Norwich bulletin., 1913-10-24
Fire Drill Saves
 ChiIdren's Lives
BLAZE BREAKS OUT IN SCHOOL
 BUILDING
AT SOUTH MANCHESTER
Structure Soon Roaring Furnace Public Library and Six Other 8uid- ings Destroyed-Loss $20o oCo.

South Manchester, Conn, Oct 23.- Fire, which started in a waste basket Tn the Ninth district school, this after noon destroyed the building, a three story wooden structure, soon after the 300 school children had marched out in perfect order; swept to the public li- DrarY adjoining and thence to other buildings, destroying in all eight houses and damaging six others, caus- ing an estimated loss of $200,0 1000. The sch"olhouse was built of Geor- gia pine throughout, even the ceilings being of that wood. The fire spread with astonishing rapidity If the build ing had not been properly equipped with fire eSca pes-and had the admira- ble fire drill failed an instant-quite a loss of life would probably have re- suited.
 10000 Library Volumes Saved. The ten thousand odd volumes in the library were saved by a quick witted person suggesting the endless chain Hundreds of persons kept up continual stream to and from the building, carrying tn books out by the armful. Soon afterwards this build ig was completely destroyed
 With several buildings burning sim ultaneously and the fire threatening to spread still further, help was summon ed from Hartford. The Capital City sent down two pieces of apparatus which undoubtedly did much to control the blaze. The fire started at 2.3O o'clock, and it was not until nearly 2 that the recall was sounded.
 Fire Drill Proves Effective.
 The buildings in the burned area were located between the school Main, Wen and Vine streets, near the center of the town The burned school building was
 directly opposite the handsome new $100,000 school building recently given tD h Irrf T1
 Lessons were progressing as usual
 at the Ninth district school when smoke was smelled in the hallway A
 teacher quietly left the rooom and
 found a small fire blazing from a waste basket at the foot of the stair
 way on the second floor. How the fire started will probably never be known. In the meantime the bell rang for what
 most of the children thought was a,
 fire drill.'' The pupils formed into line quickly and marched out--some going out through doors; many taking the | fire escapes. The sight of the clouds | Of smoke the cracking of the flames did not frighten the children, although 1 they hurried faster than in the usual 1 fire drill.
 March of the Flames. Hardly had the last pupil gotten out of the building in safety before the flames were roaring through the build
 ing; the structure was indeed blaz- ing furnace
 Next in line of the path of the flames was the house of Hose Co. No. 4, wooden structure. A piece of old fire
 fighting apparatus, prized as relic Of bygone days, was burned up. The Rog-
 CTS block, two story wooden struc- ture, was next gutted. In this block were two grocery stores, a tailor shop, a c6bbIer's shop and two apartments. A small frame house occupied by William Mccormick, located on the
 west side of School street, was next destroyed
 Meanwhile the three story boarding house of August Benson was ablaze, and despite the best efforts the build ing was burned to the ground. A small house nearly adjoining, occupied by Robert Campbell, was also wiped out. At Vine and School streets a house owned by Alexander Trotter and oc- cupied by the Curry and Darrow fam flies, was likewise destroyed. A house owned by Mrs. Charles BisselL,at Wells
 and Vine streets, was partly destroy
 ed
 Fire. water and smoke did consider
 able damage to two houses owned by
 F. T. Carrier and the livery stable and
 business block of Charles Sternberg
 Other buildings were also somewhat
 damaged.
 Loss Will Reach $2oo,ooo.
 There were various estimates of the
 loss, some placing it well beyond the
 S2OO 900 mark, but a carefully revised estimate made after the excitement had
 died down places the loss at about
 S200, 900.
 Cheney Brothers. silk manufacturers.
 will be the principal losers. This con
 cern. which has benefited Manchester
 on many occasions, owned the burned
 school building, loaning it to the town
 as long as 1t was used for school pur-
 poses. The company likewise owned
 the library building and many of the
 structures made a prey of the fire.