Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-01-18
COLD DAY
 FOR A FIRE.
Stores In the Center
 Cleaned Out.
Fire Started Near Katz's Barber Shop--Guests Of Exchange Hotel Had to Flee in Half Dress--Loss About $1O, 1000.

t morning Officer Phelan saw smoxe belching from the stairway leading to the barber shop of M. Katz in Exx| change place and scenting danger. tha officer turned and shouted ''Firei's Pas. Irolman Dodds, who was standing neaf Bauby's, pulled box [. corner of ExM change place and West Main Street. and then the department came troop ing around. The fire was located in. the hallway which leads to the barben shop kept by Mir Katz and also to l4sa ol11ee of the Exchange hotel, Clinfo1S ". Pond proprietor. The door was forced open and water turned on aa quickly as possible, but owing to th9 fact that the building is of wood ar<t old it burned like finder, and seeine that 1t was likely to spread 0hieE Snagg sent in second alarm, thu8 bringing to the scene the whole ighta ing force of the department. The 0e% cupants of the hotel had a lively tima of 1t getting out but they were ap~ prfsed of the situation on time and iizI this way were enabled to get into their clothes before stepping out into zeroi weather from their warm beds Ba~ fore the fire was brought under con@ trol the row of stores from NJ J Mel Ev0y's cafe at the corner of Harris0u{ avenue and Exchange place to HoI.@ sons cafe were badly gutted by fire| or deluged by water. The Katz barzI Der shop was wiped out alt0gefher.3 and some of the other tenants werel not able to open their places this mornA ing. NJ. J. McEvoy is the heaviesk| loser. His stock is ruined and the| cafe closed. Hare's cigar store was, soaked and everything in the office of| the Waterbury Transfer Go was prettx' well moistened, but nothing was seri*| ously damaged. Hodson's cafe con~3 tained more water than wine, but fhe| place was not otherwise damaged and even the water which oozed throughl the ceiling was not sufficient to cl0s0l the doors Mir Hodson's pool ro0m3 was not touched at all. The o1lces and adjoining rooms of the Exchange hotel were burned black and every~| thing in them converted into cinders. The Lenox lunch, IF. c. StilIman pro-. prietor, was driven out.
 L~.e total loss, according to Chief| sSnagg.. will not exceed $1O,OO0, RDugh- ly estimated the damages are as fol-.. lows: Ishanl's furnishing store $1 < GOO; Hansen's jewelrys store, $100; M. T. McEvoy. >$2, 500; Hare. $500; Lenox. lunch, $1,O0O; Hcdson's, $1 900; o. w. Pond $1 300; NJ. Katz, $500. There iss nothing sdS.lnite about these figures, none of the parties being able to say just what their losses would figure up. The damage to the building is about S3,OO0. The property belonged to the. estate of Samuel Atwater and IS now owned by Mrs Sarah Nettleton Of. Orange, Conn. Judge Cowell is Mrs. Nettleton's agent. The building and. all other damaged property were in@| sured..
 The origin Of the fire is not known. but there is a very strong Suspicion that it was incendiary. Another strange happening occurred in the vi~' -cinity of the fire last night. The door leading to the Credit Clothing Cos apartments was forced, but the man~ agement was not able to state whether3 anything had been taken or not.
 It is understood that the building will be repaired and put in shape for| business again shortly unless the board of safety objects. which would neces-| state the tearing down of all the frame work and putting in fre-proon material.