The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-03-01
Eagles Hall Almost Destroyed When Fire
 Follows Dance Party
Continued From Page One

Continued From Page One ing in the basement of the hall The boiler room was gutted with the exception of the asbestos covered flames worked their way up the rear stairway to the dance hall Here it did considerable damage
 The rear of the stage in the dance hall, with the stage settings was burned with the exception of a ban ner on the rear of the stage which read 'sWelcome.' The large piece of plaster bearing the banner was the last remnant of the rear wall.
 The stairway leading to the dance hall in the rear of the stage was burned to ashes. The floor under the stage was destroyed The blaze then went to the ceiling under the balcony in the hall and it was necessary for the firemen to rip the tin covering from the floor of the balcony. The large hall to the right of the stage was also greatly damaged. Here the flames had worked up through the walls, of the building and it was nec- essary to rip down part of the wall in this room.
 The social room of the society. on the bottom floor and in the rear of the pool room was swamped with water and the ceiling there had to be ripped apart in order to check the flames. which were coming through the walls.
 The blaze apparently centered it. self in the rear of the. hall The two coffins used for initiation purposes and secured underneath the stage in the upper hall were charred.
 The bar room on the dance floor and in front of the west side of the building was damaged only by water
 Secretary Thomas J. McNamara, ofg the F. o. E., is unable to say posi- lively what damage has been caused by the fire. At a right guess he es- inmates the damages between $1O,OOO and $15,00O. The fire underwriters have been notified of the blaze
 According to Inspector of Combus- tib1es Thomas F. Broderick, nothing inflammable was stored in the build ing. He said that he and Captain Thomas Burns of Engine Company No. 4, had inspected the building as late as yesterday morning and that they found everything to their satis- faction. There were only two galva- nized iron cans of ashes in the boiler room and he says it was impossible for them to have caused the fire of last night
 Every door in the building was broken open by the fremen in an en- deavor to locate the center of the blaze at the start. The fact that all the doors were closed and locked helped to keep the blaze confined to
 
 Broderick.
 Had the hall beeen crowded with dancers casualties may have occurred Secretary AfcNamara said that the fire would not have had such a. start had the building been crowded with dancers. He says the fire would be detected at it's inception.
 Had the building housed the 1900 persons who were there at midnight, pandernonium undoubtedly would have reigned and lives might have been lost in a rush for the street
 No damage was done to the adjoin- ing buildings of St. Joseph's R. c. ( IGerman) church or the buildings on the west side. A few streams of water were played upon these and they were saved.
 While the fire was burning a com mittee composed of past presidents of the F. o. E. were in session in the Hotel Lorraine, making arrangements for the erection of the Eagles hall at Main street and Madison avenue.
 Only three days ago the hall com mittee caused to be erected, leading to the attic, 8 wooden ladder. I'm this l attic are scores of wires, owned by the 1 United Illuminating Go. and the s. N. E.. T. Go.
 Repairs upon the building will be started as soon as the fire underwrit- 1 CTS report to the board of trustees The fire O. last night Will leave EagleS | hall unfit for entertainments or social | gatherings for at least two weeks and 1 probably more. Secretary McNamara | has engaged Hibernian hall at State | and Main streets for tomorrow even ing, when the regular meeting of the I aerie will be held.
 The women of St. Joseph's Ger | man church planned to hold a pin l ochle and whist at the hall this even | ing They have been forced to change the scene of the entertainment to Ger mania hall and the card games and dance will be held this evening as scheduled.
 The annual entertainment and | dance of the St. Joseph's T. B. & Le association which was to have been held at Eagles hall, Monday and Tuesday evenings of next week, prob ably will be held in Colonial hall in Fairfield avenue.
 The only theory that the fremen are working on is the one given by Electrician Platt, that defective wir- ing in the boiler room was the origin of the fire Fire Chief Daniel E.John- sonu says the fire undoubtedly began in the. boiler room and the theory of PIatt is the one on which he will work to locate the origin. He is inspecting the entire building today to locate the cause of the fire.
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