The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1905-02-10
FIRE DOES $4,000 DAMAGE
At BUCKINGHAM, ROUTH d CO.'S
PLANT.

Started in Boiler R0om-QuieI1Iy Ate
Its Way Up Three FIoers-COnined
Entirely to the Rear-Other Buildings
Threatened Three Firemen Have
Narrow Eseape-Ffre Marshal in Ac-
cident-Cause Unknown.
One of the meanest fires with which
the local department has had to con-
tend for some time occurred in the
building occupied by the Buckingham,
Routh company at rs to SO Court street,
shortly after o'clock last night. The
building sets back about 200 feet from
the street, facing Union street, and its
right side is flush with the railroad
cut. The back of the building extends
to the rear of Edward p. Brett's join
er shop and abuts it, Owing to the To-
cation Of the burning building it was
exceedinging hard for the men to prop
erly attack the flames.
Just how the fire started no one
knows. The first intimation of its pres
ence was when dense streams of smoke
were seen pouring from the building by
Officers Wrinn and McGann, who were
standing on the corner of Artizan and
Court streets. The officers hurried to
No. Us engine house and notified Lieu
tenant Barrows, who gave the alarm.
They then hurried back up Artizan
street to the big gate which leads to
the driveway, at the side of Mr.. Brett's
shop, to the rear Of the building build
ing. They broke the gate down and
this greatly facilitated matters when
the firemen arrived.
When the fremen entered the burn
ing building they found that the blaze
had started in the boiler room in the
basement, some little, distance from
the boilers, and had eaten its way up
through the next floor. A line of hose
was run down the Court street alley
way into the building, while another
was run through the Artizan street EN-
trance. Two more lines of hose were
taken upon the roof of Mr.. Brett's shor
| and a fifth was carried uD into the
| building next door.
Despite the fact that a torrent of wa.
ter was poured into the building the
flames advanced upwards another floor
before being checked. The fire was
however, entirely confined to the rear
of the building, although the entire
shop, and also Mr. Brett's shop, was
| filled with smoke. 1t was only owing
| to the fact that the walls of the build.
| ing were Of brick that the surrounding
| buildings on Artizan street did not ig-
| mite, as the fire had gained good
| Roadway and was tapping the walls
| when discovered. 1t took the hardest
kind Of work on the part of the depart
| ment to extinglish the fire in an houl
and half, and even then there We're 8
| number Of smoking embers remaining.
| The building is owned by the railroad
company 1t having recently purchased
| 1t for the enlargement of the cut
| The occupants Of the building were in.
| tending to move within short while. "A
| low estimate of the damage is $4,000, as
lit Is thought that d lot of the nachin-
1 cry Is damaged and 1t was difficult tx
form an opinion as to- how extensive
this will be. t is thought that the en-.
| tire damage is covered by insurance.
Three firemen had a very narrow es.
cape from injury in the Artizan street
| alleyway. While carrying hose ant
| almost blinded by the smoke they slip.
| ped into a coal shaft but escaped witt
| only a few slight bruises, although, a:
| the pit is a deep one, they had a very
close call from serious injury. 1t was
a difficult matter to climb out of the
| hole but this was finally accomplished
| The bottom of the hole was flooded witt
water and the men, although soaking
wet, continued on duty. The men wer,
Martin Minnie and Joseph Kelley Of
No. 2's company and James Weldon o.
truck No. /.
Fire Marshal Glad%in had narrow
escape while going to the fire. The lief
forward pneumatic wheel of his car
riage struck piece of ice and ben
| fiat, the contact almost throwing hin
and his driver out. The horse was stop
| ped and the wheel was partially ben
back into shape so that the journe,
| could be continued, although at a yer,
slow pace.
Owing to the miserable condition O
the roads it was a most difficult matteI
| for the horses to draw the apparatus
Just as No. 2's engine was going ontt
| the street the wheels caught in tn,
snow and the two horses could no
move the big 5000 pound engine al
inch. The truck was just in back o
the engine and it was impossible fo
it to get by in order to get to the fire
| Finally two additional horses wer,
hitched on the engine and 1t was drawn
to the hydrant just opposite the engin,
house.
! Owing to the wind and the rain /
was a most disagreeable night for fir
duty and all the men became wei
through.
|