New Britain herald., 1923-06-27
CITY CHECKING UP
ON STORMS DAMAGE
Southern Section Reported Hard.
est Hit by Wind and Rain
TREES STRIPPED OF LIMBS

Deluge To Fight Flames on Rocky
Hill A,enue-I.inemen on Duty
tntil aia0 o'clock This Morning.
: Telephone, electric light and trolley
) service was temporarily crippled.
! scores Of trees were struck and split
? ny lightning. one barn was burned
! with sa,0nh damage and automobilists
and pedestrians were moved 10 seek
hurried shelter yesterday In what was
perhaps the most severe rain and hail
storm that has visited the city since
the tornado OF I'VE years ago.
Skies that had been threatening for
more than an hour released mimi
ature cloudburst nj about $3.50 O'Clock
land for nearly an hour the rain fell
ifurl0usly with hailstones beating down
with great force. After a cessation
Of about half an hour, the rain again
foil and the city was visited by Q Sec
and storm. equally as severe AZ the
first. During the entire storm, the city
was covered with darkness and the
few motorists who yentured 70 drive
through the streets did so with head
lights burning 10 avoid accidents At
about o'clock In the evening the
skies were again cleared and mas1h of
the heat OF the day. prior to the storm.
had been moderated by the rains.
Ffremen Called Out In Storm
The most serious phase of the storm
was fire In barn at 226 Rocky
Hill avenue. owned by Christian Pep
lau and directly adjoining the proper
| ~ Of the town farm. The structure
was burned completely to the ground
with $4,000 damage. this despite the
fact that Chief w. j. Noble and the
fire fighters were on hand within Z
few minutes after the alarm had been
turned In.
At 5:19 o'clock. headquarters re-
ceived a. call from Box 237. This u .
private box which was installed for
the town home through the efforts OF
Chief Noble who felt that extra pre-
cautions should be taken to avoid
danger of g. serious fire in the build
ings where aged inmates are houssd.
When an alarm is turned In from this
box every company In the city re-
spends.
Thought Female Ward Was On Fire
As soon as the box number had
been ticked over the wire, Chief Noble
made all haste In the direction of the
town farm with Ave companies close
at his heels AS they neared Rocky
Hill avenue. the flames were shooting
from all parts of the building 30 feet
into the air and the fire fighters were
In desperate fear that the old wooden
female wards, soon to be replaced by
a f1reproos building. had taken fire.
Chief Noble and Deputy Chief Eugene
r. Barnes heaved sighs of relief when
they saw that the blaze was on an ad-
Joining property Three OF the COM
panies were despatched back to their
houses and streams Of water were
played on buildings nearby. In an
hour nothing remained but a mass OF q
and charred timbers.
Many who were aware that Box 237
vas the town farm alarm and others
who saw flames from the direction Of
hat institution hurried on cars and
IN foot to the scene and shared with
he fire fighters the relief at finding
hat II was a building in which no
humans were housed
Aside from the fire on Rocky Hill
venue. the fire department was not
,ffected by the storm. The alarm sys-
EN- worked perfectly as far as the
department has been able to ascertain
he only alarm turned in registering
Linemen Work 2O1a Hours.
Repairmen of the Connecticut
light and Power Co. who reported for
york Yesterday morning at o'clock
ontinued on the Job as late as $3.50
clock this morning, some of the
zen putting in 90 hours work so that
Interruption In the service might be
educed to minimum. Superintend-
Mt A. S. Jourdan of the New Britain
istrct spoke today of the loyalty of
he men who remained on the Job
trough and after the storm.
Early In the progress of the light
ing display the Fafnir Bearing Co..
ew Britain Record Co., and other
laces served on the same circuit were
cut out" for about an hour, but were
Bile to continue after workmen were
espatched to repair the breaks.
Berlin Wire Service Cut.
On Beach Swamp road, leading
OH NEW GTlldlH u DtElll, ldf &c
ee fell across the electric light. tele-
hone and trolley wires causing a se-
Gus tie-up and rendering the town
Berlin without electro and phone
rvice for several hours. The fallen
ee was removed with much effort
rly in the evening
The town of Plainville experienced
e worst electrical tie-up. there being
service In that town for several
,urs after the storm had subsidized.
was late in the night when EN-
Dyes of the c. l.. and P. Co. COM
eted what work had been brought
their attention there. Practically
the damage done was by trees
ling across the wires. many of them
individual wires leading into
mes.
The entire system as being patrolled
lay and minor repairs are being
,de. Innumerable branches of trees
re thrown across wires and while
ay caused no trouble at first, might
suit in breaks II left there for any
time.
the possibilities of Sc
us breaks that so severe a storm
cred. Superintendent Jourdan felt
1t the city was exceedingly fortu-
te.
Southern section Hardest Hit
Under the direction of City En-
leer Joseph D. Williams and Street
perintendent Joseph Scheidel. the
ployes of the board of public works