New Britain herald., 1917-02-22

The ClCy haQ the worst experience III its history with fires last night. AL though the property damage is not ex- pected to exceed $50,00O, the character of the fires, their threatening nature and expectations that they were but a sample of what would follow caused a state of terror. Unable to meet the situation properly calls for assistance were sent to Hartford, Waterbury, Bristol and Plainville. All responded Hartford with three powerful motor pumps, Waterbury with it's most pow erful motor pump and the other places with one piece of apparatus each.
 Eight Fires in Two Hours.
 Within a period of about two hours there were eight fires, seven of them unquestionably of incendiary Origin. All of the seven were cellar fires of the most dangerous type, believed to have been set through the use of new type of bomb filled with chemical solution similar to Greek fire'l Nu- merous small fires are being reported today as having been discovered last night during the excitement but, be- cause of timely discovery, were eXtin- guished without calling for fire appar- atus
 Every agency is being used to in vestigate the cause of last nights reign of terror,' the most thorough protection is to be given public and private property while outside aid will be called in, if necessary.
 It is believed that @ trio of highly dangerous and clever men is respon- sible, that they were in the city last night. are in the city now ana that fur toy tc I,yi1 ho do 4o TO property. No satisfactory explanation has been given as to the motive for their conduct. Little credance IS given the theory that mentally un- balanced person is responsible. Thn work shows too much cool calculation by 9 criminal Of more than ordinary ability.
 Early last night the situation be- came so acute that Mayor George A. Quigley took drastic measures to calt a halt. Securing the approval ot GOV ernor Marcus H. Holcomb, the Na1lon- al Guardsmen were ordered out
 With alarms coming in in quick succession, the fires increasing in se- riousness with rapidly increasing area covered the local department found it. self with insufficient apparatus to meet the emergency. With a little more time intervening. the situation could have been handled without outside aid.
 Explosions Are Heard.
 In at least three of the fires a muf- fled explosion quickly followed discov- cry, causing a speedy and deadly dis tribution of the flames. It is believed that time bombs, placed in the build ings some time before discovery of the fire, are responsible. The use of such bombs was discovered by the authori- ties in Hartford.
 Two Fires in Clothing Store.
 The first alarm came in at 5:46 when Traffic Policeman Charles M. Johnson pulled Box 42 at Main and East Main street for fire in the eel lar of The PariSian, l women's cloth ing store, at 454 Main street. Two dis tinct and separate fires of highly sus- picionS nature were found in piles of paper and rubbish that had apparently been raked up in directly opposite ends of the cellar. Timely discovery and prompt work by the f1remen prevented serious damage, the loss being estimat- ed at about $200. A part of the ceiling was burned. Max Chaser and Hyman