Monday afternoon
Chief Stanton and all the regular men at the fire station were on
duty and were discussing fires in a general way when an alarm came
in at 4:10 o’clock from box No. 35 and everybody got busy.
It was found that the fire was in the handsome home of Dr.
Cassidy at No. 104 Washington Street.
Chief Stanton was the first to reach the house and then
flames were issuing from a dormer window in the southeast side of
the roof and south of the chimney in the house. The window was in a room occupied by the servant, Miss Nellie
Buckley. Mrs. Cassidy
was not a home and the only occupants of the house were the servant
and a young son of Dr. Cassidy.
The fire was burning fiercely
when the firemen arrived and smoke was issuing from the two cupolas
on the front of the house. There
was a strong wind blowing.
The roof was very irregular in
shape and was covered with slates.
These facts and the strong wind made it a difficult matter to
fight the fire. As the
roof burned away hot slates began to fall on all sides of the house
and this made the work of the firemen more dangerous.
On account of the close
proximity of wooden houses on the south and the great distance of
hydrants Chief Stanton summoned two volunteer hose companies to his
aid, Numbers 4 and 6, and when they arrived a large volume of water
was poured on the burning house. About 5 o’clock, when it was seen
that the attic of the house would be destroyed and the second story
was in danger, a large number of men and boys began to help Dr.
Cassidy remove his household goods to a place of safety.
About 5:30 o’clock the
firemen cut away several feet of partitions before the flames could
be subdued. Several
carpets and some furniture were removed from the Paddock house but
that was against the advice of Chief Stanton, as he assured the
inmates that there was no danger of the Cassidy house endangering
the Paddock house to any great extent.
The Norton house west of Christ
Church was slightly damaged by sparks.
The cause of the fire is
unknown. There was a report current that it was caused by an oil stove
exploding but Dr. Cassidy says that the house did not contain an oil
stove. Miss Buckley
says she left her room at 6:30 o’clock in the morning and did not
return to it until about 4 o’clock in the afternoon and then she
found the room in flames. She
was ironing in the kitchen when people in the Paddock house called
to her and informed her that the house was on fire.
Most of Dr. Cassidy’s
household goods were placed in his barn and in the old Sturtevant
house, which was promptly placed at the doctor’s disposal by Frank
H. Smith. None of the
expensive glass in the windows on the main floor and very little in
the second story was broken. A
big crowd watched the firemen at work and Policemen Stanley, Irish,
Toomey and Ebberts did good service in keeping the people out of the
houses and in protecting the property.
Joseph Wedge, the boss lineman
for the local light company, was one of the first to reach the fire
and he shut off the gas in the cellar and thus prevented it from
adding fuel to the flames.
Chief Stanton had the big
steamer located at a hydrant near Christ Church to be read in case
she was needed.
Hoseman Patrick J. Caples of
the chemical company was quite badly hurt at the fire, as was also
John E. Blackburn of Hose Company No. 5.
One of the latter’s hands was cut by slate or tin and he
was nearly suffocated with smoke. Fireman Smith of the steamer company was cut in the face.
When the firemen returned to
the Central station they were furnished sandwiches and coffee by
Rev. Neilson Poe Carry. His
kindness was greatly appreciated.
Dr. Cassidy and his wife spent
last night at the Wauregan house.
They were greatly depressed on account of the damage to their
handsome home. They
were visited last night by their son, Dr. P. J. Cassidy, of New
London.
The Cassidy house cost about
$18,000 and was built about 13 years ago.
The house and its contents are insured, but last night Dr.
Cassidy could not tell the exact amounts of his policies.
Several hundred people visited
the burned house last evening.
Much sympathy is expressed for the doctor and his family.
The house will probably be repaired as soon as possible.
LONDON
