The Newtown bee., 1907-03-08

A match was struck in the base ment of the huge four story store of the Hull Brothers company, Danbury, opposite the City Hall, at five minutes after twelve o'clock, Monday. The head snapped from the match as 1t 1g-
 tied with tar string. The tar flashed
 into blaze in an instant. Fifteen minutes later the basement was a
 mass of flames. A little before o'clock the front of the big building l tumbled in upon a heap of ruins that represented all that remained of the l building and contents. In little less than two hours time the building and l merchandise valued at more than
 s1OO, GOO had been swept away by the l flames. The fire made the hercest
 and most spectacular daytime conf1a-
 grafton that has been seen in this city
 since the memorable blaze that swept
 away a large portion of the business
 section of White street, ten years or
 longer ago. Not a timber scarcely
 one brick upon another emained when the fire was over, of what had
 been the largest and one of the hand someSt and most substantial business
 buildings in the city. The Fanton
 the north, bore marks of the scorch-
 ing heat that it was subject to, but re-
 mained almost intact. The Bernd
 block, adjoining the destroyed build
 ing on the south, suffered more se- verely and flames ravaged it's upper
 floors before they were overcome by : the tiremen.
 When the fire was at it's height,
 with flames shooting fifty feet above
 the wreck of the Hull block, the heat
 was so intense that spectators were t driven beyond the limits of the City Hall property on West street. The woodwork about the windows and !, doors of the City Hall steamed under , the hot blast, the roof of the old Hough residence, and the Pahquioque g block beyond it were afire and houses 5 as far away as the residence of Dr Will U bur s. Watson.
 The fire loss is roughly estimated al
 s125, 900. It may be little under tha |, figure, but not great deal less. The X buildings destroyed or damaged ar V the Hull block, on Main street, th' r annex to the Hull block, on Libert. a street, the plum ping shop of the Hull : Brothers Co.,, on the rear of thes e Hull Brothers building had a frontag d on Main street of about 75 feet and ', depth including the additions on tn' c rear of about 250 feet. In addition il D fronted on Liberty street below tn J. ton block has frontage of about a feet on Main street and 100 on Libert, l. street. The Bernd block fronts 8 e feet on Main street, and the kinne 7, l block has also frontage or SO reel ;e The Hull block was four stories big r. and was built entirely of brick. II n large arched front windows and genel d ally ornamental architecture made a. one of the most noticeable bushes as blocks on Main street. It fronte n, West street, the City Hall and tt 1t Soldiers monument. The Hull bloc er extended back beyond the rear line ( ly the Fanton block, at the corner lg Main and Liberty streets, and one ( O. it's els faced Liberty street. This W; h. a three-story brick building. Directl at in the rear of the main store was u ne plumbing shop, three story, woode d, iron-covered building, about 50 he feet in dimensions.
 n- All these buildings were occupied h. the Hull Brothers Go. They carrie n- an immense stock of hardware, plum1 a. ing goods, house furnishings, wagon es. sleighs, etc. On the ground floor we er three stores, that of the Hull Brot ys CTS Co.,, the furniture store of Hea he & Keane and the ftuit store of Jof 0t- Costello. The top floor of the Hl I'd block was occupied by Progressi ne lodge of Odd Fellows. This hall, O. ad of the finest lodge rooms in the cit en- was handsomely furnished and dec