New Britain herald., 1925-12-09
POND POINT HOUSE
 DAMAGED BY FIRE
SChermerhorn Home Threatened,
 Shift in Wind Saves It
INMATES SAFELY REMOVED
Financial Loss About $15,0OO But Would Have Been Considerably Greater Had Strong Wind Veered From on Shore.

Milford. Dec. g tP-Schermerhorn Home, an institution on an emin- ence at Pond Point, owned and maintained by the New York city Protestant Episcopal Mission as a vacation place for children and aged persons, barely escaped destruction by fire today. Two hours work by the Milford fire department confined the flames to the upper portion of the large building which faces fuli upon Long Island Sound and is in the center of the group of buildings. 1 The chapel on one side and the an- neX behind the main building were scarcely damaged. The chapel roof once caught fire but this was put out.
 Loss About $15,OOO
 1 The buildings are understood to have a value of about $5O,00O and the fire damage to the main struc- ture was estimated at about $15,000.
 During the fire the wind was northwest and sparks were carried out over the water and away from the large settlement of summer cot tages along the shore edge on the road which runs to the tip of the point.
 All inmates of the home either left or were taken out before the flre took on a serious aspect. Six babies in arms, yelling with full lung power, were carried into neigh DOTS houses, while a score of little boys were gathered under the care or the matrons and taken into one or the other houses. A number of aged women were taken out of the main building in wheel chairs.
 The fire probably began from T aetectlVe chimney and was first no. tlced by an inmate of the home whr Was walking into the grounds, T. was thought to be chimney fir, and the Milford department sent only q single piece of apparatus, Blaze Spreads Rapidly
 l ''Io' io"cNeF, was Tn the third hoor and quickly broke through tbe rooi. Six pieces of apparatus in all were shortly at the fire, and pump- CT was able to put streams into inc ehure third floor which was swept Dy the flames. The main building IS about l5O feet long and has con siderable depth. The second floor was badly damaged but the main floor suffered only from water,
 It was thought there were about 40 persons in the building just be. fore the fire.
 The location of the home and if, auxiliary buildings is on a slightly spot overlooking Long Island Sound The trolley line runs at the foot ot the lawn. The home is used for va. eaton purposes by the mission which sends up in summer hundred. Of children for varying periods, IT the winter the number of inmates IS much smaller. Neighbor, who came to the assistance of nurse. and matrons saved furniture and fittings and also cared for the home. supplies of food which had been laid in for the winter.
 ! The wind during the fire blew briskly which gave rise to fears that If 1t Veered around it might carry destruction to the entire Pond Point settlements, But the danger from spread of sparks and embers ended when the flremcn deluged the root of the blazing building and held the fire after that within the walls.
 The home is used this winter for treatment of some tubercular chil. dren and for mothers with their 1T fants. Miss Turner, the head Of the home, quickly mustered the attend. ants, and every one was removed quickly and safely.