Norwich bulletin., 1918-10-24
WESTERLY

AHe Olu bldChSHlIn SnOp Tn Nln- cent lane, located near the bank of the Pawcatuck river, was totally de- stroyed by fire just before noon on Wednesday. The building was first erected for William Snivley, the vil- lase blacksmith, many years ago, and since the death of the old colored smithy, it has changed occupancy many times, and earned it's designa- tion. It was a building of frame con struction, about 20x40, and for several wears has been 8 part of the automo- bile plant of J. Fred Barber & Son, and used in the main as a storage and occasional workshop. It was located directly opposite the large Barber gar age, and surrounded in part by lugn- Der piles of the R. A. Sherman Sons company, with adjacent lumber sheds and piles of lumber. There were two secondhand automobiles in the old i shop when the fire was discovered, also the motor truck of William A. Rook.
 At the time the fire was discovered MT. Rock was in the garage and he rushed out and attempted to save his i i truck, with the aid of J. Fred Bar
 Der, and two of his worlmen The | heat was so intense that the task was
 abandoned, and MT. Rock was se- |
 and the other men were scorched. The I motor truck was not insured, the pol icy having expired within a week. It
 was MT. Rocks intention to place the l insurance with Charles A. Morgan.
 ill a company he represented, but the 1 delay was caused he said, by the
 death of Mrs. Morgan and her burial
 in Chicago. MT. Barber had no insur- ance, on the contents of the building, but there is insurance in the struc- I ture
 The alarm was sent in by Walter C. Hiscox from Box 52, at Main and Union streets, and almost instantly
 thereafter the Old Blacksmith Shop
 was a mass Of flames, the pile of lam
 Der next the burning building was ] af1ame, the big garage and other I buildings were smoking from the heat | The fremen soon had several streams l of high pressure in play and grad
 ola-4y the well applied water conquered l the blaze and eventually extingdished every spark of fire.
 I The front of the big garage is cev- l cred with corrugated iron, which
 saved it from destruction as the build ] ing is within twenty feet of the old l shop and directly opposite. The heat was so intense, that every pane of glass in the front of the garage was
 cracked or broken, and the paint was Iscorched on a touring car that stood well inside the garage before the door I could be closed. With the exception of a few holes in the roofs, and the sCorched edges, there was no damage to the other buildings. The burned I Property was owned by J. Fred Ear l Der. The total loss, not including the
 Rock motor truck. will probably not exceed $2000
 Two boats, a motor launch and a
 rowboat, hauled out and in winter .l,quarters near the burned building. an6 owned by MT. Barber. were burned be-
 Sond repair. At the time of the fire there was no pereeptible wind an6 this condition had much to do with | the avoidance of what promistd to be
 Westerly's biggest fire.
 MesterIy,s civic centre is sdisTsunee by row of three billboards on tho
 lihrary lawn and in front Of the pos
 office, all apparently for win the wal
 work, while the largest would be am. pie for the purpose This large board
 was erected about a year ago. in con lnection with a patriotic rally, wl1eT Hour artists from Providence as a spe, c;al attraction, painted a scene in ar Italian village thereon. Time and lweather have long since effaced tht ] eolors in the picture, and the boart l has served well in that particular, ant
 ought to be utilized for more activt land up-to-date war service. Another
 board just next. is used to annaunet the progress of patriotic money rais ing campaigns, which could just al
 well be announced on a section Of tn,
 big board. These boards are artisti,
 in design, however, and do not ma, J the beauty of the civic centre. mater I ialiy, but that big board is adequat, T for all war purposes.
 II Tuesday, the third board, plain anJ
 unsightly, was erected on the sidewall
 lawn in front of the post office, undel
 authority granted by the treasury de rartment, and in irregular line witt
 the other two boards. This board i
 to be used in connection with the gen eral war chest campaign, but the Lib,
 erty loan hoard could have served tn Fl purpose.
 Rev. Francis Cyril Higgins has beer appointed eurate at the Church of th Blessed Sacrament, Bridgeport. ant lreported to the pastor there Tuesda.
 night. He is the son Of Mrs. Mary A
 Higgins, of West Broad street, ant WAS ordained last Sunday in St Je Fl seph's cathedral by Rev John J. Milan bishop of the Catholic diocese Q I Hartford. Father Higgins said hi } first private mass in the Convent cha. apel of St Michael's parish, Pawcatuck I Monday, and his many home friend hoped he would sing his first mass il I St. Michaers church. next Sunday, i being the custom to permit new priest to celebrate their first mass on tl1'