Danbury, Connecticut Fire
April
22, 1896
DANBURY’S FIRE.
The Total Loss Inflicted Will Reach Fully
$70,000.
Danbury, Conn., April 23. – The fire
yesterday afternoon which destroyed
Mackinzie &
Sons’ and Devenport &
Von Gals’ hat factories and
George Taylor’s
tobacco store, near Taylor street, inflicted a
total loss of fully $70,000. The fire started in
the drying room of the
Mackinzie factory. Engineer
Charles B. Pickering
smelled smoke, and on opening the door of the
drying room the flames burst out and drove him
back. There were but a dozen operatives in the
place as the factory had been down to make
repairs. The flames spread so quickly that they
had barely time to make their escape. Fifteen
minutes after the fire started the
Mackinzie
factory was in ruins and the flames had spread
to Davenport & Von Gals;,
fifty feet distant. From there they leaped to
the Taylor
building. Lee & Hawley’s
factory just beyond and
H. McLaughling’s opposite were on
fire several times and with the strong wind that
was blowing it looked as though it would be
impossible to save them. All buildings were
large three-story frame structures.
Mackinzie &
Sons employed 150 hands and
Davenport & Von Gals,
125. Both shops were fairly busy.
Mackinzie &
Sons’ loss is $25,000; insurance, $20,000.
Davenport & Von Gals’
loss is $35,000; insurance, $20,000.
George Taylor’s
loss is $8,000; insurance $4,000.
North Adams Transcript, North Adams, MA 23
Apr 1896
Transcribed by
Jenni Lanham. Thank you,
Jenni!
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