Norwich bulletin., 1912-04-23
Department Called to Thirteen InCendiary Fires Within
 A Period of Seven Hours
THE HANDSOME CITY HALL A HEAP OF RUINS
Only Walls Left Standing-LOss of $2OOOOO Entailed-
 Losses From Other Twelve Fires Will Not Exceed $2,5OO
 Three Companies of National Guard Parollmg Streets Evidence of Incendarism Found at One place.

being sent in by telephone and r- rangements have been made with tho large manufacturing companies tO sound any necessary general alarms on their whistles. All these corpora tions having volunteer fire companies have assembled their men and have them on duty at their shops ready 70 respond to calls in aid Of the city fire department if wanted.
 The militia compaules will bs kept on duty all night.
 Block Damaged to Extent of q GOO.
 So far the chief damage done by the fires, aside from that at the city hall, was that to st. Fairies han, and that in a stone and tenement block at the corner of South Main and Meadow streets, owned by Mrs. Elizabeth Winestine. where the damage ia es- timated at s1,000.
 in the other places where fires have been discovered, they have been ex- tinguished with slight damage. Among the buildings in which fires were started are the Mullings building at g5 Bank street, the Welton block at v Bank street, and the Pythian build ing, in wfzfh the West Side Savings bank is l0cAted. at the corner of Bank and Centez streets.
 Flames Burst Through Roof. shortly before 6.3O D. m. tho flames had found thatr way to the root of the city hall and they suddenly bursr forth in a riot that indicated their mastery in every nook and crauny. ls 1 was believed a few minutes later that | the entire roof was ablazs SO that it could be seen from all parts Of the city.
 A Thrilling Incident. | As they poured into the city from all | sides on the shop extras which were ] taking them to their homes, tho min | employees assembled in a great thronE | on the Green and watched the work of the fremen. About 10000 people were | gathered there when one Of the most thrilling incidents of the fire occurred. Ladderman John J, Mitchell wss g1id- 1 ing a hose from the top Of an extefsslon ladder which ran from the platform of | the aerial truck when suddenly the ladder was seen to sway An instant | later the ladder, with Mitchell strapped ] to it, was seen to fall, and rom every | throat in the crowd a moan arose as hs | dropped through space, to be followed | almost instantly by a mighty cheer. The ladder had fallen across the tels- phone and lighting wires and as it l rested across the wires it was sefn ] t4lL ALALCneu was ueAQ DN Lue HOOK lu his safety belt which was attached 10 one of the rungs. He was suspended thus in tho air three or four minutes before a gang Of ilnemen climbed out on the wires and stsadied ladder shot up by the firemen. Another mighty cheer arose when Mitchell slid down the ladder unaided and rushed back toward where his company was at work
 Bell and Clock Crash Through Building
 All wires to tho city hall had bsan cut soon after tho second alarm uaa sounded. including tho wires to the frs bell This was located In the clock tower, and 1t looked for some tfrns as if this tower would survive, but ths flames suddenly appeared at ths cor necs and after a merry dance lasting few minutes the single tongues unit ed in a great flame and the tower g doom was fixed Alter 6.50, litNs over an hour after the first alarm the great clock with its ben and the great fire bell crashed down through Ehs building, with the stout beams which held them, whose lower eKtremigtes had been consumed by tho flames