Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-02-01
SERIOUS FIRE
Families Reused From SIumber
With House in Flames.

i house of Frank K. Warner at 1891
Il Ridgewood street. The losses to the
families Of David B. French, man
ager of the Connecticut Boot and
be Co; William G. Grieve of
leye, Bisset & Holland, and II. r.
Harding, the jeweler, who lived re-
bectively on the first, second and
Third floors, was heavy Chief Snagg
Estimates the loss to the house and
honsehold effects at about $4,000.
1.-THE fire kept the firemen on the
!, Jump for about two hours and the
! {recall did not sound until eleven
minutes after s o'clock. The blaze
started in the cellar from an over
4 heated furnace
l. The fire was we'll started before it
Il was discovered and although the
firemen made good time to the blaze
the going was terrible and when
they reached the building the cellar
was a roaring hot box. The blaze
ens up through the outside walls,
hich made it difficult for the fire.
hen to reach, consequently it was
Necessary to use large amount of
water to bring the blaze under con-
troll.
1t was five minutes to 6 that Mrs
French, who resided on the first
floor, awakened her husband and
Isaid she heard some peculiar noise.
Ia moment later smoke poured into
their bed chamber. They had just
II time to snatch some clothing, alarm
the tenants upstairs and rush from
I the house before the rooms were
! filled with smoke. Box TAI at the
corner Of Ridgewood street and
Chestnut avenue was pulled.
Chief Snagg upon his arrival saw
that 1t was a wicked blaze and al
though the first call had brought the
Leavenworth, Burton and North Will
low street companies to the fire, he
Immediately summoned the Scovill
street boys by telephone.
Every window in the cellar of the
house was lighted and the flames
/ were coming out to their hearts de-
Night. The fire was so warm the
men could not do much with 1t at
tine windows, but they put the hose
Through the hatchway in the rear
bf the building and although the
Jsmoke was binding they began to
I Eee some result from their efforts to
lquench the conflagration.
But meanwhile the blaze was
going up through the side walls,
which apparently had no fire stops.
Tho f1yat, Tow "a thn nj nhno dc
and tried to head it off, but as soon
as the clapboards would be torn
away the tiremen would see that
the blaze was ahead Of them. 1t
went UP those walls just as 1t would
go up an elevator shaft and conse-
quently when it hit the garnet there
was some brisk wood consuming
The roof of the house was almost
completely eaten away. The fire
had devoured all but small por-
ton.
Meanwhile the fire was eating its |
way through the interior walls from |
cellar to garrett. Several streams of
water were pouring into 1t, but the |
fire would no sooner cease here than |
II would break out there. 1t led the |
firemen a merry chase as 1t was run
ming around in such way they we're |
powerless to put 1t out. Strange as /
IL may seem, in view of the heavy |
loss, the fire itself did not do much |
damage TO the interior Of the house
as whole. If 1t had come from its
hiding place the firemen would have
killed IL much more quickly. After |
many openings had been made in
the walls and the water was run
ming through like babbling brook,
the blaze slowly died out, but not I
until the house was sorry looking
place.
All three floors we're swimming in
water. Down stairs the water was
coming down as though the ceiling
was a sieve. The water was ankle
deep and it did not seem to the
writer as though the furniture there
would bring much cash to the owner
Neither did IL look as though much
use could be had from 1t in the flu
ture. The second floor was Just as
bad as the first, in fact, IL was worse.
Everything was practically de-
stroyed. The floor showed that the
fire was the hottest near the bed
rooms and that IL IL had not been
discovered in the nick OF time the
occupants of the house might not
have escaped.
did you save anything?" some
one asked Mr. Grieve.
I'VE were fortunate to save our
Selves" he replied.
The third floor would have made
an interesting picture. As stated,
the roof vas practically gone, and
the snow was blowing in on the fire.
men, who were covered with CRIME
and dirt, some of them apparently
almost exhausted. Mr. Harding, who
il is understood has no insurance,
was looking among the wreckage ,
seeking to see what had escaped the .
dire fiend. His goods, those that ,
were not consumed, were simply
soaked with water. He felt his I
loss keenly.
Mr French anc Mr. Grieve. It is /
thought. carried insurance which :
will cover their loss, but Mr. Hard I
ing had no insurance. He had Just ,
taken an inventory of his furniture I
and was TO have il insured in a day /
or two. His wife is visiting friends s
out Of town just at present. The $
house is also insured. iii
Although some of the iremen had
TO leave the house at times because
OF the smoke and heat. no one with ]
the exception OF William Grouden $
OF the Burton street company was c
overcome. The smoke apparently 7