Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1900-1903, 1902-12-04
TOM KELLEY'SFIRE
His Quassapaug Farm Was vis-
tied Last Night.
THE LOSS WILL BE $4,000.

six Horses and Three Cows Were
Cremated in the Burning Buildings
His Barns, Which Were Filled With
Grain and Hay, Were Also De
stroyed- -Kelly's Two Valuable Bird
Dogs, Valued at 500 Each, Met
Death in the Flames.
The big confagration which Water
bury people watched last night and
which some people thought must have
been in the neighborhood of Town
Plot turned out to be the beautiful
barns of Thomas Kelly at Quassapaug.
The barns, containing a large quantity
of hay and grain, wagons, variety of
farming implements, six horses and
three cows, were cremated. The farm
house was saved by the neighbors and
about thirty head of cattle We're liber-
ated on time to save themselves from
the flames. The loss is in the neigh
horhcod of $4,000, about half of which
is covered by insurance. Mr. Kelly
says that he would have been better
protected by insurance, but owing to
the meagre fire protection in the coun-
try towns it is out of the question to
get the companies to give anything
like what property is worth in the
way of insurance.
Mr. Wallace, the hotel man, noticed
the fire about 10 o'clock and quickly
spread the alarm. 1t originated in
the horse barn and before assistance
arrived had practically licked up the
building, six horses and three cows
surrendering their lives in the fiery
furnace. The residents did what they
could to cope with the flames, but,
owing to the absence of fire apparatus
and water, although the great body of
water known as Lake Quassapaug
Was near by, very little could be done
and the most the ~townspeople were
able to accomplish was to save the
dwelling house, which had a pretty
close call A fierce wind was blow
ing at the time and if the fire had not
been kept confined it would be hard
to tell what damage it might have
done. Edward Kenny, the man in
charge of the property, has no ex-
PLANTATION to give as to the origin of
the fire. He locked the barn at 7:3O
saw nothing wrong and SO far as lie
knows nobody was about the place af-
ter that hour. 1t is thought that
some Wandering Willie was thinking
| of putting up there for the night and
accidentally set the barn on fire while
taking few whiffs out of his pipe
But this is nothing more than mere
conjecture so that in all probability the
origin OF the fire will never be known
MI Kelly was in Waterbury when he
heard OF the accident and managed tc
get There as soon as possible. He
gives a statement of his losses as fol
lows: Cow barn, 1O0x3O. containing
thirty COW stanchions and two box
stalls, with complete modern eauip.
ments; one horse barn, 24x36. almos1
adjoining, containing eight stalls anf
one box stall; ice house. 24x36: her
house, 40x25; seventy tons of hay
about ten tons of bran and middIings
all farm implements except two Wag
ons, a moving machine and ha1
rake; six horses, three cows, two val
liable bird dogs, worth 500 each.
While Mr. Kelly feels his loss keenlv
still he is not the kind Of man to weer
over such happenings. He devoted
good share of his time to the place
Tor the past few years and had aftel
large outlay erected one of the mos
modern places of the sort in the state
But he will build mightier than eve
and he regrets the destruction of s.
much valuable property, yet he i
pleased to know that no human If,
was sacrificed. He is exceedingl-
sorry that the two faithful dogs tha
railways accorded him a Welcom
should have fallen victims to the fir
fiend They were worth $1OO each
but he would not part with them fo
that price. In fact, they were not 70
sale. Mr. Kelly remained on the seen
OF the confiagration all day providin.
temporary Quarters for such stock a
was saved.
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