New Britain herald., 1917-04-18
HAVOC IS COMPLETE
 AT HILLS FACTORY
Operations May Have to Be Sus-
 pended Until Next Fall
ORIGIN OF FIRE A MYSTERY

1 Burned Structure to Be Started As ] Soon As Possible-Many Compli- ments for Fircmen-Bricfs.
 Out of the blackened ruins of the fancient building, owned by Edwin H. Hills, which was destroyed by fire l oe mysterious origin yesterday morn- 1 ing, is expected to rise during the coming summer a modern brick struc- l ture equipped with the latest ma- chinery. and devices that will make possible the extension of the firms l manufacturing business and will probably enable the management to | materially increase it's output. The completeness of the havoc wrought by the fire, however, will probably fierce suspension of business. except perhaps on very small scale until late in the summer, the existing conditions making it impossible to get machinery without a considerable dclay.
 MT. Hills and his aides today be- gan making arrangements for the erection of a new building to replace the one which is today but a mass of charred embers. Insurance adjust CTS have visited the scene of the fire ard are operating with the owner in ar effort to ascertan definitely the financial loss which will be suffered because of the blaze. The inspectors agree that the main building and it's contents are a complete loss and there is nothing in the ruins that can be salvaged. even the machinery having been reduced to a twisted mass of junk by the intense heat.
 That the damage will be between l $30, 900 and $40.000 is generally ex- pected. as the building was well stocked with raw materials and fin ished goods. While the property was we'll insured, the large amount or goods on hand ready for shipment and l damage mount up so high that the owner will not be completely reim- | bursed through his policies.
 There is considerable sympathy in town for the men who were thrown out of employment by the fire. Many of the Hills employees have worked In tho factory for years and on account.
 o: their advanced age and the fact that they have specialized in the manufat7-s ture of goods not made by other con
 cerns in this locality, will probably
 make it difficult for them to secure
 new places. Some of the men have
 been members of sthe force for oyer
 half a century. They were broken
 hearted yesterday morning when they
 arrived at the place to begin their
 days work and found the building in
 which they had labored for so many
 years reduced to ashes.
 Mystery surrounding the origin of
 the fire has not yet been cleared up
 and 1t is doubtful if it will ever be
 explained. The conditions noted by
 the men who discovered the blaze give
 strength to the theory that the ruin
 was wrought through the activities of
 an incendiary who applied the torch
 ir the blacksmith shop. There is of
 course the possibility that tramps
 seeking shelter in the factory had
 dropped a match or a cigarette stub
 in the fire wood stored in the room.
 but the authorities are not inclined to
 seriously consider this theory.
 The fact that the firm made no war
 munitions makes it seem highly im-
 probable that the building was burned
 by sympathizers of Germany, unless
 the men responsible hoped to terror
 ize the people and frighten them into
 submitting to the kaiser's domination MT. Hills was a member of the re- c, uiting committee appointed to orr panize the P1ainyille unit of the