The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-02-15
MERIDEN TOWN HALL GUTIED
SIX gIREMEN INJURED FIGHT
 ING THE FLAMES.

all the Town and City Offices Destroyed;
 Also Police Headquarters, Cell Room
 and the Library Association-Eiks
 Had Been Holding Fair and They Lose
 valuable Prizes-TotaI Loss Upwards
 of Sl39, 9,OO0-Ths Cause.
 Meriden, Feb. 14.-For eight hours to- day firemen fought fire which finally caused the complete destruction of the town hall and injuries to six men of the fire department. The total loss is upwards of $1SO, 600, of which amount about $125,00o falls upon the town. The firemen hurt were: William H. Reef, hoseman of Charter Oak company, right hand badly cut. and wrist sprain- ed; Peter F. Corcoran. hoseman of Blk by Hose company No. }, right arm broken by fall; William Lockshier, hoseman of Wilcox Hose company, scalp wound; Emil Redstock, ladder man on Doolittle truck, scalp wound; John Spear, of Parker engine company, wrist broken; Albert Kaschugey, hose man of Charter Oak company, scalp wound. The last named is an officer of Company I.
 The fire caught, it is believed, from crossed electric wires in the main hall in the building. the sparks from the live contact of the wires igniting some bunting decorations. All last week the Elks held fair in the town hall and the interior was lavishly decorated with bunting and flags. The fire spread rapidly and was beyond stay be- fore the firemen could get at work. After it had spread through the third floor it attacked the dome, which was surmounted by cupola, and the blaz- Ing timbers after this projection caved in carried the fire to the basement and wrought complete destruction of the building.
 The town hall was used by both the town and city bodies. The fire did not menace surrounding property, as there was no wind. The structure was of brick, three and a half stories in height in It's main part. with tower rising two stories higher from the northwest corner. The shell of this tower remains standing. In the building were the town and city clerks offices, the select mems, water department, board of edu- cation and other city offices, the court room, library of the Bar association and the police station and cell room in the basement
 The fire was discovered about five o'clock this morning by Police Captain Bowen, who had heard the crash of glass, and by Christopher Wuterick, the night watchman for the Elks, who was locked in the upper part of the build ing. Captain Bowen, however, rang in the alarm, as Mir. Wuterick could not get out for fifteen minutes, and then not until he had broken down a door. The latter says that about five o'clock he saw an electric wire in the main hall sparkling and quickly set fire to the overhead drapery. Before he could get out Captain Bowen had rung in the alarm. The entire f1re-fighting force of the city was called out. Some delay at first ensued in getting a stream on the fire, due, 1t was thought, to frozen hydrant but the cause was later found to be in pipe wrench Eight streams of water were kept at work on the fire until well into the afternoon, but little property escaped the fire It is feared that water got into the town vault and injured the records.
 Meriden lodge of Elks, which had been holding fair, has lost most of the prizes which were canvassed for during the week, but the coupon tickets were saved. Its loss is about $500. Simmons & Fox, of Hartford, lose about $500 of decorating material.
 The town has $37, 800 in insurance, but the city's propertyein the building is not insured. The original structure was built fifty years ago. In 1892 1t was re- modelled at cost of $S0000.
 Temporary headquarters for the po- lice department are being selected and accommodations will be found as quick iy as possible for legal and administra- tive offices One serious effect of the fire is the destruction of the operating part of the police signal service.
 A town meeting will be called at once to act upon propositions for a new town hall and to arrange for town offices.
 The fire was the most damaging in the history of the city. The second largest was the Meriden Britannia shop fire over twenty years ago. The horse car barn fire in 1888 consumed eighty horses and did $25,oOo damage to the railroad company's property.