New Britain herald., 1915-11-03
ADKINS CO.'S PLANT
 IS GUTTED BY FIRE
Loss, Covered by Insurance, Ex-
 peCted to Total $8,OOO
WOMEN ARE CARRIED OUT
F'irenlan's Wife and Relative Taken from the Burning Building-F1oOr Caves in-Smoke Handicaps Fire Fighters-Origin Unknown.

Fighters-Origin Unknown. The Adkins Printing companys stationery store and supply house, To- cated in Hatch's block at GA Church 1 street, was completely gutted by disastrous fire which broke out with fury in the basement directly under the store shortly after 6:30 o'clock this
 morning. The origin of the fire is as yet uncertain. The actual loss was who were on the scene before 9:3O o'clock, is pla aced at $6,000. This fig ure was expected to cover the loss )f stock as well as the damage to the building. Both are covered by in | surance. Later the figure was in
 creased to $S,OO0.
 Blaze a Spectacular One. 1 This fire wss one of the most spec | tacular serious and dangerous with 1 which the local fire department has | had to deal with in some time and | for awhile this morning it looked as | though the entire block would go up | in smoke At 5:45 o'clock the jan | itor of the block went into the eel 1 lar and noticed not the slightest trace of smoke or fire. At 6:3O o'clock the tenants of the upper floors, many of whom were just sitting down to their morning meal, were terrified by | shout of fire, and on looking from their rear windows saw dense clouds of thick, black smoke, through which l the lurid glow of the flames could be
 seen swirling upwards from the base
 ment.
 l. A telephone call was sent in to the ! police station and Sergeant T. M. Her ting notified Engine company No. 1. An alarm was sounded from box 4 shortly after and Engine companies No. 1, ?, and 4 and the Hook and
 Ladder company responded. Arriv- ing the scene, Chief Robert M. Dame at once saw that he was con- l fronted with fire of more than or dinary proportions, and ordered second alarm, calling out the entire city fire department The changing of the fire alarms the shouts of the
 men and the thick clouds of smoke which poured out of the building into
 Church street, completely hiding the building from view, coupled with the fact that hundreds of working men were at that time proceeding along the street en route to their daily labor. all tended to make the affair a most exciting one.
 Women Carried Out.
 The flames apparently had gained material headway, for they were shooting into the air from the rear windows of the store as we'll as from the cellar easements when the fire men arrived, and the entire block was filled with smoke. All of the tenants were forced to make hurried exits and Mrs. Harry Wetmore, wife of one of the firemen who lives in the block, had to be assisted out by Officer Will i liam Grace. Fireman Wetmore him. self assisted Mrs. Alice J. Green, a | relative, to the street
 Fire a Fierce One
 So thick was the smoke and so hot ! the fire that the firemen were unable to enter the building. Half a dozen streams of water were poured into the Adkins Printing companys store through the front and rear windows and other streams were directed in through the cellar windows. It was necessary for the firemen to use all their smoke helmets as it was impossi- ble for those who had to enter the store with hose to breathe without them The construction of the block was such, it was later learned, as to prevent the most efficient use of the hose from the cellar windows. The entire celler is subdivided by parti tons reaching to the ceiling and when stream of water was poured in 1t it could go only as far as the wall IL front as the walls prevented the water from penetrating into the celler where the fire was. A special nozzle with a revolving tip to spread the water in all directions was used to good advantage.
 Floor Collapses.
 It was evident that the fire started in the cellar near the east wall and about midway of the store as it was there that the flames burned the tiercest. Even before the fire was sufficiently subdued to permit the fremen entering. the fire had com pletely burned away the heavy beams, causing the floor to collapse and the contents of that section of the store to slide into the fiery cellar beneath.
 Fortunately the printing establish ment connected with this company 1S III q separated building, so Was not crippled by the fire.
 Treasurer w. A. House, of the Adkins company, states that the stock is practically a total loss, es- timated at from $3,O00 to 5000. There was considera bly, stock in the cellar, including a number of val uable adding machines, all of which were ruined either by water or fire. The cellar bottom was flooded with l
 (Continued on Fourteenth Page.)