The morning journal-courier., 1908-11-09
As Shown by Books in Office of Fire Chief Fancher Kept Since the Year
 1900. n4
BIGGEST BLAZE IN 1877
When l.. Candce Company, of Greene and East Streets, Burned With Loss of S52O, ,9O5.s1--Railroad
 Shops Next Largest.

down to to-day. Every Ire since tne opening of the last century has the names of the parties directly con- cerned, the loss and the cause.
 In the earlier days when there were only a few hundred buildings and houses here, fires were infrequent one a year being the average for twenty years,
 There follows list of New Haven's big fires of the century from 1900 to 1899, The fires since then of size have not been very numerous,
 In the list below the quotation marks are around tho words of the records In the earlier years.
 The earliest record on the book Is of fire at "Atwater and Daggett's at the corner of Chapel and College streets on January 20, 1SOO.' This fire was slight and there was no damage.
 For three years there were no con flagations. and then there was one of considerable loss for those days. On February 3, 1903, the Brewery i'll Now Township burned down with loss of sl5, 900; $5, 900 insurance" The same time "Hewitts chandlery In Water street had It's roof burned off with sl,0O0 dam age"
 "Kidston and Bishop had a fire at Long wharf with s4,OOO damage" on February 12 1894 .
 The year 1905 furnished two fires, one on each of the first two days of the year. Lent Hotchkiss store, Challes- lees house and Atwater and Daggetts on Fleet street were burned with a loss of 5000" on the opening day of the year. Next day David Better of Whiting street" lost $50 in fire.
 New Haven was sngularly free from blazes from then until 1908 when "the roof burned off Parmelee's house In Church street with $l5O damage In tho month of April A century ago there was only one fire during the year. while in 1907, there were eos fires and up to last night. 6o1 fires SO far in 1908,
 In 1slo, 1911. 1912, 1913 and 1914 there were one or two very trifing fires dur ing tho whole year.
 Tn 1915 on September Ii, the barn of Nathan Peck in church street was totally destroyed with loss Of s10O0O :" Long wharf was the scene of sS 100 fire on October IS, ISIS, when "the stores of l. Forbes w. Reedding and $, Forbes" burned down.
 In 1879 and 1920 there was one fire of slight consequence, but another on october 27 of the latter year was q tremendous one for those times. "Thir- ty buildings, four lumber yards were burned down and one house was pulled down" The book says. giving the To- cation as Long wharf and the damage as s7O,OoO only s3,OOO of this was in- sured
 All through the next few years the fires were few and slight, in 1883 on December 21, there being ono of sS, 50l damage and s5,000 insurance at the house and factory of l.. Stillman in l Olive street.
 On February 25, 1S3s, the factory belonging to Brewster and Colis In East street was destroyed with s65,0OO loss and S35,000 insurance"
 Fires had become more frequent by the time of 1885, almost averaging one a month. On August ?. 1887, "about twenty buildings in Chapel and orange streets were burned with s35,OOO loss and s32,O0O Insurance, the great fire of 1S37.'
 On March 9, 1888, the steamer New York was burned in the harbor with q loss of $52,000
 For a great many years New Haven did not have fire of more than slO,- OOO magnitude although there were in- numerable fires of from $l000 to SS00C damage. In 1864 on August 20 "the factory of Durham and Booth in Chapel street was burned with sl500( damage and $S,5O0 insurance"
 On August 26, 1865, 'Lindsay's Fire Arms company in Howard street burned with $12ooO damage and $l2,- 900 insurance"
 The same year on September 2S, "the steam sawmill at the Moot of Chape street burned with $12,oOo damage and insurance"
 The New Haven Clock company suf. fered the destruction of their factory on April 30, 1S66 with $27,4O7 damage and like insurance.
 That year seemed one for confagra- lions as the factory of the "Shoningei Mill company in Kimberly avenue was totally consumed with s6N,o00 damage and $4O,O00 insurance
 On December ', 1866, the factory of the Plant Manufacturing company al 241 Grand avenue, was nearly tota loss with damage of $1S7579, and insurance of $92,207.
 The oil refinery of the Leete com pany at the foot of Carlisle street was a total loss on January 16, 1867 with $20,O0O damage.
 B. Booths store at 95 Church street burned from fire which originated 1T the cellar. The loss was $2O,OO0 anG insurance $5,00O.
 On october 1, 1867, the "factorie' of c. II. Sparks and company ant Newell C, Hall on Prospect street burned, cause supposed to be incen diary" The loss was S54,000.
 The largest damage done by a fire up until that date in New Haven oe cured on January l. 1869, when "th, machine shops of the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad burned with a loss of $157,O00 and insuranc, of $64,OOO from accidental causes"
 'Tuttle, Morehouse x Taylor los $32 ,O00 from their fire of Septembe 21, 1867 On the same day, clever other stores on State street, with al aggregate loss of $2S,O00 from a gaso line explosion" The next day, { steamboat owned by the railroad com pany at its dock burned, damage un computed
 "A rarbOnlzer caused A fire a