New Britain herald., 1921-12-30
Blaze Breaks Out As Parishioners Assemble For 7:45 O'Clock Mass Defective Wiring Is Blamed.
Rev. Thomas J. Laden Hurries to Altar and Carries Out Blessed Sac rament and Chalices.

At 7:42 o'clock this morning, less than five minutes before the time for morning services, a destructive fire broke out in a store-room of the i Church of St. John the Evangelist on Newington road, causing damages es- timated to be between s1S,000 and $2O,00O.
 The origin of the fire is undeter- mined. Since the boilers are in the opposite end of the building, and there is no gas and no heating ap- paratus near the scene of the out | break, it has been concluded that electric wiring was responsible. The l loss is covered entirely by insurancs 1 Seminaran Makes Discovery. The parishioners were gathering to
 assist at morning mass when John ! Gradeski. a student at St. Thomas
 seminary, Hartford, scented smoke from the storeroom He called it to
 the attention of Mrs. Patrick Mo- | Donough, who was also in the church. Realizing that a fire had started
 she hurried into the vestry to warn
 
 who was vesting for mass. Without
 completing his religious garbing.
 Father Laden entered the church and
 requested that the congregation as- sembled file out informing those not
 already aware of the fact, that the edifiCe was afire. He then despatched one of the altar boys to No. fire
 station, a short distance away, and
 taking the Blessed Sacrament and
 chalces, left the church.
 Parishioners Assist
 | To minimize the loss, members of
 the congregation and neighbors car
 ried statues and such furniture and ornaments as could be removed from the building to places of safety in nearby dwellings,
 Engine Company No. , under the
 direction of Capt. Michael Souney at
 the scene of the fire within few min
 utes from the time of its outbreak. A general alarm brought out practical | ly the entire department with Chief William J. Noble directing. The freez- ing weather made the work of the
 fremen the more difficult, but It was not long before several lines of hose
 were laid and directed on the burn- ing building. The fire fighters and policemen were covered with icicles. Chief w. J. Rawlings hurried to the fire and directed the work of the po- lice. The entire vice squad was avail able for service in assisting the fire fighters, and under the direction of Sergeant WIG. Hart did much to aid in keeping interested spectators from making bad situation more difficult. Hundreds on Hand.
 Despite the freezing weather hun- dreds gathered to view the building and offer their sympathies to Father Laden. One of the first clergymen to arrive was Rev. John T. Winters, pas tor of St Mary's church. He offered the facilities of that editice to Father Laden for use until such time as re- hairs can be made at St. Johns. h. surance adiustors were on the scene shortly afterward and promised to aid in speedy adjustment so that the church may be returned to usefulness within the shortest possible time,
 Since the basement was not dam aged by fire, the pastor anticipates that services can be held in the build ing next Sunday morning at the usual hours. A temporary altar will be
 erected as soon as possible.
 Bremen Work Well. Commendahle work was done by the | fremen in Confning the fire to the rear of the building and but one sec | ton of the roof. metal ceiling also did much to prevent the rapid spread l of fire. It is considered espec bly fortunate that the outbreak came at T time when the church was occupied, making possible an early alarm.
 Three walls of the church are of
 brick hut the rear wall was of frame construction. it having been planned to remove 1t at some future tune 10 allow of extensions to the rear pos sihly for school purposes. If was to
 this wall that the greatest damage r was done. on the southeast corner a gaping hole about ID feet Tn di- ameter was burned and chopped through. The roof on the south end
 of the building was partially destroy cd. The sanctuary, with the eNcep- | ton of the altar was burned out.
 The altar was soaked with water and
 the fine linens rendered worthless. Two statues within the sanctuary re- mained standing and were only slight 1 ly damaged.
 1 Although soaked with water the church proper suffered little dam ages. The pews did not take fire, nor was the gallery or organ damaged 10 a great extent.
 Building Is New One The congregation Of the Church ot
 st. John the Evangelist has been in existence but a short time, having
 been established in 1916 under the leadership of Rev. John J. Fitzgerald,
 Father 1.aden's predecessor. The
 growth of the church was remark
 Continued on Page Seventeen)