New Britain herald., 1927-01-27
PainuiMe Nelos
BATTLE FIRE AND
 COLD BEFORE DAWN
Firenen Badly Handicapped at
 West Main Street Blaze
HYDRANTS ARE FROZEN

Hose Bursts and Floods Street.
 Evening School Pupils Going on
 Excursion-Martha Sewing Circle
 EIects-Truck Runs Over Child.
 A bitter fight against cold and fire was waged by the fire department early this morning when an oil heat CT being used in an attempt to thaw out a water pipe caused blaze on the second floor of the tenement house at 121-123 West Main street owned by Dominick Nadia. Frozen hydrants and bursting hose handi- capped the firemen greatly. but they were able to keep the flames from spreading through the house and held the damage down to about s400, according to Chief Edward P. Prior's estimate.
 Two acts of carelessness were res ponsible for the fire. Fearing the freezing of the water in the pipes, Nadia last night turned off the water but neglected to inform the tenants. When they arose this morning and could not obtain water, they be- liewed it had frozen in the pipes and attempted to thaw it by placing an oil heater inside the wooden closet beneath the sink. The wood caught fire. and an alarm was immediately turned in.
 The flremen turned out in wealth CT with the temperature five de- grees below zero and attempted to lay hose from the hydrant at the corner of West Main and Church streets. This was frozen, the frost having worked into the stems and gripped the screw threading tightly. Hot water was quickly called for. but in the meantime Chief Prior or dered two lines to be laid from the hydrants at Canal street, and this was done at breall-neck speed. Here again the threading was caught but the ice finally gave before the an- slaught of the f1remen.
 The fire had shot up through a partition in the house and was breaking out in the attic and through the roof when Chief Prior arrived. It was temporarily checked by the chemical line while the battle with the frozen hydrants was going on and then two streams of the pig water" were turned on it.
 Tarpaper roofing and the absence of wind helped the fire fighters to check the flames which broke through in several places, and only area of roof was destroyed. It took some time to drive the lest traces of fire from the partition, and the fire men were at the scene for fully an hour before the blaze had been final- ly stamped out. The damage was mainly to the partition and roof. with some caused by water on the floors below.
 The Church street hydrant was finally thawed out, but another handicap was met in bursting hose, which flooded West Main street and soon turned it into sheet of ice. The Bristol -Plainville trolley cars were unable to pass the spot this morning until picks had been used to cut the ice from the tracks for a distance of about 50 yards. There was some humorous comment today about the fire department thus eve- ming the score with the trolley com pany for the delay occasioned yes- terday when car held up the fire apparatus at almost the same spot.
 Chimney Fire
 The fire this morning was the third in "A hours. The first was the overheated stove pipe at the Bishop home on West Broad street yester- day morning, while at o'clock yes- terday afternoon a chimney fire was discovered at the home of Joseph T'ichel on Cook street. Chief Prior and Driver James R. Boswell ex- tinguished this themselves after a lldFu struggle Oll lHe TOOl III ct DltlnB wind. Four extinguishers were used, and damage was negligible.
 Going On Excursion
 Pantaline Pessonte and Angelo Munezzi, pupils in Miss Jacobs eve- ming school class. will go on the ex- cursion to Washington, D. C.. to- night under the supervision of MT. Deming. supervisor of Americaniza- tion in the state. This excursion is for pupils in the evening schools of Connecticut and any others who de- sire to visit the national capital.
 The excursionists will have an opportunity to see how the feder- al government is conducted and will visit points of interest in Washing ton, returning Sunday night.
 Truck Runs Over Child
 Joan Williamson, 4-year-old daugh- ter of Mrs. G. S. Williamson of 122 Whiting street, was slightly injured Tuesday night when a truck owned by c. Funk & Go. of Bristol and operated by Rudolph A. Pursler of