New Britain herald., 1915-04-22
J. KOWALSK LOOKS FOR GA LEAK WITH LIGHTED CANDl
 HOUSE TOTALLY DESTR(
Loss is Estimated at $6,OOO--AnOther NJ Blaze in Gaylor's Block Early Morning
 Does $lO,OOO Damage on Main Sire

into his bologna shop adjacent to the old Cook house at the corner Of Kelsey street and Rocky Hill avenue at noon today caused the proprietor J. Kowalski. to seek the leak. Armed
 with a lighted candle he descended
 irto the cellar. The gas pipe had be-
 come broken and with the aid of the
 candle Kowalski found the leak. Nuff sed. kowalski escaped un- harmed but the blndng sheet of flame
 from the explosion at once enveloped
 his shop and famed by the brisk 1 southwest wind, spread with amazing rapidity to the Cook house next door. The entire property was practically destroyed. although the fire depart ment. working under a bad handicap. did heroic work. The damage will l , be at least $6,000. This was the third
 lad confiagration that has visited New
 Rritan since midnight last night. The
 first fire was in Holmes & Hoffman's
 block. where it will take s10,000 to
 cover the loss. The second was just before noon, when a blaze in a dumb waiter shaft in Gaylor's block.
 next to the Regal hotter. on Church
 street. caused a loss of several hum dred dollars.
 Fire Department Divided.
 It was just 12 o'clock this noon and
 the firemen had just gotten the fire !n
 Gaylor's block under control that an alarm was sounded from box 22 at the corner of Fairview and Kelsey streets. Chief Dame and Assistant Chief Noble detailed some of the firemen to remain at the Church street block and the rest
 Of the city department was dispatched to the new fire. It was a long run , for the horses but record time was { made by both the horse drawn and motor propelled vehicles. The blaze.
 which was in the old Cook house on
 the corner of Rocky Hill avenue and
 Kelsey street, was the mos; spectacu- ! ( lar one that has occurred in this city i ( in a long time. Even before they reached the place the firemen knew l that they had hard job ahead Of 1 them as thick clouds or black and yellow smoke hid the house from view and now and then monster sheet of flame would burst through, showing that the structure was
 doomed.
 Bremen Are Handicapped. .
 The firemen were working at a dis advantage as half of their hose had ( necessarily been left at the Church I street fire. However. with the several l lines they had and the aid of couple l of lengths of garden hose they at i tackled the flames with vim and after ! d hard fight mastered them. The fire | was not extinguished before the { bologna shop was totally gutted, | however and the old house is asIV good as destroyed as one entire side r and the roof is burned off and the | interior Is also wiped out by the t flames. Both structures are a total Q loss.
 House Old Land Mark.
 The old Cook house is one Of the z oldest landmarks in the city. It for merely stood on a high bank, but sev- eral years ago it was moved a little. jacked up in the air and a brick c store was built beneath it. The place fl was owned until recently by Stanley s Broff. Not long ago he sold it to fl John Pristalinkas who is the present c owner. lC
 Hundreds of spectators from all Il over the city gathered to watch the s' fire. Thick clouds of smoke rolled r out of the windows and on the east b side of the house there were times r when the firemen were hidden from fl view. Through the windows the al flames shot and at times the firemen ST on the ladders were compelled to VI back away from them. e
 Praise for Smokcaters.
 Nothing but the highest praise is fiji given the tiremen for the efficient s, manner in which they handled the f, situation and but for their prompt ct of what should be fo done there is little doubt but what to other property nearby would have " been destroyed. When the depart fl ncnt arrived the flames had about Fl h, quarter of an hours start as there fo vas some delay before boy was ca finally sent away off to tho ton of ts Kelsey street hill where tho nearest st alarm box is located. The fire of h, his noon but more clearly demon ao 'trates the necessity of another fire to station south Of the railroad tracks md more fire alarm boxes in tho out- kirts.
 S1,OOO Damage at GayIor's Block u,
 The fire in Gaylor's block was con ts med to the dumb waiter shaft. When D he department arrived quantities Inf ci moke were rolling from the upper ,. Vindows and the railways and rooms a were also filled. As all the tenants . lad fled there was no one 10 tell where ~. he fire was and the fircmen had to . waste several pre"i"ns minutes in ear'hing through th" Iabrynth Of g, look-d halls und little runir,s h,ror., U hcy finally located it. 1t u,s h,,,.n ng quite hriskly between the partl- IIt f,tr hC,,