Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1902-02-07
WOE IN WATERBURY
It Is Caused by Sunday Nights
Terrible Conflagration.
CITIZENS IN a DAzED CONDITION.
First Estimate of a Loss Of 100000
Is Confirmed by Later Figures
indications Of Incen-
Il diarism Discovered.

Waterbury, Conn.,, Feb. 4.-The sun
rose Monday morning on a blackened
and smoldering mass of ruins that
marked the main business section of
the city. There is a very strong sus-
picion that the fire which completely
destroyed the scoville house, burning
thousands of dollars worth of furni-
ture, appointments and personal eff
fects, and imperiling many lives, was
the work of an incendiary. 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 locked and no
one was supposed to be there. No
fire was kept in the room, all heat be-
ing supplied from a boiler in another
part of the building. Manager Tru-
man said at the police station, while
the fire was still raging, that he had
not the slightest doubt it was of in
cendiary origin. No one could be
found to explain it's origin, and the
authorities have been quietly investi-
eating.
The Panic intensified.
The fire came so close on the heels
of the big conflagration that the
thousands of spectators who wit
messed it we're thrown into a more
complete panic than the original fire
caused. The flames had only begun
to die out along Bank, Grand and
South Main streets at four o'clock,
when flames leaped 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 preventing
the spread of the flames. It 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 extinguished en-
tirely until evening.
The scene about the city Monday
WAS only little less remarkable than
that of the previous evening. Thou
sands of people stumbled around the
icy streets and with the greatest diff
fculty were restrained by the militia
and police from venturing within the
danger lines. A tangled net work Of
wires on Bank street and South
Main streets greatly hindered the
work of extinguishing the last flames
and clearing away the w~reckage.
Losses Hard to Estimate.
A revised list of losses and insur.
ance is very difficult to obtain at
this time. Few know just what the
loss was on their buildings and
stock. It is believed that when the
truth is known the figures, $4,000.
900, telegraphed Monday morning
will not be far from the correct esti.
mate. The remarkable feature OF
the fire was undoubtedly the alb.
sence, SO far as known, of loss Of
life. The men who were asleep in
the Scoville house, Charles Y. Kent,
of the Holmes, Booth & Hayden's
company, and member of the board
of education, and the second cook, a
German, were reported missing, but
both have been located.
The rebuilding of ruined structures
is only a question of time. Tempo
rary quarters have been secured by
all the firms. Many have already
telegraphed for new stock, and will
resume business Immediately. The
American Publishing company is
among the heaviest losers. the build.
ing being entirely ruined, but the
paper was issued in an abbreviated
form Monday night. The walls OF
the mechanical department. are still
standing, and it is said that it will be
rooted in Immediately. The press
and machines are believed to be not
seriously damaged, though buried
under water and debris. The plans
of the company have not been for.
mulated.
There has been more or less disor.
der about the streets, but the police
have been very active and the militia
has been of great service in handling
the crowds. The streets we're piled
with household goods and strewn
with small articles thrown from the
windows. Some of this property
was %confscated by p~assers-by, but
the amount of thieving was small
compared with the opportunities of
fered by the confusion.
The number of injured was very
small, and in all but one or two
cases the injuries were slight. The
Streets r rapidly being cleared ant
the trolley service will soon be re
sumed.
viii Not Ask Tor Outside Aid.
Aspress correspondent asked Mayo,
Kilduf if he would call for fnancia
aid from outside cities. The mayor re
sponded quickly, saying:
Waterbury, although suffering
grievous blow, will take care of her
self, although extremely grateful TO,
the expressions Of sympathy tina,
have poured in on every side.".
At $3.50 a. M, the entire fre,depart
ment was on duty, the danger being by
nc means passed. The Scovil house
is still burning, and adjoining build
ings are in danger. The buildings il
v TIA %roo1, ~ +bo oo.1:.- c----. .I.,