The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-09-28
FIRE ON WATER STREET.

The Barnum Gymnasium building on premises 442 to 45O Water street, was gutted by fire early this morning and is a total wreck above the stores loss to stock and property is $50,
 partly covered by insurance. The origin of the fire. is unknown. Several firemen were injured and the janitor of the Bridgeport Athletic club was taken out of the building in a half suffocated condition.
 At 10 minutes after Special Off, cer Thomas Leonard was standing near the drinking fountain on Water street. He heard a cry of Fire, firei" and turning about saw a man hang ing on the fourth story window of the north end of the Barnum building. Policeman Leonard says there was smoke and then ran to the Atlantic Hotel corner and sent in an alarm from box 215.
 N 1No. 5 was the first to respond. The firemen directed their attention to the man hanging out of the window. The saving of a human life was of rn6re importance than property at that time. The man proved to Sbe George B. Col1ard, janitor of the Bridgeport Athletic club. When rescued he wore nightshirt and a pair of trousers.
 By this time the third and fourth stories were a roaring furnace. At o'clock the big roof fell in and the bricks from .tne cornice of the
 building fell in a shower, taking down with them electric, telegraph and tell ephone poles. A number of f1remen l were on the sidewalk and several were injured by the falling debris.
 Those who were injured the most
 were: Henry Tate of Truck No 3 struck by a telephone cable wire which cut a gash in his forehead. The current
 in the wire burnt both of Tate's
 hands.
 George Madden of Steamer No. 1,
 sustained two deep scalp wounds by bricks falling on his head./
 William Harty of Engine No. 1, was hit with a brick over the right eye which opened a Ngash 11z inch es long.
 Henry BiebeI of Steamer, No. 5, was l hit on the right. leg by a cross wire
 and bar, which laid him up for some l time,I He was struck when on a lad kder and thrown to the ground. iIe was treated at the Emergency. When the roof fell in the depart nentf directed three streams into the burning building from the roof of the McMahon & Wreen building and
 a perfect ydeluge of water went into the building at the second floor to save the warehouses. Ten minutes later the fire was under control and
 at 6:30 o'clock it was practically Eout. | The recall was sounded at o'clock : It was the most serious fire Bridge port has experienced since the Will
 mot & Hobbs factory fire in the West 1 End last winter. The severest fnan-
 cia1 loss falls on John P. Neal, the 1 fish market man of Boston, who has | no insurance. The /second store was | occupied by the Bridgeport Steam l Heating Go. They place their loss at
 between $25,O00 and $3O,0OO. The l third store was occupied by the Wes-
 sels Brothers, who figure their loss l at $3,0Oo.
 1 The Bridgeport Athletic club, who 1 occupied part of the top floor, hold
 an insurance of $1,2OO on their gym
 nastic apparatus, books, etc. l George B. Collard, the janitor, loses a solid gold watch and chain, 1 two small diamonds and $65 in
 money. He estimated his loss at $350. The entire loss sustained as a result of the conflagration is estimated at ] about $SO.OOO.