New Britain herald., 1916-12-26
FLAMES THREATEN
 APARTMENT BLOCK
Damage to Arch Street Property Between $10,000 and S2o,o0o
POLICEMAN RESCUES TWO

at Corner of Hart and Arch Streets Fireman Found Overcome by Smoke in Street.
 Fire. supposedly starting from an l overheated furnace in the cellar. did damage estimated at from $10O00 to SZo,000 and for time threatened to destroy the four-story block at the corner of Hart and Arch streets at 1:3O o'clock this afternoon. At press time the fire was still smouldering, , but the firemen had succeeded in get ting the blaze under control
 This fire was one of the most spec tacular that has occurred in this city l since the blaze at Hatch's block on Main street several years ago and was similar in many respects. An alarm was sounded from box 17 shortly before 1:3O o'clock and soon 1 after the department arrived and Chief R. M. Dame saw the magnitude of the fire second alarm was sound- ed, bringing every available piece of apparatus in the city to the scene. , Even the old horse-drawn aerial truck from the central station was pressed into service and pair of horses were secured from H. R. Wal ker's stables to draw it. At this time dense clouds of black smoke were rolling from all of the windows in the northeast corner of the struc- ture and the blaze and smoke in Ladd's drug store on the first floor hot f4 i+ was impossible for the fremen to ven- ture within ten feet of the building. Chief Rawlings sent every available policeman to the scene. but even with their help it was a difficult mat ter to hold the crowd of several thousand spectators in check
 Couldn't Get Firemen
 Various and spectacular reports concerning the origin of the fire were heard on all sides but George M. Ladd, the druggist ,who first dis covered the blaze and tried ineffect- ually to call the fire department on the phone, the most comprehensive account, in which he disclaims the current report that the fire started from an explosion in the cellar. MT. Ladd stated that he was at work about his drug store when he smelled smoke and saw little ringlets of smoke issuing up through the floor from the cellar. He hastened to the front of the store to the telephone and endeavoreds to call the fire de- partment. He was unable to get the number, he states. because the cen tral operator seemed to be unable to hear what he said and kept asking 'Number?' MT. Ladd then rushed into %< call for the fire department. He re- turned to the store and in the gen. eral excitement seems to have for gotten the remaining details.
 Carries Two to Safety.
 Supernumerary Officer Horace Mer- cure, whose home is directly across the street from the block, was one Of the first on the scene and rushed into the drug store where he found Mr. Ladd leaning across the counter in a helpless condition, overcome by smoke and excitement. He carried him bod- fly from the store and to the home of ex-Representative Charles Mueller Across the street. MT. Ladd recovered within a short time, but is still in a ] weakened condition. Returning to the scene of the fire, 1 Officer Mercure rushed through the tenements above the stores warning l the occupants to leave. Mrs. John Glaves, who occupies one of the upper 1 tenements, was ill in bed and unable 1 to leave her room. Officer Mercure 1 assisted her from the burning build i ing to a neighbor's home. In strug- ! gling through the smoke in an effort 1 to find an exit the policeman stum bled l down a flight of stairs striking his
 head forcibly, discolorng one eye. Fireman Is Overcome.
 Callman Anderson of Engine com- i pany No. 1 was stationed at the front
 of the building with a hose. It was at
 this point that the smoke was the
 thickest. It issued from the building
 in such clouds that it was impossible
 to see the firemen standing there
 holding the hose. Suddenly a gust of
 wind rolled the clouds of smoke away
 momentarily and the prostrate form
 of Fireman Anderson was disclosed
 lying on the ground. He had been
 overcome by smoke and was carried | from the scene by his companions.
 Fortunately he was not seriously af-
 fected and in a short time had recov-
 cred. Hs...
 The building in which the fire oc- 1 cured is a paratively new struc-
 ture built by Wexler & Stein and
 owned by the Reliance Realty com | pany. There are two stores on the
 first floor and tenements above. These
 are occupied by the families of John 1 Glaves, Bernard Stein, Israel Wexler, ] Gustave Johnson, Joseph Olson, Harry
 Alpert, a family named Strickland and | a family named Birnham.
 MT. Ladd states that as far as he ] knew there was no explosion preced- ing the fire. AS the cellar is sub-div-
 ided into eight different compartments