New Britain herald., 1927-12-22
FIRE RACES AGAIN
 IN OXLEY BUILDING
Flames Complete Destruction Of Soulhington Structure
jSpe.laI to he tresa,ly

Southlngton, Dee. 2@-Firu again today swept through th" Oxley building al the corner of Main and Center streets. this time completing the ruin or the second and third stories and the roof ot hc structure. An alarm at 5:3U o'clock this morn ing brought the members of Hose Co. No. l, weary from an aIl-night 1 battle with the fla mes the preceding night, out or their beds 10 spend the entire morning fighting to save q chain Of buildings cEtending down Center street.
 sparks apparently had lodged in q blind attic and had smoldered there 10 burst out this morning in q hlazo that was. ii not more stub born. uorl spectacular than the or leinal conllasration that caused more than $75.gOo damage at mid night Tuesday night
 An inspection Of the building was made at 10 o'clock last night by Harry QNley, brother of 4. Y. oN- ley, the owner, in company with John Miller. d plumber. A minute l inspection Of the walls and parti- lions was made for evidence ot fire | and the water in the building was turned off to prevent possible ireeZ- 1 ing.
 The attic in which the fire lodged until it rapidly spread during last : night is situated in the rear Of the | building and can be reached only 1 from the interior. Before the fire
 was noticed at such an early hour in ] the morning, it had spread 10 the second floor and up above to the roof.
 With q volcano like burst, il shot from windows and the caves or the roof, causing another general alarm 10 be turned in. Hose Co. No. and the Plainvllle company were soon on 1 the scene and six lines Of hose were 1 laid. IL was necessary to scale the
 building to get at the seat Of the { fire and the work Of the tiremen was doubled because the roof was covered with tin.
 l Before the latest outhurst. the
 building could probably have been saved, but from the charred cvi- dence which now remains, it seems i hardly probable that anything can
 be done except to rage 1t. The roof
 was still intact. before todays blaze 1 but it has been burned through and l f,t l, ifrI rf ss i the firemen this morning.
 Nearby Buildings Threatened So rapidly did the flames spread that it was necessary to direct the attention of the fire fighting force to saving an adjoining brick building
 on Center street and the offices of the Southern New England Tele- phone Co. on Main street. Gradually
 the fremen drove the flames back. although they were hampered by the cold and ice formed by the water
 they succeeded in saving surround ing buildings. It was after 1l:3C
 o'clock before the hose lines could
 be disconnected.
 Although the stock and fixtures
 of the ONley Drug Store on the ground floor were total loss from the original fire, much more dam.
 age was done to the Economy Store
 and the |. M. T. club rooms which
 are over il. A fire sale had been
 planned in the former for this morn
 ing, but additional bargains will De
 on display tomorrow.
 Nothing is left of the building but a stark, charred frame. The entire 1 interior has been destroyed and
 gaping holes which were torn in the
 side by the firemen, adorn the ex-
 terior. It is estimated that the buldi. ing will be an entire loss.
 The call this morning was the third answered by the firemen 10 the building in the last few days. Yesier.
 day morning at 7:30 o'clock, they
 were called back 10 the place whel