Putnam patriot., 1914-05-15
BAD FIRE
ro;ou Block Threatened. Loss $2O,OOO
s,ortsueous Combustion the Probable c.nse. Firemeu Handicapped

Morse Saturday morning TOT tifne threatened the destruction of Union ,loek and gave the fire department a hora fight for three hours. The dam- ace to the stock in the store from fire ,nd water. damage to the block and to o,her tenants from smoke will bring ,be loss up to about S20,0e0. While the origin of the fire is not known 1t is believed to have been due to spontane- ous combustion as the store cellar, where the fire started, contained a onantity of paints, oils and yarnishes. This fire adds to the already large loss suffered in the city in the past year and half during which it is safe to say that the greatest number of disas- trous fires the city has ever experienc. ed have occurred.
 The fire was discovered by Glen Dove, car inspector for the New Ha- ven railroad, who saw flames coming from the cellar windows at the east end of the building. Dove did not know where an alarm box was located so went to the switch tower and noti- fled John Kempf, who went to Bugbee corner and rang in an alarm from Box Al. The alarm was rung at exactly 3 o'clock and the firemen soon had streams pouring into the cellar win dows which were belching clouds of thick, black, oily smoke. The men could only get near to the building by lying fiat on their stomachs. They were greatly handicapped by being un- able to get the streams on the blaze. A heavy beam runs around the building to support the floor and this being at the street level the nozzle could not be put under it to any advantage and the water had to be poured in blindly Had tbe department been equipped with a style of nozzles known as cellar noz. zles which throw spray and are for use under such circumstances they could have been utilized to great ad- vantage.
 To get into the cellar was impossible as no human being could have lived for minute in the heavy smoke. The men used their handkerchiefs to pro. tect their mouths and noses as best they could Several barrels of oil were rol- led out of the store and it was early learned that there were two 20 pound cans of powder which were not far from the door on the north side When the exact location of these cans was learned Assistant Chiefs II. w. Sharpe and Alphonse Boucier and Hoseman John Daigle went into the store and after some groping about in the blind ing, suffocating smoke l6 cated it and brought it out. They were nearly overcome .before they again reached fresh air.
 About 4 o'clock the smoke began to utes as if the fire was under control. This state of affairs lasted but few moments when the smoke again rolled out blacker ard denser than ever and flame could be seen shooting from the windows when the smoke cleared away bit. Flame also shot up into the store on the street level and streams were taken from the cellar and played in the store. The office where the safe IS was an objective point for one stream for some time. The floor caved in and let the goods down into tangled mess that rested on the large stock in the basement that kept it from falling fur ther. Many of the men received cuts more or less serious from broken glass. Smoke was issuing from the second story windows ~and shortly after o'clock it looked as if the block was doomed If the fire ever got beyond the first story or into the stores to the westward the block would have gone. A brick partition wall at the west end ot the store is probably all that saved the hre from spreading and the new ceiling in the store was great help in keeping the fire confined with in the store limits. The battle ragged hercely up to 5.30 when it was appar- ent that the fire was slowly being drowned out. The firemen again showed the stuff they are made of and are deserving of further honors, that nave been theirs through the long list ot recent fires, for the work they did.
 Ralph Thurston, superintendent of me Light & Power Company, was one oi the first at the scene. He carried man to the pumping station and also had the lights turned on. The water pressure was good from the start. The sun soon came up over the hills and gave a better view. There were not many citizens that came to the fire. Many looked cue of their windows and seeing no light in the sky thought that the fire was unimportsnt and re- turned to sleep.
 The telephone operator, Miss Merri- am, aroused the tenants of the block. Postmaster Letters was at his summer camp at Quadic pond. He received notice by phone and was at the scene early. He and his clerks pouched up all stamps, money, registered mail and mad 1t all ready to remove nt short mo- lice if it should become necessary. Ar Engagements were also made to have stocks removed from Letters Music