New Britain herald., 1925-10-03
Deputy Chief Barnes
Declares Incendiary
Was Responsible For
Partial Destruction Of
Big Shed.
Telephone Wire Found Cut
and Streams of Water
Fail to Make Impression
on Burning Building.

A blaze which, according to Dep.
uty Chief Eugene F. Barnes OF the
New Britain Fire department. was
OF incendiary origin. broke out to-
day In the main shed of the Berlin
Brick Co., In Kensington. doing
damage amounting to $4,000 before
1t could be checked by the New
Britain fremen who worked for
seven hours before the roaring mass
of flames could be checked.
An alarm was sent in to the New
Britain fire headquarters at 2:4s
O'Clock this morning. Engine COM
pany No. 2, with the deputy chief.
responded. They realized, when
they reached the top of Sand Bank
hill on South Main street, they
we're in for a stubborn battle, as the
flames could be discerned from that
point lighting up the sky and chang
ing 1t into a blood red mass Of
clouds.
The plant is located In the Mid
dletown branch Of the New York,
New Haven and Hartford railroad,
and the fire had gained great head
way when the firemen from this city
arrived. Apparently it had started
tn large pile of cordwood In the
center of the main shed. The in
| terror of the shed was like a fur
mace and so hot was 1t that the fire.
men were unable to advance be-
yond the railroad tracks.
Water Has No Effect
| When the water was first turned
on and the hoses directed at the
flames, there seemed to be no effcet
OF any kind. and the usual reaction
which occurs when water is thrown
on burning wood did not occur. The
mass of burning logs seemed to burn
more fiercely as the f'remen worked
steadily and stubbornly to check II,
giving In not a foot. although the
heat was terrific at the place from
where they were fighting the fire.
Deputy Chief Barnes believes the
wood was saturated with oil.
From the beginning the only
thought In the minds of the men was
CHECK the flames" 1t was plain to
be seen that with the blaze, which
had gained immense proportions
, when 1t was discovered, would pro-
vide many hours OF fighting before
1t would give In and that part OF
, the main shed would be destroyed.
, The desire of the firemen and the
r point for which they we're working
from the start was to prevent the
I fire from creeping to other parts OF
the plant and destroying more
buildings and valuable machinery. as
seemed probable several times.
a At 1920 o'clock this morning the
company returned to quarters.
4 Chief Barnes said that 1t was eN'
g dent that some thing In the nature
Of gasoline or kerosene was applied
= before the fire started. The usual re
action OF burning wood to water is |
o cloud Of black smoke and a black
: ened appearance about the source o
A the flames. But at this fire, the blaz
i continued burning just as fiercely.
The main shed. In which the fir
started and TO which It was confined
Is about 400 feet in length. Fully 7
feet succumbed to the ravages of tn
fire, before 1t could be checked.
Telephone Wire Cut.
-, The fire had chance to gain add
ed headway, since after 1t was dis
&c covered by the night watchman q
the Murray Brick company, he ha
y to rush to his own plant in order I
reach a telephone. He made an al
tempt to get in touch with the fl
80 department, from the Berlin Brio
u company. but he found that tn
wires had been cut. The wire chief {
!. the New Britain branch of til
- - Southern New England Telephor
- company stated today that 1t was
~ clean cut. An attempt was first mad
~ to pull the wire down. A section I
- clothes line was thrown over Il
~ wire, but the cable resisted efforts
!, II pull it down, so it was severed.
=. state Police Called In
"a A squad OF state policemen Wi
~ present at the plant early this morI
ia ing, beginning an investigation in
,n, the cause OF the fire. According
,Id Deputy Chief Barnes, it was a pla
bo case of incendiarism. Many r
IN mors as to who was responsible E
A the blaze were afloat today.
nd One story circulated told of q
rv. threats of q foreman discharged la
Saturday. This foreman. when TO
- OF the fact that his services were !
longer needed, warned the officis
at the plant that they would
sorry that they discharged him. ]
had been an employe OF the COZ
NJ pany for II years.
" Another rumor has 1t that stri
ers were 10 blame for the fire.
far, the strikers have conduct
Id themselves in an orderly mann
he and there has been no trouble wi
re- or from them. They have regard
nd the strike as an ordinary busins
ow proposition and have no; done a
hot damage In town.
,iz- The Berlin Brick Co. Is owned q
en- operated by the Torrington CO
lirs struction Co. Joseph Doty OF Hi
Ugh rison street. New Britain. Is [
he superintendent. hut he could not
reached by telephone totsy.