Norwich bulletin., 1919-12-08
YVES E ERLY

mated near the moving picture booth | of the Princess, and was presuma ply l caused by defects in the electric wire | work. The fire was first observed by | Policeman Mitchell of Westerly. who I was in the restaurant on Main street. 1 and saw the reflection on the building l opposite the restaurant. Policeman Wheeler of Paweatuck was also there. They had been in the restaurant less than five minutes, and when they came out the whole vicinity was illuminated by the blaze.
 Policeman Wheeler sent in alarm from box 46, just over the bridge in Pawcatuck, and the P. S. Barber auto motor hose wagon. the only fire ap- paratus in the village, responded. In order to arouse the aremen three rounds of the alarm were sent in and the bell of St. Mickaefs parochial school and that of the Congregational church were brought into use for the, purpose. The blaze was then of con- siderable proportion and enveloped a. great part of the roof
 In the meantime the firenaen and the people of Westerly generally were aroused and the firemen turned out and hurried to the firehouse. ready to. respond to the call for assistance from the Pawcatuck department. The motors of the Cyclones and Rhode Island Ones machines were in motion and the Alert Hook and Ladder truck was in Dixon square awaiting the call. All this time the roof was burning fiercely and the building is located on the boundary line of Pawcatuek and Westerly. But an agreement or understanding exists between the two departments that the one will not invade the territory of the other without invita- ton. which can be | issued through the fire alarm. :. l Finally an alarm was sent in from 1 box 56s near the Westerly postoffice. and the three apparatus of the West | erly department went to the aid of the Pawcatuek fremen in remarkably 1 quick time. Tn less than five minutes there were nine powerful streams of 1 water on the buSning building and the | fire was kept welli confined. The ends 1 or sides of the structure were not l burned through. A picture of the build 1 ing taken from the street today would l show the building just as it appeared i before the fire excepting the smashed window in the second story.
 Mr. Barrows purchased the Potter | building from the Potter estate about | ten years ago. A. few years previous l the building was afire. and. like the 1 fire of early Saturday morning, the i blaze then was confined to the upper story. There were two destructive
 fires however. on the site of the pres lent Potter building that in early days
 gave Westerly the reputation of beine some fire town.
 Sunday night, Jan. 1e, 1868, the
 buildings on the site were burned
 They were the Thomas H. Brownins l building, occupied by Ripley & Brown
 ing, dealers in stoves. ironware
 crockery, etc; by P. J. Keegan, gro
 cer, and by the chapter, council ant
 two lodges of Free Masons. The los
 in this fire was estimated at s200 0oe
 The building to the south was oecn
 pied by H. 4. Brown. tailor; B. F
 Thompson, druggist, and by two fami
 lies. The building on the north wa
 owned by Lewis Brothers ana was use,
 as carriage shop. two families occu pWing the upper floor. In those day
 there was no trained fire department in this section, no motor drawn 0
 other fire apparatus. The force puml
 of the Stillnan Brothers mill serve,
 as steam fire engine, and the burst
 ing of a pipe caused delay that re suited in much fire damage.
 The second fire was Thursday morn l ing, Feb. g, 1885. at about 2 o'cloci . and the building was then known a the Bridge block. At that period 2 steam fire engine was available whic, was owned jointly by Westerly an
 Pawcatuck and purchased by popula subscriptions. After the engine ha been at work a short time there wa
 an explosion in the boiler and the en gineer. N. A: Woodward. and the fire ' man. Elwood Clark, and two othe
 men, MT. Nelson and MT. De Barr. wer
 injured. The fire was of a mos threatening Inspect and lines of hos
 were stretched from the Stillman mi , near the bridge and from the Car | michael mill and streams were playe upon the Rice building, Velocipede ha and other adjacent structures as we as on the Bridge block.
 The Bridge block, predecessor of tn
 present Potter block, was occupied b | A. L. Barbour & Co.,, druggists: Blak & Maxson, dealers in music. musics
 instruments and art merchandise; Le } roy Crandall. restaurant and pot : room: c. A. Miner. boots and shoe |, on the ground floor. Tn the uppe : story were the barber shops of Blosie :, & Driscoll, and club rooms occupied b :; Messrs. Levy, Nelson & Bliven. th ; Sheridan Guards SheffieIds band, tt Irish-Ameriean Social club and th l, Young Mems Total Abstinence Rene n ficial society. Velocipede hall and tt : buildings connected with it near tt river were also burned The loss wa estimated at $50 900.
 ! The Stonington Steam Fire Engir :. cempahy came to the rescue on i. special train and did good service. : At the last Saturday morning fiji
 the burning building was practical e enclosed in a curtain of water wit : the fremen having three streams k the front, two in the rear and two C n each end. Just as full measure ar f a bigai to the firefighters, and witl
 out drawing from the water supply c reducing pressure. line of hose "; . laid from the big force pump of tl d Westerly Textile company and a lars II and powerful stream of water W; :. pumped from the river and helpe drown the blaze.
 Water was played on the fire f . three hours. and during that'period u
 records in the office of Thomas NJ