full Control.
pATROLLING THE STREETS IN EN-
DEAvOR TO PREVENT THIEvERY.
ScOvilI House, Near the City Hall
Supposed to Have Been Fired
by Incendiaries.

WATERBURY, Conn, Feb. 3.-The fire
which began here at $50 o'clock last night
was not fully under control until 10 o'clock
this morning. At 3 a. m. all further dan
ger appeared to be over, but an hour later
the Scovill house was discovered in
flames. and the firemen had a hard fight
to keep the fire from spreading TO the city
hall and other buildings
The total loss will be about 81 10000. and
the insurance is about $1,50O.OOO, nearly all
the prominent companies being sufferers
Four acres of the best business portion of
the city were burned over. the flames being
famed at times by a hurricanelike gale
The militia patrolled the streets all day to
prevent looting by thieves.
The sun rose this morning on a biackened
and smoldering mass of ruins that marked
the main business section Of the city. There
is a strong suspicion that the fire which
completely destroyed the ScOvill House,
burning thousands of dollars worth of fur
niture, apartments and personal effects.
and imperiling many lives, the work
o. an incendiary. The fire originated in the
pool and billiard room, in the basement of
the house, the further side from the
burning district. The room was locked,
and no one was supposed to be there. No
fire was kept in the room, all heat being
supplied from a boiler in another part of
the building. Manager Truman said at the
police station. while the fire was still rag
ing, that he had not the slightest doubt
IL was OF incendiary origin. No one could
be found TO explain its cause, and the au-
thorities have been quietly investigating.
CAUSED A PANIC.
The. fire came so close on the heels of
the big conhagration that the thousands
of spectators who witnessed it were thrown
into a more complete panic than the orig
inal fire caused. The flames had only be-
gun 10 die out along Bank, Grand and
South Main streets at o'clock, when
flames Ieaped upward as by magic, and
people feared 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 prevent
ing the spread of the flames. 1t was evil
dent that the hotel was doomed, and If the
fire had reached the adjacent buildings
there would have been very little hope of
saving the center of the city. The fire
burned far into the day. and was not ex-
tinguished entirely until this evening.
The scene about the city to-day was only
little less remarkable than that OF the pre-
vious evening. Thousands of people
stumbled around the icy streets. and with
the greatest difficulty were restrained by
the militia and police from venturing with
in the danger lines. a tangled network of
wires on Bank and South Main streets
greatly hindered the work of extinguishing
the last flames and clearing away the
wreckage. The Connecticut Railroad and
Lighting Company had men on the streets
all day removing. repairing and replacing
the wires. The city's telephone communi-
cation. lighting facilities and electric DOW
er were restored before nightfall
\ revised list Of losses and insurance is
very difficult to obtain at this time Few
know just what the loss was on their
building and stock. IL Is believed that
above will not be far from the correct esti-
mate.
The remarkable feature of the fire was
undoubtedly the absence, so far as known.
OF loss OF life. Two men who were asleep
in the Scovill House-Charles Y. Kent, OF
the Holmes. Booth & Haydens Company
and member of the Board of Education.
and the second cook. German-were re-
ported missing. but both have been located.
The rebuilding Of ruined structures is
only a question of time Temporary quar-
ters have been secured by all the firms
Many have already telegraphed for new
Iy The American Publishing Company is
among the heaviest losers, the building be-
ing entirely ruined. but the paper was
issued in an abbreviated form tonight. The
walls OF the mechanical department are
still standing. and il is said that il will be
rooted in Immediately. The press and ma
chimes are believed 10 be not seriously dam
aged, though buried under water and de-
bris. The plans OF the company have not
been formulated.
There has been more or less disorder
about the streets to-day. but the police have
been very active and the militia has been
OF great service in handling the crowds
The streets were piled with household goods
and strewn with small articles thrown from
the windows Some of this property was
conhscated by passersby, but the amount
OF thieving was small compared with the
opportunities offered by the confusion The
number or injured was very small and I'm
all but one or two cases the injuries We're
ehght. The streets are rapidly being
sumed.
The best business portion Of the city
forming a triangle bounded on the north
py Exchange place. on the west by Bank
street, on the south by Grand street and
on the east by South Main street. al
fire. which started In the big store of the
Reid Hughes Dry-goods Company. on
Bank street. was not considered under
control until about SM0.00O worth OF prop
erty had been destroyed
PANIC IN THE HOTEL.
About the time the hremen supposed they
had the flames under control a second fire
broke out In the Scovin House, the city's
leading hotel. remodeled by the late Judge
Z G Lewis few years ago at an ex-
pense Of about $1,000, and the establish
nent was completely wrecked causing a
loss OF Sl5O,OO0 The occupants OF the hotel
were forced 10 seek the street in their