The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1902-02-06
TOWN IN ASHES
FIRE AT WATERBURY, CONN.,, RE.
SUITS IN DAMAGE OF MORE
THAN $3,oo0,o0o.
BEST PART OF CITY GONE

BEST PART OF CITY GONE
Fully a Hundred of>the Leading Bust.
ness Houses Wiped Out by the Con.
flaaration and Scores of Families
Rendered HomeIess-MiIitia compa-
MES Called Out and the City Pract.
caIIy Placed Under Martial Law.
Waterbury, Conn.,, Feb. 4.-For 10
hours flames famed by high wind
held sway over the business portion
of this city, causing loss that will
exceed $3,000,000. The best business
portion of the city, forming triangle
bounded on the north by Exchange
F.; place, ON the west by Bank street, on
! the south by Grand street and on the
east by South Main street was almost
wiped out.
! The first fire, which started in the
big store of the Reid & Hughes Dry
Goods company on Bank street, was
not considered under control until
about $3,000,0OO worth of property had
been destroyed. Then a second fire
| broke out in the Scovil House, the
; city's leading hotel, remodeled by the
late Judge E. G. Lewis few years ago
at an expense of about $4,000, and
this establishment was completely
wrecked. The occupants of the hotel
! were forced to seek the street in their
night clothes.
With the ringing of a second alarm
the city was thrown into a panic.
There was fierce gale blowing and
sparks from the burning hotel were
driven in lurid showers over a great
area. The occupants of buildings To-
Gated in the path of the wind prepared
to leave. Although the Waterbury fire
department was reinforced from near
by cities it was for time impossible
to stay the progress of the flames.
The fire burned over four acres of
the city's best business section.
Among the prominent buildings totally
destroyed are the block occupied by
the Reid & Hughes Dry Goods COM
pany, the plant of the Waterbury
American, the Masonic temple the SEQ
vii and Franklin Houses, the w. L.
Douglas Shoe company and the Saliva
ton Army Workingmen's home. In
all about 100 leading business houses
are burned out.
Severe Task for Firemen.
Rarely have firemen been obliged to
contend against worse conditions
than those which prevailed from first
to last in this disastrous confiagration.
The wind was blowing gale and the
cold was intense. 1t seemed at one
time as though every structure in the
heart Of the city would be destroyed,
but in some instances the work of the
fremen was availing. The Waterbury
bank building, at the corner of Bank
and Grand streets, was saved, although
the New England Engineering COM
pany's $4,000 building. but a few feet
away. and the Masonic temple, on the
north side of the bank building, were
consumed. During the night the mayor
was in communication with Governor
Mclean and the militia were called
out. Companies A and G., numbering
about 120 men, were detailed about
the fre district and are still on duty.
The city is now practically under mar
tial law. The armory, the city hall,
the churches and other public places
have been turned into temporary shell
ters. hundreds being rendered home
less. The moral effect Of this fire upon
Waterbury will be farreachfng. An
Associated Press correspondent asked
Mayor Kilduff II he would call for f.
nancia1 aid from outside cities. The
mayor said:
Waterbury, although suffering
grievous blow, will take care of her
self, though extremely grateful for the
expressions Of sympathy that have
poured In on every SIDE"
At $3.50 q. m. the entire fire depart
ment was on duty, the danger being by
no means passed. The Scovil House
was still burning and adjoining build.
ings were in danger. The buildings
in the track of the earlier fire are still
burning.
The loss by burning of the Scovil
House will reach $4,000. There are
rumors of incendiarism in connection
with the burning of this property. For
, a time the fire threatened to spread
from the Scovil House to the city
hall. but that beautiful and costly
structure was saved.