The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1904-08-12
THREE COTTAGES BURNED
AN EXCITING TIME At NORRIS
cove YESTERDAY MORNING.

Flames Make Swift and. Sure Work
Valiant Efforts by the COttagers and
the Annex Fire Department by Which
Spread OF Fire Was stopped.
A very unusual event at Morris Cove,
and an exciting one, was the fire at )
o'clock yesterday morning, which de-
| stroyed three cottages in Morris Park,
near Union Grove. The fire started in
the two and one-half story cottage of
Louis DeVita, the Orange stree ladies'
tailor. He arose at about o'clock and
was startled to see smoke issuing from
the cornice of his roof. He grabbed a
pitcher of water and threw the water
on the spot whence the smoke issued,
but flames then showed themselves. He
aroused his family and turned on a
streaasl from the garden hose, but this
1 was wholly Intellectual. Then he arous-
| ed the nearby cottagers, as did also
Night Waterman Van Sickles of the
Peaquot house. The neighbors rallied
and rendered what help they could, but
to no avail There is no volunteer fire
department at Morris Cove, the attempt
to form one three years ago having
broken up in row.
Michael ]. Scanlon, from his Union
Grove hotel, telephoned to New Ha-
ven. the East Haven and the Annex fire
departments. John Williams Of the
Morris Cove hotel, also summoned the
Annex fire department. The New Ha-
ven department stated that the fire was
out of their jurisdiction and declined to
respond. The East Haven department
said the same, but offered to come if
there should be a large conhagration.
The Annex department did not respond
to telephone calls and messenger was
sent post haste after 1t. When it final
| " reached the spot two cottages had
been burned to the ground.
About fifty Morris Cove residents had
reached the first cottage when the
flames had caught the second, and they
succeeded in getting all of the furnish
lings out Of the other three. which were
burned or threatened.
Almost nothing was saved from the
De Vita cottage. Mr.. DeVita's father
gave his attention to getting the chill
dren out of danger, but his gold watch
and S125 in money which he kept in a
bureau drawer were lost in the flames
The family of Mr.. Deyita consists Of
his wife and three children and his ia
Their and mother, and Mrs. Nicolari Of
this city. who was guest.
The second cottage was owned by
Frank Errico, the Broadway barber,
who recently bought it from Curtiss
Shepard of Pittsfield, Mass. With his
wife and Professor Battelli, who has a
musical conservatory in the Insurance
building, they tried to fight the flames
and get their property out and finally
moved their belongings to a cottage
across the road, where they will make
their home for the present.
The third cottage to which the flames
spread in spite Of the efforts of the fire
fighters to keep them subdued by play
ling small hose and emptying buckets of
water on them, was owned by John e.
Tomas, of West Haven, Of the Orange
street banking house OF Tomas e. Net
Teton. This was unoccupied, and only
rneager furnishings had been left in it.
All three Of the burned buildings were
the usual type Of frame cottages and
were two and ore-half stories in height.
The fourth cottage in the path Of the
flames was the Locust Inn, owned by w.
B. DeLadson, formerly q restaurant pro-
prietor Of this city. This was wen fill
ed with summer boarders, and they hur-
|riedly packed their trunks and dress suit
cases and made ready for an exit. The
fire charred the south side of the house,
that nearest the flaming cottages, and
burned hole through the roof, but the
occupants Of this cottage think that
they got off luckily.
The total loss will amount to about
$4,000, distributed as follows: Mr.. De-
Vita, $4,000; Mr.. Erricc, $4,000; Mr.. Lo-
mas, $4,000; Mr.. DeLadson, $500. Most
Of the insurance was placed by Virgil F.
Mcneil & CO., OF this city.
The origin of the fire is not known,
though some Of the cottagers thought
that lightning was probably the cause,
as heavy thunder clap occurred Just
before the fire broke out.
Several chickens in coop in the rear
Of the Devita cottage persisted In the
flames.