New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-05-09
Destruction of Acres of
Buildings Probable From
Flames Starting Today in
Roundhouse Nearby.

New Haven, May "a fire Of SER
ious aspect broke out this noon in a
roundhouse adjacent to the shops Of
the New Haven railroad southwest of
the station destroyed yesterday. s-.
Destruction of the shops covering
many acres seems likely although op-
partunities for fighting the blaze are
excellent
The heart of the fire is in a store
house In which, among other things,
the railroad stored it's track torpedoes
Firemen were engaged for some time
in getting out boxes of these explo-
s1ves. The fire may take number Of
buildings.
Old Union Station Burned.
The old union station was burned
late yesterday About 200 employees
were in the building at the time but
all escaped safely. Three firemen
were slightly burned. The cause of
the fire has not been determined. No
estimate for the loss was available at
the company's Offices, but it was stated
that it was covered by insurance. A
part of the loss includes q large
quantity of records stored in the build
ing. Train service, was temporarily
disarranged and held up. t/
The fire apparently started in the
upper section near the clock tower,
and spread so rapidly that within
a comparatively short time the in
terror had been entirely burned out
and only the walls Of the long three
story brick structure remained.
In the building were the Offices of
the division superintendent, division
engineer, assistant superintendent of
telegraph, paymaster, engineers of
real estate and tests, electrical engi-
neer, fuel and tonnage accounts,
chief dispatcher, general baggage
agent, conductors rooms and the
Adams Express Co.'s office. The
Express Co.'s loss it was said, would
be small.
The old station was built about
1871. Twenty-seven years ago it
was unroofed by fire.
Unmindful of the danger from the
high tension wires of the company's
electrical system thousands of per-
sons crowded platforms, tracks and
other sources of vantage until warned
away by the police. The heavily
charged wires, heated from the
blaze were a source of peril to fire
men and spectators until the power
had been shut off,
No Interruption of Traffic.
No interruption in traffic will fol-
low the destruction of the old New
Haven station of the New Haven road,
it was stated today at the company's
office. Adjustment has already beer
made of conditions and the freight
clerks and other departments which
were ousted are being placed else
where. The old station had not been
used for train movements for some
weeks, the eastbound trains having
been transferred from it in March. The
temporary station to the north had
been used for westbound trains for
more than q year. This temporary
structure was put up in anticipation
of a new station for which New
Haven had been working for ten
years or more and which was in sight
as foundation work had been started.
Tt is not believed that the loss of the
old building will expedite the new one
as there are SO many difficulties in
the way. 1t brings elimination of
hopes however, much nearer.
AS to the source of yesterdays
blaze there is only conjecture. In
ouiry shows that when the upper part
was wreathed in smoke there was
none in the lower rooms AS clerks
scurrying along the second floor saw
no fire the supposition is that badly
insulated wires started a fire between
the floors and spread from one end
TO the other. This would account
for the blaze breaking out at about
the same moment at both ends of the
station.