The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-02-17
EARLY MORNING BLAZE CAUSES
 $l2,OOO LOSS Working Tn Bitter Cold, Firemen Experience
 Hardships SHOE STORE IS
 GUTTED BY FLAMES Stock of Jackson's Book Store Is Badly Damaged By Smoke and Water


 Fire, believed to have started from defective electric wiring in a cellar. swept the lower part of the Downs' block. 9ss-sss Main street. early to- day. The damage may exceed S12,oco. A number of firemen were hurt Two, Ladderman Charles D. Burke of Truck ? and Hoseman s. L. Bray of Chemical 2 were so badly injured they had. to go off duty for a time The former was treated at the emergency hosp1fal for ruptured 1igament of the left
 knee. due to falling through a. floor He was taken home fn Chief MOouey'1 1 automobile. He will be oH duty for some time. Bray was struck full iu the face, by hose stream and tenn
 porariIy knocked out Several otherg suffered minor injuries from fa1ifn8
 glass, or slipping on the icy pave ment or stairs.
 For more than two hours water lines. supplied by Engines Q 5 and @ poured tons of water Into the blaze. the bitter cold hamperine the work Of the hrenacn- Street car tka1ic on fhee lines passfng through Main atFeet was stopped Police details handled the large crowds
 boy passing shortly before SEQ O clock snoted smoke and flames issuing
 from the stairway and door at 9s8 Main street where the Newarir Shoe Co is located. Shouting the alarm, he started for box 37, Wall and l1alu streets A policeman pulled the alarm,
 the ball dropping at e.29 o'clock
 The fire had gained great headWays flame and smoke giving Chief Mooney and Assistant Chief Johnson irnmedi-
 ate knowledge of it's threatening ma i ture. Engine 2, the big Waterolna. was stationed at Bank and Main. En- ] zine at Wall and Main and Engine l g at Main and John streets.
 The store of the Newark Shoe Co.,
 bore the brunt of the flames the floor being so badly burned that it wili | have to be entirely relaid. Stock
 Was badly damaged or ruined. The
 stairs outside, leading to the second
 floorl were burned through
 The Jackson Book Store next door { tconducted by Chamberlain C. ShroD- shire, suffered a heavy loss from
 smoke and water. The floor fin tns front of the store was burned throuEn- The Steinbach hairdressing and nanicuring parlors on the second floor sustained smoke and water i damage the large plate gIaee Trlu- capes resulted from the falling glass. For a time half of a large pane Lung suspended over the sidewalk 1 It was removed. There may be e
 minor smoke and water damase 10 stores on each side but the blaze
 was confined to the flower part of the Downs building.
 The building is a part Of the Down. estate and belongs to F. IL, and Nil- liam P. Downs. F. H. Downs said | this morning that he considers the lloss to be about S4,0OO and that it may be even more. It Is understood I that insurance fully covers the Iczl- | He attributes the fire to defective electrical wiring
 | At the shoe store 1t was reported lthat the stock is valued at between
 s5,OOO and $1O,0OO. much spring l stock having been received Much l of the stock is considered to be c | complete loss. It is believed that iu-
 surance covers a large part of ths l damage
 Al the Jackson store 1t was impoa- sibIe to secure an accurate estima-tes as it will be necessary to go over tho stock thoroughly to determine what 1 the water and smoke have done It lis thought that the loss will be heavy. Engine, 1. the big John street re l converted steamer propeller met l with a nishap in responding the damage not being repaired until need l for it's service passed Preceded by It's hose car it was proceeding down 1 John street when the driver of an ice wagon was unable to get out or the way in time and caused both ma l chimes to stop On account or the
 snow it was impossible to get around I the ice wagon and hose car. At John and Courtland streets one of the big skid chains on the steamer broke wound up in the driving chain and re- suited in a broken shaft. After a little repair work it was possible to get the propeller into the fire house and repairs were quickly made The water froze almost as soon a1 if left the uozzIes of the hose, 5nair- ing a pretty picture but greatly ham pering the work of the firemeu- Some l of the firemen suffered severely from I their clothes becoming soaked and
 freezing. Several with frozen trOuser l legs had difficulty in walking.
 Mrs. R. R. Jamison. president Of the
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