New-York tribune., 1902-02-04
A MASS OF RUINS.
SCENES OF DEVASTATION AT WATER
BURY'S FIRE-CAUSE OF CON
FLAGRATION
IBY TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBUNE.

IBY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNEl
waterbury, Conn, Feb. 3-Amid smoking,
water soaked ruins, covering three acres of the
handsomest and busiest part of this city Water
bury stands tonight aghast at the terrible dis
aster that has befallen her. Twenty-four hours
ago she was in her fullest pride as a wealthy
and growing manufacturing metropolis of Con-
necticut Tonight, with the whole centre of the
city burned and charred, there is little to make
one think of the former beauty. All day crowds
OF people have come into the city from all over
the State. each incoming train all day being
crowded 10 the rails with visitors. and all day
these crowds have stood the street corners.
held back by Gordon of militia from entering
the fire SCARED territory. Never before has
Waterbury seen such a spectacle; never again
does she want to-
The furious fire that has ruined about Sc OOO
600 of the finest business portion of the city
was still smOuldering tonight and engines
were playing miles of hose on the steaming
heaps of brick and stone. The territory incIosed
by Grand, Leavenworth South Main and Spring
SITS is almost entirely a mass of ruins-a terri
tory including portions of seven city blocks. On
these blocks were the most elaborately built and
the most important business concerns in the
city. drygoOds houses, hotels, newspaper offices,
hardware, shoe, jewelry stores and blocks of
modern flats. Hardly of them has survived
the fearful ordeal Here and there a narrow
building stands untouched but all else is heaped
on the water soaked ground, blackened and
charred and indistinguishable.
Around this devastated area stand block upon
plock OF newly built apartment houses and
stores, saved from like ruin only by the heroic
ehorts OF the hrcmen-
HOW THE BLAZE STARTED
The fire started in a gas explosion on the
second floor of the Reid & Hughes department
store, in Banli-st. at $50 last night forty
mile gale was blowing from the west and before
the hremen had moments notice the flames
swept across Bank-st and licked up as by magic
the tall Office building on the other side. Had
the WIND remained In the same direction the fire
might then have been stopped but il shifted,
spreading the flames with remar rka BILE swiftness
to the great business blocks south and north
taking in the section thickly built up and in
three hours a score of landmarks We're wiped
from the map
NeW-Haven Hartford, Bridgeport, NaugatuCk
and Torrington. and by midnight special engine
companies from those cities were on hand ani
nghtlng the hames shoulder 10 shoulder with the
Waterbury companies. The success of the fire
mems efforts is laid without jealousy 10 the out
ot-toWn nremen, whose work was most effective.
Added to the terror of last nights scene was
the high wind that swept the city and car
riCd clouds of sparks to the residence sections
and the fact that the electric lights burned
OUT, leaving the streets unlighted by the
glare of the blazing furnace of business blocks.
To cap the climax. the famous old SCovil
House caught fire at O'Clock this morning and
in an hour there nothing left of this we'll
equipped hotel except Charred and Crumbling
walls. All this morning the hremen fought TO
keep the red hot embNrs from spreading the
blaze, and it was only this afternoon that final
assurance was given by Chief Snagg that the
danger was past.
SCENE OF DEVASTATION
To one who follows Bank-st., the main bust
ness thoroughfare, up from the station the
scene is remarkable. At the junction of Grand
st. all one see is charred and smoking ruins.
extending for three blocks in front of him and
block each side. Here and there rise black
ened, fire swept chimneys; tall. charred walls,
with their broken window holes and doOrways.
and occasionally a whole building stands erect,
miraculously saved from the general devasta-
tiOn. One whole front of "A business block in
Bank-st. appears to be whole, with not win
dow pane broken, but the entire of the
structure lies in smoking heaps behind 1t. All
through Bank-st. walls We're tumbling suddenly
into the street all this afternoon. blown over
difficulty that two of the local companies of
militia on guard duty kept the immense crowds
OF people away from the danger.
PANIC AMONG RESIDENTS.
Last nights horrors will never be forgotten
by Waterbury people. In total darkness ex-
cept for the blaze of the furnace of burning
buildings against the sky, and threatened till
past midnight with the burning of most of the
city there actual panic among the residents
of the city. Thousands busy beating out
the embers that fell their roofs and in their
yards, and hundreds were loading their house
hold goods into wagons and tossing them from
windows into the streets Many more were
rushing to the hills surrounding the city and
urging others to flee. 1t was only when morn
ing came that the panic-stricl1en struggle for
safety ended
The most sensational part of the great fire
outside of the terrible affair itself has come to
be the origin of the fire that consumed the
Scovil House There seems be a strong sus-
picon that this fire ncendiary. No other
cause can be assigned by the manager. MIR.
Truman and the police are now working this
case up carefully. That this suspicion may be
true has infamed the public greatly, and every
effort is being made to sift the matter to the
bottom.
The plants of THE Waterbury American" and
THE Waterbury Republican" leading evening
papers, were badly damaged and both papers
got out single sheets tonight under great dis
advantage All of the cities OF the State have
preferred assistance, but Mayor Kilduf has re-
fused all All day workmen have been using
dynamite the topping ruins. for the safety
of passersby.
The actual losses and the insurance on them
are far from being accurately determined as
yet. Mayor Kilduff and Fire Chief Snag nut
the loss at over 100000 tonight most OF
which is insured. The heaviest losses will be
personal, on stock and private goods