Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-12-28
KINGSBURY FIRE
Guests Got a Scare, But Blaze
 Was Soon Out.

About 3:30 o'clock this morning one hundred and thirty guests were reposing snugly in the spacious beds of the Kingsbury hotel in Center street, when fire was discovered in room on the fifth floor. Someone in the building had not up to that time, turned In" for the night conse- quently the blaze was sighted be- fore 1t had chance to make much headway.
 Nevertheless there was one fine scramble for covering for the pa jamas when the cry went through the building that the hotel was on fire. There were many theatrlcai folk in the hostelry, including Miss Mabel Audrey, who manipulates the eight minute kiss in "The Love Waltz" at Jacques during the week; several members of the Lew DOCK stader company which plays at POTS this evening, and number of prohi- bitionists, who reside permanently at this up-to-date stopping place.
 It took the guests scarcely any time ito exit" from their rooms ana such an array of pajamas has not been seen in many day. Talk about the colors of the rainboWAwhy the creations that were seen in the ]am- boree through the hall would have made a crazy man blush with mod esty. The hotel is well heated, con sequently no colds were contracted, although the guests who failed to don their slippers were chilled on the feet by the tesselated floors.
 But come on to the fifth floor and take a peep at the room where the fire started. It was in No 433 on the northwest corner, the room nearest the police station. It was occupied by Edmund J. O'Brien, who is em- ployed in the Hamilton Hardware Co. MT O'Brien also lives in No 435 and was in the latter when he got faint suspicion that smoke was coming from some room nearby. About the time MT O'Brien became alarmed, the night watchman also spied the blaze and the pajama parade started
 An effort was made to secure Cen tral' at the telephone station but the hotel attaches state that they receiv- ed no answer Finally someone had to run over to the LeavenwOrth street engine house. When the fire men arrived; the room was full of smoke and they had to fight the fire from the hallway. Much water might have been poured into the room had it not been for flyer" taken by Captain Heitman, who once again did one of those feats which have al ready made him one of the best tiremen in the city He goth into the bathroom between the two rooms and by swing ing from the window succeeded in kicking in the window of room 433 where the fire was located. lmme- diately the room began to clear Of smoke and within a short time the flremen had the blaze out as they were able to see what they were fighting.
 Mir OBrien will be the heaviest loser as his furnishings were dam aged to the extent of about $500. His piano was partly destroyed while his other effects were almost ruined The hotel itself was not damaged much. The water went down to the second floor, but it confined it's course along one wall.
 How the fire originated is a pug gle to the fire department and also to the hotel people. It started on a couch but Mir O'Brien remembers leaving no cigar butt or anything that would set it nearby.
 A new fire escape has been recent ly erected on the north side of the hotel, but there was no occasion to use it last evening The hotel has two fire escapes.