Fire in the basement of the Batterson building

11/16/1881 |

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A fire in the basement of the Batterson building did minor damage to the items stored there.

More details

The fire began in the front part of the basement of the Batterson building, among boxes and crates stored there by W. E. Sanford.
The fire was discovered when smoke issued from iron grating in the sidewalk.
The alarm for the fire sounded around 10:00 PM, but the fire alarm was defective, delaying the response of the Hartford Fire Department.
Fire engines arrived, and firefighters began spraying water through holes in the grating and through a rear door into the basement.
The fire was under control within half an hour, and it was confined to the basement.

And then there's this

The fire likely started among straw and other debris in among the crates and boxes.
Smoke filled the Plimpton store and Sanford’s store, but the fire did not reach either store.
The damage in the basement was estimated to be not more than $200.

There were at least two Batterson buildings, one of which was more commonly referred to at the “Batterson block,” in downtown Hartford at this time. Likely the fire took place at 366 Asylum Street, owning to the presence of the Plimpton store.

Caught my eye

“The damage will not exceed one or two hundred dollars on the contents of the cellar, and the loss on the building is trifling.”

For the record

W. E. Sanford was a crockery dealer who had a store on the first floor of the Batterson building.
$200 is equivalent to $6,352.47 in 2025.

Sources

Unattributed. “Fire in the Batterson building,” Hartford Daily Courant, November 17, 1881, page 3.

History

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