The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-04-09
FIRE DESTROYS STORE
 AND TENEMENTS; LOSS
 S2O,OOO; FIREMEN HURT

Fire smouldeIing in ths cellar of three story wood en building, at 272 Pine street, broke forth so sud denly during the noon hour today that before fremen could check it, the flames had enveloped the whole building. It burned nearly three hours.
 The loss, chiefly on the stock of a dry goods store on the first floor, will reach $2O,OOO. It is partly cover ed by insurance. The build ing is almost a total loss. Michael Bain, chauffeur for Assistant Fire Chief Johnson, was rescued from the building after a fall down a flight of stairs, by Police Sergeant James O'NeiI and Patrolman Kane. He was painfully but not dangerously injured He is at his home.
 Several other firemen were slightly injured by falling glass breaking from both the burning building and from adjoining struc- lures.
 An emergency hospital was opened at Duka's drug store, nearby, and here the injured fremen were given restoratives and bandages.
 The ruined building is on the north side of Spruce street the second structure west of Hancock avenue it is one of a familiar type of building tn this section. the first floor uaed fcr business purposes, the second and third for tenements-
 Charles MeIftz had just coppleted his. Easter stock, and dressed h1s win daws lavishly for the trade. Cor geous Easter bonnets. faces. veils- plumage and artificial dOVgers made the big show windows the eynOsure or the neighborhood. MeIlitz was waiting on woman tC whom he had just sold an Easter bop net when he noticed smoke iasufrE from the floor. He ran to the cellar door opened it, and was taken nearly off his feet by burst of hot. dense smoke.
 MelIitz slammed the door. warned his customers to run out, and he rush ed up stairs to his wife and thres children. He rushed his family to safety, and ran back to the third story, occupied by the family Of q  and by that time the store was so dense with smoke that he dared uoe return. He left S15O in the csah reg ister and he believes he left his safe
 unlocked.
 Me1Iitz' brother. Harry, ran to the l fire alarm box, and his brother, David | to Duka's drug store While the for
 mer rang the alarm. the latter tele-
 phoned to Engine Co. No. 2. Chief Mooney. early on the scene. found the flames breaking through the easement clear up to the roof The building burned like finder. He sent
 for additional apparatus. and soon had half a dozen streams playing on the
 fire and on the adjoining wooden building.
 Michael Bain. driver for Assistant
 Chief Johnson, was overcome by smoke while at work on the top floor of the building. He was relieved and started down the stairs At che top or the second story ne COAAr-lsa1--F e--A-- l toppIed headlong to the foot of ths stairs.
 ] Police Sergeant O'Sen and Patrol
 man Kane rushed to the aid Of ths
 fallen fireman, dragging him co Che street He was unconscious, and as first it was feared he had been badly hurt.
 Before the ambulance corps arrlv- ed the fireman had regaiueo his
 senses. lie was taken home in the am IuIance. He had bad brulaee. a severe wrench of the left les. and a number of minor burns. Rarely have the fremen had such thick smoke to overcome. Huge vol uu3es of thick black smoke rolled out of the store as the windows brolre, kept the spectators ata distance and made work for the firemen extremely perilous-
 Often the whole building was Obscur- ed in the dense, swiriing vortfces cG lnauseating fumes. The dremen them the density of the smoke and it's pe- culfarly sickenfng odor. Glass breaking from the bIaziuE building and from adjoining property fell in showers on the hremen- Lieut. Kinian was badly gashed- and several other f1remen got more or less painful cuts.
 At the drug store of Duka. on eHs corner diagonalIy opposite, the fire men were supplied IiberaIIy with ban dages and stimuIants- At 2:30 the firemen had the blaze well under control, conffnfng ft to the smou1dering contents of the store. |