New Britain herald., 1921-10-17
SPECTACULAR FIRE
 RAzES BACKWARDS
Donnelly Company Has S2O0,O00
 Sunday Blaze

Approximately s2OO,000 damage was done when one of the most spectacu- lar fires in years practically ruined the Donnelly brickyard at Kensing- ton yesterday afternoon.
 Five Hour Battle.
 Bremen battled with the flames for almost five hours before they finally extinguished the blaze.
 The fire first was discovered at about noon, when flames were seen issuing from the gas producing plant. Employees in the brick kilng which was working at that time, endeavored to fight the blaze but it was too much for them and at 12:5S p. m the fire department was notified. Chief w. J. Noble and Engine Company No. 2 re- sponded immediately but were de- layed in getting a stream of water directed on the fire because of diffi- culties encountered in pumping water from the. brickyard pond. By the time steady stream of water was being played on the burning build ings practically the entire plant was like roaring furnace. Because of the necessity of pumping water from the pond, only one line of hose could be laid and water was pumped LuTOuSn dL LHe TdIo Ol oUO 6diAoIS O. minute steadily for four hours.
 Equipment Saved.
 Practically all of the more val uable machinery was saved although somewhat damaged by heat and wa ter, and, by using strenuous efforts, firemen managed to save the $10,00O worth of electric equipment, includ- ing several transformers and genera fNr
 Freight Cars Destroyed.
 Four freight cars loaded with brick and ready for shipment, as we'll as a 500 foot Frame shed and thousands of dollars worth of cord wood were totally destroyed. The wood had been piled up alongside of the shed. Fire men at one time extinguished the fire in the corl wood so as to run a line of hose through, but flames spring in- up in the rear became so intense that they found themselves almost cut off and for a time it seemed as though they would be forced to aban- !. don the hose.
 Some damage was done to the of flee and 1t IS thought some of the records might have been lost, but practically everything in the desks and filing cabinets was saved.
 Much of the less valuable machin- ery was a complete loss and the entire electrical equipment, with the excep- ton of that included in the generator room was destroyed. More than 1O0,. 900 finished. brick, piled and ready for shipment were ruined by the ter rife heat and the action of the water following and were rendered useless
 Was Spectacular Sight.
 Despite the fact that the brick yard was located down in a hollow flames shot away up into the sky an' were seen for miles around. Hun dreds of people were attracted to thu scene of the blaze by vast volumes O. smoke rolling skywards. The fight prior to the arrival of the fremen, wal directed in person by Henry Donneliy general manager. MT. Donnelly anc has assistant, Henry Rose, of Broat street. had just left the brickyarc when called back by telephone to fln' portions of the plant rapidly beinl reduced to a mass af smoulder1n ruins. Residents in the neighborhoo' quickly ran to the aid of the brick yard people with axes, water buckets etc. but founI themselves unable t cope with the fast spreading flames.
 Was Well Insured.
 MT. Donnelly estimated the loss t be about s2oo,ooO, mostly covered b, insurance.
 While being an, old corporation founded many years ago by Michae Donnelly, father of the president gen eraI manager, the Donnelly Bricl company completely rebuilt the plan last winter, starting in June, 192 with one of the most modernly equip ped plants in this section of the coun try. Among the various improvement < added were $50 o,6oo worth of new ma chinery. including the American Dressler tunnel kiln of the railroa type and known as the last word i brick making.