Norwich bulletin., 1913-04-24

since REVOLUTIONARY t1fHeSs Was Ihneat- 4ened with destruction by fire on We'd nesday morning, but was saved by the heroic efforts of the volunteer fire fighters, who responded to the ringing of the Lebanon church bell, while the tenement house where the fire started in the rear Of Redwood, was burned to the ground
 The kitchen ell of Redwood was the only part Of that house which the fire reached.
 In response to a call for help from Lebanon, representing that there was prospect of the fire getting beyond cnntrol and making ac1ean sweep of dozen houses along the Green. the Norwich autochemica1, with Chief Howard L. Stanton and a crew of sev- en men, was sent to the fire, but when it reached there the Lebanon people had the blaze all under control The Norwich men used a few tanks of chemical in putting out some of the still snoldering portions of the roof of Redwood.
 Started from Chimney.
 Shortly after 10 o'clock Msr. George, who with her husband and family, oe- cupied the tenant house at the rear of Redwood, discovered smoke coming out through the shingle roof near the chimney. She found the attic all ablaze. and at once ran te tell her hils- band, who was out back of the barn. By the time he reached the house. he said, and tried to go up stairs he was driven back by blast of flames in his face and the fire spread down through the house so fast that he was able to save not more than a dozen pieces of furniture from the house
 Bucket Brigade Responded.
 The alarm to the neighbers was giv- en by the ringing of the church bell by Tuclid ThayerI and later by Alfred RarEews. bringing the men from all the neighborhood to the help of the h faz rd of started to fight the fire with water pailS, nilk cans. tubs and scuttles, or anything which would hold water A windmill with a tank not far from the house was the source of water supply, and there were also hand fire extin- guishers which were brought into use. Water from other neighboring wells was also used.
 From the ranidty with which the flames spread through the one story and a half frame dwelling occupied by the Hous efanaily, it could be seen that nothing could be done to save this. It was soon a roaring furnace that could not even be approached because of the heat.
 MT. Smith was away in Willimantic at the time the fire started.
 Protecting Adjoining Buildings.
 In the work of protecting adjoining buildings, attention was first given to- wards the barn in the rear of the e.. thing after he reached the fire. MT. House thought of the livestock in the barn, and led out the four mules which were stabled there MT. Smith s horse was not in the barn at the time of the fire
 Vaiuabie Bulldog Burned.
 Pansy. a valuable South Carolina tenant house. She was in the kitchen. and Mr. House made several attempts to get at her through the window, but she refused to be eoaxed from the room and finally burned.
 The roof of the barn was kept wet with cloths and pails of water. and the attempt to keep it from catching fire was successful. The wind was blow ing away from the barn, but towards the Smith house. winch stood some 30 to 40 feet distant. Grange hall build ing, in which is the store of I. W. Av cry, was also in the line of the flying chunks of blazing wood and when it i was seen that the kitchen ell of Red wood was on fire, it looked as if the old colonial residence would go, with the possibility of the flames jumping te Grange hall, 300 or 400 yards away, and then to other houses. and the call
 Grange Hall Roof on Fire.
 The roof of Grange hall was on fire half a dozen times. but H. w. Sweet, i
 
 store in the absence of MT. Stark, or ganized a ladder and bucket brigade f which put out the fire each time. A shed nearby also caught. but the fire was checked.
 When the fire spread to the roof 1 of the kitchen ell of Redwood" the l bucket brigade fought it both from l outside by ladders against the roof 1 and from inside the house and several i times 1t was thought that they would i have to give up the fight, but lucky 1 shot with & pail of water turned the l tide each time and the ell was saved, 1 with the rear half of the upper story | burned off.
 Furniture Removed. . Vigorous work was done in remov !! ing the furniture from the Smith man l sion and a big pile of 1t was satcked !! up on the green while other pieces l were carried into neighboring houses. 1 The house was cleaned of it's furni- ] ture almost from the cellar up. all 1 though some-> in the attic was not 1 taken out. Even the piano was car i ried out. but was taken back again, ! and some of the more permanent fix i lures. such as banisters, radiators and 1 bathroom fixtures were ripped loose i and carried out of the house.
 AutochemicaI Responded.
 The Norwich autoehemieal was sent after permission had been se- ] cured from Alderman Beckley of the ] Ire cOnInlSSlOnefS anu dlleI CHe sec ond call for it had been sent in. Chief ! Stanton, with Henry Taft driving, and { David Fitzgerald, Archie Cochran, John Hill. Walter Huntley. James scal1ion and Calvin Williams as the crew, made the trip. When they ar lived at Lebanon, the fire was prac- i .ieally out, but two men were sent !: ID on the roof of the ell to do some ,uttine, and the big tank of chemicals md two small one were used to play lFouna the edges The autochemical carried four three ,allon tanks extra and also charges te charge up three times on he premises. They made total nile- lge of q a. 10 miles for the trip. going ID by the Lebanon road and return ng over the Willimantic road. Some iIne was lost on the way up because If stopping for a bucket which was est off the truck, but was recovered, | ,ut the run up was made in close to 6 minutes.
 MT. Smith returned from Wil1iman- io during the fire. He could not es- 1 innate the loss on the tenant house. ia said. but it was insured. The loss yfll probably be about s2,000. MT.