Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-01-26
Biz Fire in Dover This Morn ina Which VIII Cause Loss
 of About s6oO,OOo
THE WORKERS JUMPED
A Number of Them Were Badly Injured and Ii is Now Thought That Some Lives We're
 Lost.

of the extensive plant of the Cocheco
 Manufacturing company, in this city,
 was burned to-day, causing finan- cial damage estimated at between
 $500,OO0 and $6O0,O0O, and possible
 loss of life. The fire broke out af-
 ter the 500 operatives had gone to
 work, from a cause not yet deter mined. The flames spread very rapidly and number of the work
 men jumped from windows and sus- tained- injuries. Others were taken from the windows in the upper stor- ies. Persons thus rescued reported that some had been overcome by smoke in the burning building and the firemen immediately began search which was without result un- til the flames drove them outside the
 walls. Meanwhile officials of the
 mill were busy trying to locate all employees.
 Although the location of the min,
 which faces Washington street.
 wide thoroughfare and is surround
 ed on three sides by bend in the Cocheco river, there was little danger of damage to other property, help was called from Portsmouth to augment the private force of the manufacturing company. and the Dover department. The combined corps. however, could not gain con- trol until the flames had begun to die out for want of fuel. Little ex- cept the walls of the structure were
 left.
 Officials of the corporation stated that the mill was one of the best equipped of the plant. and that the loss, including damage to stock and machinery would reach at least $500,000. The loss is practically covered by insurance.
 the fourth floor were taken to the Wentworth hospital seriously hurt, and dozen others were treated for hurts of less serious nature. The most badly hurt were:
 William Turner, mule spinner; broken hip.
 James Ashton, mule spinner, both legs broken.
 The fire started from a hot box in the spool room, and before the frightened employees could make any effort to extinguish it the flames spread to the spinning room and swept through the big mill. There were no fire escapes in the place and the panic stricken employees made a wild rush for the exits. Those on the lower floor generally managed to get out through the doors or the windows, but those on the fourth and fifth floors were not so fortunate. Employes on the fifth floor rushed to the fourth in large numbers and finding that smoke and flames cut of their exit down the stairways many leaped from the windows to the frozen ground. Some of the cooler headed ones remembered there were ropes in the room placed there for emergency and attaching these to the window frames slid down burning the skin of their hands in so doing.
 While the firemen were busy in getting their forces into an ad- position for fighting the flames and helping out the people on the lower stories four men crouched at an open window on the upper floor gasping for air for near ly two hours before they were dis covered. An extension ladder was raised. but the imprisoned men near ly unconscious from the smoke did not dare to venture down this sway Ing path to safety. and realizing their peril. Captain Mcdonald and Lieutenant Bradley of the fire de- partment sprang up the ladder and by their skill and words of encour- agement guided the four men down Io the ground. The men thus saved were James Connors. James Daries. Harris McGrone. and John BoutIey. connors said they had been there sver since the fire started. He tried to make his way down the stairs. put he found his way blocked and turned back to the window. Con- 1ors stated that he had stumbled ,ver what he believed b be uu- conscious persons. The firemen hur- lied to investigate. and bring down my who might be cut oil.