The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-07-02
SATURDAYS BIG FIRE.
At sTODDARD, GILBERT % co.'s
WHOLESALE STORE.

The Loss to stock, Etc, from $4,000 to
S1N0,OOO Well Covered by Insurance
"A, III. Kimberly, Owner of the
Building, Wei Insured--A Fierce and
Protracted BIaze-GOod Battling Done
by the Firemen--Narrow Escapes of
Fire Fighters.
One of the most serious fires in this
city In many months was that Of Sat-
urday afternoon, when the big whole
sale store Of Stoddard, Gilbert & Co,
at 213-215 Water street, was struck by
lightning during thunder shower and
badly wrecked in the upper part by the
flames, while on all the floors the goods
were badly damaged by the torrents of
water poured into the structure by the
firemen. 1t being bad fire, two
alarms were sounded and the firemen
had stubborn contest before they OBJ
tanned the mastery Of the flames. The
damage is estimated at from $4,000 to
100000 said Mr.. L. z. Stoddard last
evening, and the loss is pretty well COW
cred by insurance. The business of the
firm will, however, be continued right
along. The building. is five story
brick structure, and at the time q p.
ln.) the lightning struck 1t the rain was
pouring in torrents. The only person
in the building at the time was book
keeper, who was not INDUCING In the
usual Saturday afternoon holiday
which the office staff Of the company
enjoys. After the rafting clap of thun-
der that came with binding flash of
lightning he thought that the building
had been struck. He looked up the ell
evator shaft in the rear of the building,
and seeing that apparently nothing was
wrong, went back to work on the books
again. Soon, however, he found that
the building was on fire and he rushed
to the private fire alarm box that is in
stalled in the Office of the warehouse
and summoned the department In the
meantime the fire had a good start all
over the story directly under the roof.
The second alarm was rung as soon as
the flremen arrived, and the general
fight with the flames and smoke lasted
late in the evening one engine contin-
ued working about the premises
Ezekiel G. Stoddard, president Of the
New Haven County National bank and
the senior member of the firm Of the
Stoddard. Gilbert company, was on
hand soon after the fire started and
spent the afternoon within the fire
lines. He attributed the cause of the
fire to lightning The greatest loss is to
She stock, which packed at least four
floors of the building. The fire ate its
way down two floors and the water
drenched the entire building.
The flames were worst in the rear of
the building. Many firemen fought the
blaze from the roof and aimed many
nozzles down in the crater, so to speak.
The upper floors were packed with all
sorts Of grocery supplies and large
quantities of tobacco. The concern Is
large jobber of cigars.
There was an immense crowd at the
fire and the police were not long in
putting up the fire lines. After the
second alarm Chief Wrinn went to the
scene and took charge of the police
work. Captain woodruff, Of headquar-
tiers, was also there, with Sergeants
Hayes and Connolly. There were about
fifteen patrolmen looking after the fire
lines. Chief Wrinn furnished some
amusement for the crowd when he got
within range of hose and had his un-
form wet The crowd yelled as he ran
TO a place of safety. The books of the
concern were removed to the office of