The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-01-15
FIVE CARS BURN
 IN GARAGE BLAZE
William H. WakeIee's Place at NeWtown Razed With
 Heavy Loss.
lspecial to The Farmer.l


 a large stock of autonob1le supplies, and five cars which were in the building. The fire broke out about :45 o'clock while the proprietor was in his office on the second floor. In company with ". ". Finch, a local accountant, he had been ball ancing his January inventory and had departed when the fire was discover ed by the owner. The flames pre- rvented access to the telephone, and thus the few minutes lost before the alarm reached the fireman was dis astrous.
 to the nearest hydrant, but 1t was found the hose was too short. This was another fatal blunder. When two more lengths were attached the interior of the garage was a roaring furnace and the efforts Of the fire Practically nothing was saved. The loss is fully $4.500 on build ling and stock owned by wake1ee, with less than one half covered by. insurance The lot on which the garage stood belongs to c. B. Tay- Tor, who 1t is saids holds the mort gage on the building.
 Among the fire fighters and vol- unteers who did valiant although unsuccessful service were L. c. Nor ris, Edward s. PitzschIer, Robert Cannon and Alfred Peterson the eIec- trician employed by A. L.. Julian, the electrical engineer. Mr. Petersen took up fl1e fallen electric wires which lighted the plant and hooked them securely on the poles thus pre- venting injury to the careless ones in the crowd which had gathered and were recklessly rushing every where. Our natives who have had electricity in use in the town for a few months only have not yet fully realized the poten t1alities of electri- |Rity for evil as well as good, and MT. Petersen felt much relieved when he had secured the wires on the pofes and out of the way of some yot1tll- fu1 investtgatorsp resent.
 A representative of the electric company who witnessed the work of the volunteer fighters during the fire
 was loud in his praise Of our water pressure. but criticised the fndiffer- ence of many of our citizens who re- fused to lend helping hand to the others on the lines of hose. He said the bnrough should not depend on a volunteer fighting force. on the ground sst11af what is sverybo5vss he said the borough should own a. chemical engine He gave it as his opinion that one of the latter fire. fighting apparatus on the ground as soon as the dremen responded would have had the fire under control be- fore the first effect of the water was noticed and that the property would have been saved. There is consider able talk going on in town today along the direction pointed out by this spectators suggestions-
 Mr+ Wake1ee has the sympathy of everyone in town. After the fire he broke down utterly, and was brought by pr. W. H. Kiernan in his car to |the doctors residence where he was put to bed. He lost all his clothing except his mechanics togs in the fire
 iary of Trinity church will be held at the rectory Thursday, January 21,
 at p. m. to plan for the winters work
 the bout with the Bethel quintet Wednesday night at that burg. The
 exact score is not known as the game closed in rough house mood. Two 1 of the NeWtown players are nursing sore heads today. but the reports
 from the Bethel lineup show that 1 1t was a give and take sanne all taround. The girls basketball team Of the 1 high school have a game scheduled for Saturday afternoon at z.s0 o'clock in the town hall The other end Of the fray will be presented by | the Danbury High School five. < M F. Kahle Of South Center has
 sold twenty acres of land situated nea rthe old Elam Tongue place to Bernard Keane Of New York Mrs. John Hassett and children of
 Bridgport. returned to her home yes ] terday after a pleasant visit with her parents, MT. and Mrs. Edward Kil-
 bride of Cemetery avenue. l Ralph WhitIock and Anmon Tay- Tor. two of Sandy Hooks citizens who have been sick are now reported much better.
 Hiram Chapter. No. l, Royal Arch J Masons, conferred the M. M. degree i degree on one candidate Wednesday night,
 Rev. c. A. Tfbbals of St. Johns
 church. IS expected home Saturday. from a visit to New York. James P. Lynch who has had ex- 1 perience in the business of carrying l passengers to and from the railroad stations. under veteran stage owner
 Charles E. Hawley, has entered the
 field Of business himself, and began work today.
 \ Miss Elizabeth l.. Beers is visiting | in PittsheId. Mass.
 Miss Jennie Roberts has returned ] from g visit of a week in New York 4 city.
 Mir. and Mrs. Charles F. Boards I ley nave gone to INSvs E1e1t3S4A s4OI a couple Of months stay with their
 son, c. I. Beardsley.
 Representative William Egan was
 assigned positions on both federal re-
 Iations committee and on the sale of
 lands, while Representative Jesse | James was placed on the committee l on shell fisheries, both by the grace of the General Assembly. Not any of l the assignments requires much labor
 on the part of the assemblymen ap- Il pointed
 The will of the aite Ezra IL. John son has been adEndtted to probate l Henry G. Curtis is the executor.
 An anniversary requiem mass for
 Mrs. Bridget Lillis of Botsford, was celebrated by Rev. Father Sinnott al St. Roses church this morning in the