Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-02-04
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has been Of inestimable service in hand
ling the crowds. The streets were plea
with household goods and strewn with
small articles thrown from the WIN
dows Some of this property was qul-
etly confiscated by passerSby, but the
amount of thieving was small compared
with the opportunities offered by the
confusion.
The number of injured was very
small and in all but one or two cases
of n slight nature.
The streets are rapidly being cleared
and the trolley service will be resumed
shortly. AS it is cars are running on
several streets.
Estimates by experts, tonight, place
the total loss at close to 81, 100000.
The city of Waterbury, one of
the proudest of the cities of the
Nutmeg state, today. stands devas-
tated by fire. The loss, accord
ing to the estimates of the most
conservative business and insurance
men, will run between 100000 and S.
900, 900. With all this great property
loss. there has been, strange to say. no
loss of life and but few accidents have
been recorded. The city's heart, taking
in a triangle bounded on the north by
Exchange place, on the west by Bank
street, on the south by Grand street
and on the east by Schuman street. has
nearly been wiped out.
The first fire. which began about go
o'clock Sunday night, in the big store
of the Reid & Hughes Dry Goods Co.
on Bank street, was not considered un-
der control until about $3,0O0,0O0 worth
of property had been destroyed. About
the time the firemen supposed they had
placed the first fire under control, a
second fire broke out in another quarter
of the city near to the City hail. and
the police station.
The Scoville house, the city's leading
hcstelry, remodelled by the late Judge
Z. c. Lewis a few years ago at an ex-
pense CT about $4,000, was discovered
to be on fire about 4 O'Clock Monday
morning. The handsomely equipped ho-
tel, one of the most noted in New Eng
land. was complete wreck at day
break.
At the outset of the blaze the occu-
parts were forced to seek the street in
THEIR hight ClOlHtS. WIFI tIle TiIiS lIS
of Il second alarm the entire city was
thrown into a panic. And when it was
learned that the historic Scoyille was
on fire there was complete consterna-
ton. The spraying sparks. thicker than
the falling snowfiakes, covered the en-
tire business center of the city like an
umbrella and the occupants of build
ings located in the pathway in which
the wind was blowing prepared to
leave.
Although the Waterbury fire depart
ment was reinforced by the services of
the most efficient men from the depart
ments of other Connecticut cities, the
fire was completely beyond the control
of mortal beings.
AT various times the advisability of
using dynamite was discussed, but an
Associated Press representative. who
spoke to Mayor Kilduff on the subject,
was informed that the use of an explo-
sive Of any character was dangerous
unless an expert in blowing up build
ings under like circumstances was
called into play.
Through the efforts of the mayor the
electric currents throughout the city
NCIC cut Oi Slioi lily dlteT TIE S6uu1HS
in of the first alarm and electric lights
were out, trolley cars were stalled and
with the cutting of telephone and tele-
graph wires the city was nearly cut off
from the outside world. The fire in it's
entirety burned over four acres of the
city's choicest section.
At $50 it was decided that Waterbury
alone was helpless to cope with the fire
which was gaining Roadway every min
ute and appeals for help were wired to
New Haven, Hartford. Bridgeport,
Naugatuck and Winsted. Within an
hour special train from those places
We're speeding towards the city with
apparatus.
The arrival of help served to INSPIRE
courage among Waterburians. but even
then the fire continued it's work of de-
vastation. Meanwhile thieves took adj
vantage of deserted houses and it final
ly became necessary to order out the
militia and two companies of the I'd
Regiment, A. and G., donned their uni
forms, and at $50 the city was prac-
tically under martial law.
Before midnight nearly an entire city
block had been laid in ruins and there
seemed to be no end to the work of
havic. Just when the fire fighters SEEM