Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1909-02-10
Half Million Lost By
Shannon Building Fire.
CONTINUED from Page Five.)

station in the Boston store annex will
probably not amount to over $500, as
F. ]. King managed to save some Of
them. The mail was removed from the
two boxes in front of the entrance
uninjured except slightly by water.
Postmaster Caruthers having notified
| Washington, expects an inspector here
from Boston today to adjust the mat
ter. The sub station is in the mean
time transferred to Smith & Engler's
pharmacy in the Wauregan building.
Reservoir Lost But Little.
Together with the regret for loss Of
property there was much regret at
the amount Of water being taken from
the reservoir and from the comment
upon it there would be a possibility
Of drawing the reservoir dry. A
measurement showed that the reser-
voir was but a quarter of an inch
lower Tuesday forenoon than on Mon
day morning, so the loss was small.
Superintendent Burnap of the water
department made this statement to
The Bulletin Tuesday afternoon. The
reservoir at 1130 o'clock Monday
morning registered 2O4 IA inches
down from high water mark. At $50
o'clock Tuesday morning the reservoir
showed 204 1-2 inches down. This
shows a loss Of one-quarter Of an inch
used by the regular consumers and for
that used at the fire in the Shannon
building. The loss in pressure was
caused by the break when the walls
fell in the water services in the Chel-
sea Savings bank, Shannon building
and Boston store. The greatest loss
was from the six-inch cast iron main
which enters the Shannon building
breaking off, causing a loss in pressure
Of 10 pounds. This main was shut off
as soon as it was possible to get at 1t
and the pressure Immediately rose so
that it registered 70 pounds per square
inch, the normal pressure. The hy-
drants at this point in the city were
all in first class condition, they hav-
ing been recently inspected.
Messrs. Lester and Geer.
F. w. Lester and Charles c. Geer
had studio in the building, and their
loss was total, with no insurance. Mr..
Lester had violin there worth 500,
which he treasured highly and which
was destroyed, together with his 9TH
err instruments and music. Mr.. Geer
also lost much music.
There were several explosions in the
building during the progress Of the
fire. In the northeast corner there
seemed to be a box of cartridges
while in the basement Of Steiner's
pharmacy the soda tanks burst with
loud reports. The falling Of the sew
eral safes through the floors to the
cellar caused big connections, but it
is believed that all win be found in
tact and the contents preserved.
The fire did not get into the photo
graphic studio Of W. r. Stevens. but
when the enst wall Of the Shannon
building fell It went through the roof
and his studio is filed with brick and
plastering. There was some water
there. but his loss will not be heavy.
He carries an insurance Of $1,000.
Pulled Down the Walls.
Early in the afternoon, as soon as
the fire had been quenched so that it
was possible to work about the walls,
Henry Davis, an artist in the business,
began the work of pulling down the
walls. At the rear some Of the wall
had fallen, but 1t took the Juggling of
an engine several times to get the
remainder to earth. The brick fell
across the railroad track into the riv-
er. the splash reaching to the other
side.
The climbing of the walls was no
easy job but Mr.. Davis is thoroughly
at home at such work and had the
capable assistance Of Ernest Latimer.
He was witnessed by a large crowd in
his work. The two front walls were
pulled in and fell without any damage
to adjoining property or person. The
east wall was next RACED and fell just
where it was wanted A New Yorker,
watching Mr.. Davis and his work, re-
NAKED that he was a man any city
should be proud of. and instead of be-
ing here he should be drawing a good
fat salary In some large city. The
walls were pulled down to guard
against the danger of their falling and
injuring any passers by. The walls
were down by $50 O'clock.
The brick a. the back falling across
the track were tackled by a gang OF
men during the afternoon and thrown
over the wall by the riverside where
they can be cleaned. The railroad
track was covered to the depth of sew
eral feet and 1t was impossible to
reach the freight shed.
Many Telephones in Building.
The fire caused the discontinuance
of AZ telephones, there being a branch
exchange in the Boston store, while
the others were distributed In the