Putnam patriot., 1928-05-03

That most dreaded of all fires, a lumber yard fire, broke out last Fri day afternoon shortly after two o. clock, and before the aIl-out signal sounded, after six o'clock, had destroy cd most of the sheds containing lum- Der of Nj. Kinney X Son, business conducted by Ebert Kinney, also a small house on the premises occupied by an employee of Mir Kinney, a story and a half brick house oceu- pied by the Polish Club, School street, and caused a loss estimated at from $15.0O0 to S20.000. This loss was partially covered by insurance.
 In addition to the buildings de- stroyed, large three family tenement house on School street, owned by the Joseph Shepard estate, was slightly damaged, a house known as the Grant" house, north of the lumber yard. was damaged, and the brick block of George A. Rawley was slight ly damaged.
 A house a block away on Wilkinson street caught fire from flying embers and a hole was burned in the roof. A house at the corner of Wilkinson and Franklin streets, occupied by Fav- reau family, caught fire and the fire men went to this fire while the lum- Der yard fire was still burning, al- though we'll under control. The roof of the house was burned and much damage resulted from fire and water. Roofs of other houses caught fire but were quickly extinguished by watch CTS.
 Large Cables Burn
 A telephone pole on School street, that stood directly in the path of the flames, caught fire and was par tially burned but did not fall. The insulation was burned from two large cables the pole carried and the dam age was such that 1 l,1S2 subscribers of the s. N F. Telephone Company, more than half of the subscribers Of the local exchange were without ser vice during the afternoon and night. The cables carried 500 pairs of wires.
 As soon as this damage was seen to be imminent word was sent to New Haven and new cable was sent over iand. Four cable gangs from New London were rushed to Putnam. The repair men worked all night and at six o'clock Saturday morning all lines were again working. This, it was stated by an official of the company, was one of the greatest interruptions that the local service has ever ex- perienced. All telephones to the north, in Thompson, the Grosyenor- ! dales and on Go the Massachusetts line were out of commission. as were telephones out on the Providence pike.
 1 Children And Matches ] It is believed that the fire started ! in shed in the rear of the large 1 tenement house, which was also al the rear of the lumber yard barn. Chi dren were seen to come from the shed just before the fire was discover ed and it is said they had matches with them.
 When the fire was first discovered 1 it was coming through the roof of I the shed By the time the alarm had been rung in and the department ar over half a centery old, were mass of flames and a roaring furnace Dense clouds of black smoke rolled skyward and this was followed by flames of fire. The sheds, and the dry lumber which they housed, burn ed like paper.
 At first there appeared to be nc wind. Then a breeze sprang ur from the north. Buildings south of the lumber yard were guarded by the fire fighters until the wind suddenly shifted and blew from the south This placed the Grant house and the Rawley block in immediate danger l The fremen shifted their position and made a valiant and successful effort to save the nearby property | The little brick house on Schoo street, south of the lumber yard that had stood as a barrier betweer the flame swept area and houses to ths south, took fire and was soon doomed Nothing but the brick walls remain standing.
 A Successful Battle
 It was a hard battle but a won [ tderfully successful battle agains | heavy odds that the firemen wer, l fighting. With four streams of water they did marvellous work The water 1 pressure was good but all of tn,