Norwich bulletin., 1915-05-31
FIRE SWEPT TAFTVILLE BUILDINGS
From Corner of Merchants Avenue and Hunters Avenue
 Eight Buildings in All-Marsans Grocery Store, Pon Hardware Store Two Saloons, Two Barns and Tene- nent Property Completely Destroyed-Probaby Loss of OO,000-Help Sent by Norwich Department.

floor as his residence. This building was only partially burned, as the flames were extinguished before they did any great damage. L. N. Ere eiiette, who conducted a meat market in the lane between Mercier's store and the Lincoln club, lost his store and entire stock
 From the rear of the burning build ings on Merchants avenue the fire spread to the small building just north of Marsan'S grocery, owned by J. c. Marsan and occupied as a millinery store by Miss Amanda Belair. This building burned down within half an hour, leaving only mass Of smoking ruins. The block owned by J. c. Mar san was the next building to go. This seemed to catch on all sides at once and was soon reduced to a pile of ruins. The major part of the ground floor was used by MT. Marsan as a grocery store and the remaining sec ton as a shoe and clothing store by Edouard Adams. On the upper floors were tenements occupied by MT. Mar san and family and by MT. Adams. The barn in the rear of this building was also claimed by the raging flames. The entire stock in both stores as well as the furniture on the upper floors were totally destroyed.
 South of MT. Marsan's building was the Pion block, and this also was soon in flames. At midnight only section of the south wall remained standing, and to all appearances this was doom- ed. The store on the ground floor was occupied by MT. Pion as a hardware establishment, and he resided upstairs. This, like the Marsan building, was three stories high, and in addition to the tenement occupied by MT. Pion and family, there were tenements occupied by two French famfliAs.
 In the rear of this building was a large tenement block, recently built, and owned by Phileas Dion. This was destroyed. together with the furniture of the several tenants. Another block owned by MT. Dion, three stories high and occupied by A. Deslandes as a meat market, Mrs. Sarah Hasler as a confectionery store and residence, and by Clifford Dion as residence, was threatened at several times but it was thought at midnight that this building would escape with only bad scorch- ing.
 One of the last buildings to catch was the big Pratt building owned by George Pratt and located at the juno ton of Hunters avenue and Mer- chants avenue. At midnight the lower end on Hunters avenue was burning f1ercely and it looked as if this build ing was doomed to go like its predeces- sors- The tenants in the building on the lower floor were N. J. Fournier, saloon keeper; Henry .>Morin. baker;
 
 Benoit, barber. On the upper floor the tenants were Joseph Benoit, Ma poleou Fournier and others
 Low water pressure greatly handi- capped the firen1en who rendered very efficient service in spite of the tre- n1endous start the flames got The heat was terrific and the flames shot tip into the air for over a distance of 100 feet at times while the reflection could be seen from as far away as Mohegan on the Montville trolley line and could be seen also for a distance of several miles on neighboring hills. Sparks flew in all directions but a careful watch prevented further con- f1gratioS. AS soon as the Ponemah men had been notified of the fire the electric power was shut off from all circuits in the fire zone as a precau- tionary measure.
 The heat from the burning buildings and the flying sparks threatened the Wequonnoc school but a garden hose stream and the chemical line from the auto saved this building from possi- ble destruction.
 Just how the fire started could not be determined but it was certain that it had it's origin in the Lincoln Club building. It is claimed that it start ed in the Lincoln Club rooms, but this is denied by the club members who say the fire started in the rear section of the building which was not occu- pied by them.
 The total loss is estimated at s1O0,- 900, partly covered by insurance Hundreds of people turned out to watch the flames and scores of auto mobiles visited the scene during the night. The jitney drivers rushed to Taftville as soon as they got wind of the conf1agration and they did a thriv- ing business for several hours.