Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-03-03
Post Office and Savings Bank
 Burned As Result.
POST OFFICE SAFE LooTED.

lIOS
 ened Away Before Completing Work.
 Canaan, March 3.--A business biock' containing the postofice, a JeWelry store and a savings bank, destroyeu with all it's contents by fire, dwelling house partly burned, and at least one safe footed, is the record Of Vlslt ol Burglars to this little village early lo- dav The loss by fire Is estimated aC S1OOOO, while it is believed that casn and stamps taken from the postomce safe by the burglars after they hao blown 1t open with dynamite VIII amount to $1,0OO. On account or the heat of the ruins it was impossible u ascertain this morning whether the safe in the tewelry store of F. t. Col lin had been cracked. The oInclais v the Canaan Savings bank. however, se- eured access to their vault aIter JIG fire and found all the contents llleacl' llleacl'
 If is supposed that the burglars were fr;ghtened away before they had con- nlefed their operations by the nre which they propably started accidental ir uvb3Ie at work in the jewelry store. Tha+ +bair departure was not greatly hurried however. is indicated Dy the fact that they led out all the horses from the stables of the Warner hotei Tn tha rear of the postoffice block ahu' selecting the best one, hitched h1m 10 yapon from which they had prevlous- 1v removed the pole, replacing It Wltn shafts The horse and wagon Were later found in Winsted, twenty mlles away. the burglars having apparently boarded an early train there OH lne Naugatuck division of the New 1ofA' New Haven and Hartford railroau.
 A cry of fire raised by hiliA nan ,t'l. gave Canaan people their nrst Warnlns ns of the blaze, and as the nalnes then under good headway It was iln. possible with the limited fire hgntlng annaratus at hand to save the build ing Some powder stored in the rear of the tewelry store exploded and der stroyed one wall of the building, put fortunately none of the people who were then struggling with the blaze was injured. A neighboring dWelilng house was also burned. Both the burned structures were owned by Sher- wood O. Cummings of South NorWalk, and were partly insured.
 Acording to information obtained by the local authorities to-day, the Dur glars walked to this village from Ash ley Falls, Mass, and began operations here after midnight In Ashley Falls, which is two miles from the Connect1- cut state line, the house of John Fur ner was antered and articles of clothing and food were taken. Attempts were made to enter the residence of Arthur Parsons, and the general store or FranK Smith, but at each of these places the intruders were frightened away.
 The car barn of the Central New England railroad was apparently the first place entered in this village. At the car barn two crowbars were taken, and these were probably used later in prying open the side door of the post office. It is believed that the post office safe was blown at about.3 o'clock, as an explosion was heard by some nearby residents at that time, though it is not known that anyone got out of bed to investigate the cause. About 4 o'clock there were cries of fire, and then the villagers, thoroughly aroused turned out to find the Cummings block in flames
 This block was one-story struc. ture of brick, was owned by Sherwood c. Cummings of South Norwalk. II was located on Main street. and was occupied at the north end by the post office, at the south end by the Canaan Savings bank, while between these was the Collins jewelry store The village Is poorly equipped with firt fighting apparatus, having only smal quantity of hose for use witt hydrants. and as the fire was under good headway when tht alarm was given, it was imDrac ticable to save the building. When discovered. the fire was in the rear oi the iewelry store, where there was 2 stock of powder and, cartridges kept for sale The blaze soon communicat ed to the powder, causing two separate explosions which blew out the from wall of the building.
 From the Cummings block, whicl was entirely destroyed. the fire swep 10 a frame dwelling house on the nortl side, owned by MT Cummings, and oc cupied by Mrs Sarah Hamm as board ing house. This building was partlV burned, while building on the soutl side of the Cummings block, owned b! i. T.. Parsons & Son, was scorched Roth these buildings were kept wei bOVeTCd Dy SlI6duISs adhu ldii doubtless prevented the flames iron sweeping away the entire village
 On account of the heat of the ruin 1t was long time after the fire befor it was possible to approach the safe in the Cummings building to ascer tain their condition. It was foun, eventually that the postoffice safe hal been dynamited. and that the entir
 ,ontents had been taken away. Al
 hough the postoffice employees were re
 Icent about the loss in the absenc
 # the postmaster, Attorney Henr
 soraback. who was out of town, it
 sstinated that it will reach $1,000. Tn
 safe is said to have contained tn funds of the office as well as consid srabIe amount in stamps.
 g- --------
 TWENTY-FIVE TON FLY WHEEI New Haven, March 3.--A twer
 GIx r