The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-05-06
FIRE SWEEPS NEW MILFORD
ALMOST THE ENTIRE BUSINESS
 SECTION WIPED OUT.

SECTION WIPED OUT.
 Assistance Sent from DRmbury-Be-
 tween Fifty and Seventy-fve Build
 ings Roughly Estimated as Destroyed
 New England House, New Milford
 House, Youns's Hotel and the New
 Milford Savings Bank Among the
 Structures Burned-FinancIaI Loss
 Wiii be Many Thousands.
 Danbury, Conn, May 5.-New Mill ford suffered disastrous fire tonight which wiped out almost the entire bus mess section of the town and did thou sands of dollars worth of damage, a fair estimate of which cannot be given at this time owing to the difficulty of communication caused by the burning out of the office of the telephone com pany.
 The fire was discovered at S:30 o'clock in the livery stables connected with Young's hotel, and before the fire de- partment, which is a volunteer organ ization, could be summoned the flames had spread to the hotel, and with the high wind which was blowing gained such headway that the local fire de- partment was totally inadequate to even prevent the flames from spreading to nearby buildings. Almost without exception the buildings composing the business portion of the town are wood- en structures and flying sparks and the rapidly spreading flames soon gave the town the appearance of a roaring furnace A telephone message was sent to Danbury asking for help, and an en- zine and hose wagon was immediately special train. When it reached it's des- tination the facilities for fighting the fighting fire of it's magnitude. It therefore became necessary for the vis- iting firemen to put their hose into the river and pump the water to the scene of the fire.
 Young's hotel was the first building to succumb to the flames, and the wind, which was changing, quickly spread the flames in both directions. At 10 o'clock it was impossible to reach New Milford by telephone. At that hour the building in which the telephone ex- change was situated was burning, and the operator was compelled to leave the building.
 At that hour 1t was also learned that the principal buildings burned were the New England house, the New Mill ford house, the New Milford Savings bank, and that the railroad station and the National Bank building, were ser iously threatened. At midnight it was learned that the fire was still burning, | but owing to the fact that all communi-  was impossible to learn further details. |
 Shortly after midnight a person who | drove to this city from New Milford | said that every building on the north | side of Bank street is destroyed with the exception of the National bank building. The roof of this building fell in but the walls are standing. This was the only building on that side of the street which was saved On the opposite side of the thoroughfare two small dwelling houses alone escaped the flames. It is believed according to a rough estimate, that between fifty and seventy-f1ve buildings were de- stroyed and the loss will be much heav- fer than was at first estimated.
 Fortunately no lives were lost so far IS can be learned. A large quantity of 1il in one of the stores which was burn ng exploded and hurled three men into the street, but their injuries are not se- -ious.
 At 2 o'clock word was received that, the fire was still raging, it was under control.
 The burned district takes in several stores, large number of dwelling louses and four hotels, the latter being he only accommodations, practically, ,o be had by the numerous guests who make the Berkshire Hills their head quarters for the summer.