Norwich bulletin., 1913-08-07
NORWICH FIREMEN
 HAD NARROW ESCAPE.
Gasoline Tank Exploded at Reyes Pro- ducts company's Fire in PaImertown
 New Addition With It's Equipment Entirely Destroyed

When. a tank containing $50 gallons of gasoline exploded and great cloud of dense smoke and flame rolled down upon them, three members of the Nor wich fire department David Fitzger- aid, John Hill and John Blackburn had narrow escape ut the big fire at the Reyes Products company in Pal mertown, on Wednesday, The three men, who were within 75 feet of the tank when 1t went up at one puff, threw themselves flat and hugged the ground with their faces. Chief Stanton expect ed to see them suffocated, but when, the fiery cloud rolled away, a moment later, the men were there quite safe. The materials with which the products company worked, and especially @ big tank which contained rosin and per cent. gasoline, giving out dense smoke. made it a hot, bad fire to handle. But a fine display of persist ent fire fighting against odds was shown by the men of the Reyes con- pany, assisted by the employees of the Palmer Brothers mill. close at hand, and later by the Norwich men who went down with the auto chemical. These were Chief Stanton and Bremen David Fitzgerald, Walter Huntley, John Lynch, Charles Culver, John Blackburn, John Hill and Henry Taft. By their combined efforts the fire was kept out
 
 mill, although it destroyed the newer 1-2 story 125 foot addition to the mill with it's equipment and the material stored therein. A conservative esti- mate Wednesday night placed the loss at $25,000, while it was stated that $80,000 insurance was carried. The fire will cri-9lc t..c operation of the plant for a long time.
 spark from a sanding machine in the dry room was the cause of the fire. 1t was believed Wednesday, and when the cry of fire rang out at 10 o'clock the blaze had a big start. The pump of the Reyes company was work ing satisfactorily, but because of the terrific heat it was impossible to get to the valve and turn out the water sup ply from the reservoir. The useless pump was heard working during the fire Consequently all the water came from the nearby plant of the Palmer Brothers, which shut down so that its employees might help the Products company workmen to fight the spread ing fire. When it was seen that the flames were getting away from them 8 telephone call was sent to the Norwich fire department about 10.50. Chief Stanton secured permission from Chairman Thomas H. Beckley of the fire committee to take the apparat tus down to Montville. and the trip was
  apparatus was there sixteen minutes after it was telephoned for.
 When Chief Stanton got to the fire the building was giving out a dense smoke mingled with flame, spreading over the street. Through this smoke hidden street it was necessary to go to get to the water supply, and so Driver Taft piloted his machine into the smoke and came out safely. The em- ployes of the two mills had stretched a couple thousand feet of hose and the Norwich squad added seven or eight hundred feet more. Four streams Of water were poured on, and the danger of spreading into the stone portion o1 the mill was soon over. The Norwich men returned at o'clock, but the mill employees continued to play water on the ruins until 5 o'clock in the after noon The roof of tho stone part was burned in places. but otherwise it IS Intact The fire started in the north end of the wooden addition and swept through it's whole length, cleaning out everything. There was valuable ma- chinery there and quantities of the raw material and of the finished paper pulp board manufactured by the Reyes Pro- ducts company. General Manager w. B. Hoggett of the Reyes company was in New York during the fire, and Supt. James R. Kolb directed the fire fight ing. The tenements near the burning factory were threatened. but the ef- fective work of the fire squads saved them all.
 John Lynch, of the Norwich flying squadron was cut on the wrist while he was fighting the fire in the basement of the building by displaced stone which fell on him, but the wound was bound up in the office of the superin- tendent and he was not kept from duty.