The Newtown bee., 1905-06-16

REGENT FIRES IN VIEWPOINT.
 A POWERFUL ARGUMENT FOR A PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY.
 By the recent fire in Sandy Hook we are again reminded of the old saying | "Fire is good servant but a hard maSter.' It is by grouping happen. ings of similar kind during a series of years, that sometimes is appalling. Confining ourselves to the two villages of Newtown and Sandy Hook, let us recall, as best we can, the fires in the two places in the past 50 years. We early tifties the Rubber factory in the Glen was completely destroyed by fire. In the year 1887 the Upper Rubber factory as. also wiped out by the fire flend. Besides, without referring to dates, CarrOll'S store and dwelling, CoStello's Opera House and house ad- joining, a dwelling house opposite the Upper Rubber factory, all totally de- strOyed, while several fires started in other buildings were brought under control without great destruction of property-all which events speak loudly the need of reliable preparation for meeting effectually such a dread emergency. In Newtown Street, one hot Sunday in July, 1851, the congrega- tions in the village churches were startled by the ringing of the bells and the cry of fire. A barn belonging to Rev Jason Atwater, standing between the house now owned by John H. Blackman and barn then owned by Henry Beers Glover, was on fire. A bucket brigade of chtrch-goers was formed and the fire was confined to the barn, which was consumed. In the early March of 1867, the house of Elmer and George Fairchild, together with all the other buildings, was burned to ashes.
 In April, 1882, a large two-story building owned by Norman B. Glover, standing little north of our Town house, the first floor used by Peck & Beers as store, and the second floor rented by the town for town house, was totally destroyed by fire.
 September 8, 1897, w. A. -Leonard's, the old famed Dicks hotel, together with barn and all out-buildingS, was OuI AOA nU A4
 November 3, 1898, M. J. Houlihan's barns, in the rear of the Grand Gen. tral hotel and only few feet distant from it, were burned clean away. The large barns of E. s. Lowell on Queen street were destroyed by fire four years ago. It is wonder that any one of those fires could have run their course to the finish and not cleaned out half of Newtown Street.
 The situation of the two will lages is peculiar in one respect at least. Sandy Hook has an abundance of water furnished by Pootatuck sbrook that runs through the center of the village, but no fire apparatus to be effectual in caseof fire.
 NeWtoWn Street has a good fire organized fire company, and valiant work was done by them at Sandy Hook, but there is no water to be de- pended upon in Newtown Street.-The only source of supply being such as the ordinary we'll can give, and that only for a short time. What better time than now, for both villages to call halt and seriously consider whether it IS really wise to drift along in the old way any longer? In this connection we give copy of petition presented at town meeting held in December, 1907, showing that the fire fiend was stalking through the village street at times century ago. It can be found recorded in Volume 4, Page 106, of the Town Records.-[E. l.. Johnson.
 To the inhabitants of the town of Newtown in legal town meeting con- vened: The inhabitants of said town living in the town street and it's vicin- ity beg leave to represent That, seri OuSly alarmed at recent event which threatened for a time to lay their dwellings in ashes, to unhouse their families, to sweep away their public buildings and produce a scene of destruction and distress awful to con- template, and too painful to describe, they met at the house of Caleb Bald win on the Fist of November to take into consideration their exposed and dangerous situation and to devise the themselves in future against deStruc- tion by fire. At this meeting the opinion was unanimous, that it was the duty of the householders to see that their chimneys were swept or cleansed by burning without loss of time and to provide themselves with ladders as expeditiOuSly as possible It was further thought advisable to procure fire engine if possible, as the best instrument (properly served) with which to contend against so unruly and dangerous an element and indeed as the only one in which any just con- tidence of success might be placed in the hour of danger. To effect this, so desirable an object, a subscription was immediately opened and committee appointed to wait on the inhabitants in the Street (not then present), and the meeting was adjourned to the 23d of November to receive the report of the committee, that the sum of $45O had been subscribed for the purpose with liberality evincive of strong sense of danger and of the expediency and necessity of the measure. Having proceeded thus far and accomplished so much by their individual exertiOnS, it was thought advisable by the meet ing to state their proceedings to the town at their annual town meeting and to solicit their aid, without which all their efforts to accomplish so inn pOrtant an object must prove ineffec- tual, especially If it appeared, from the best information to be procured, that the probable expense of a good and effectual engine delivered at New town, with the cost of house to shel- ter it, would amount to the sum of about $700; that about S2OO would be requisite, in addition to the subscrip- | tion, to carry the object of it into effect, and without which their utmost exertions must prove frultless.. Thus circumStanced, they come before the I TTS<x fn hot nd