New Britain herald., 1927-04-02
NOBLE LOOKS BACK
 OVER LONG RECORD
Can't Recall More Thrilling
 Night Than Feb. 21, 1917

All | hCVdll M0lt llllllllll8 1 Night Than Feb. 2t, 1917 7 In the record Of big fires which ! have occurred during the g years Chief William J. Noble Of the New 1 Britain fire department has been a
 member Of the force, there has I Iuary Fl. 1917, when II or more i calls threatened the business section i of the town and taxed the strength 1 and endurance of the entire d"nart- ! mrut.
 That was the only time that New
 Britain has had to call upon other cities for aid. Waterbury and Hart 1 ford companies responded and rem , 1erod valuable service in checking the blazes \ reward Of s5,O00 was offered for information leading 10 the , apprehension Of the person who
 started the fires, all but one being Of suspicious nature and. although the miscreant has never been brought to justice. the reward still stands, as far as the chief has been able to learn.
 The city was thrown into an up- roar that night. The populace was filled with anxiety. not knowing where the tirebue would strike next. The first call >camc at 5:4s o'clock.
 said the chiet, just as he was begin- ming his evening meal. He was as- sistant chief at that time. Sween-
 ey's block was ablaze At 6:c5 o'clock there came call and
 Schmarrs block on East Main street
 was found to be on fire. Then. at
 o:35. fire was discovered in Skritul-
 sky's black. At o'clock the block
 at the corner Of Center and Com
 mercial streets, occupied by Gordon
 Brothers, was ablazo. At 7:20 o'clock
 fire was found 10 have broken out
 at the New Britain Ice corporation
 plant and the tire-ighters were able
 to see the reflection Of that blaze from the roof Of tho Commercial street block. Companies were dis patched post hasto 10 Corbin Place. Then. at s:0o o'clock the Jewish synagogue at the corner Of Chestnut and Elm streets was found 10 be on fire. but it was discovered in time and eXtinguished without much dam age being done.
 The climax of the evening came when an alarm was turned in and the department responded To call rom the corner Of l{ungerford Court and Main streets. where the mon battlcd the fierceSt fire of the night. As q result buildings from Hungerford Court. now Glen street. 10 Boylc's block on Franklin square were damaged, IL was at that time that Waterbury and Hartford con- panies Were summoned. The men from out of town did valiant work.
 During tho excitement the Ma tional Guard was called ou' Other fires occurred in various parts Of the town. but most Of them were of slight nature. All but one We're be- lcv"d to have boon O' inrendiary origin. One woman stated to Chic. Noble that sho saw two men go into tn" cellar of tho Gordon Brothers l cred. but efforts 10 track them down | have failed. In all cases. the fire | started in cellars.
 Reviewing his long service. Chief Noble says that the department has been Fortunate in tho fact that few casualties have been suffered as q result Of the big fires. No serious injuries have been recorded and there has been no loss Of life in the department as the result Of con- On the night of the II | fires a captain of one Of the Hart ford companies caught cold. which developed into pneumonia and he died within a week. but the New Britain men have escaped such seri- ous consequences.
 Chief Noble brought to mind the Russell X Erwin fire which occurred many years ago, the Booth Block fire. the st. Mary's church fire. the '. M C. 4. fire and the Corbin An neX fire, all Of them big ones. The last mentioned occurred in 1917.
 In the old days the department had 10 depend on horse drawn ve- hicles. but in spite Of that fact. fires We're fought effectively. The chief confessed that his memory for dates is not good and he was forced to re- sort to records.
 "They certainly kept us moving around on that night in 1917. when fires were discovered all over the city" said the chief. He failed 10 say when he was finally able to fn- ish the evening meal. which he was