New Britain herald., 1928-12-13
.s25,O0O LOSS IN
 TW0.ALARM. FIRE
(Continucd from First Page)

Robert Smith. who reached the 1 building first, found the flames roaring in the shaft and Chief Barnes ordered a second alarm, which came in at 3:39 o'clock. All companies were out within few minutes. leaving Co. No. filling in at the central station, and the fire men of the off shift were summoned : by the siren and by telephone.
 Dropping Weight Wakes Thibault Officer O'Brien. Officer Maurice Flynn. Driver smith and Sergeant T. J. Feeney hurried to arouse Mir. and Mrs. Paul Garro and their six l children, who live at 2l3 Elm street, next to the Handy Garage. | This building was not touched by the fire, however. Thibault was aroused from his sleep by a loud report, believed to have been caused by the dropping of the elevator weight. which weighs 1 1-2 tons, i and at first he thought one of his children had fallen out of bed, the crash sounding to him like a muf- fled thump. Looking out, he saw flames in the next room, directly off the elevator shaft, and arousing his wife and the others, he led them out of the house.
 Smoke Fills Adjoining House
 The room into which the flames made their way was formerly occu- pied as a bedroom by Thibault's sons. but of late there were only | three pieces of furniture in it. Had the boys been in the room when the fire bust through the window, they might have been burned, for the flames came in with great heat and the shaft by that time was like . seething furnace. The furniture was scorched and suit of clothing which was on top of a dresser was destroyed.
 In the second floor tenement. directly beneath that occupied by the Thibault family. there were no occupants, family having moved out last Sunday The rooms fin both tenements were affected by smoke and water. but the principal damage to the building was done in the first room in Thibault's tenement Thi- bault carries no insurance on his furniture.
 Grocery stock Worth S8O. .OOO | DAvanZo had stock in the Hand, q ,lt
 value Of between s60.ooo and s65.. GOO. Ordinarily. the stock on hant
 would amount to about s40.0On. i,
 WAS said by an employe. but within
 the past several days it had becr
 added to in anticipation of the Christmas business. Boxes of match
 es took re and hundreds of cans O
 malt syrup and groceries of Narie, assortment were destroyed The can. popped open as the heat achot them, which, with the hisSing of th. matches as the sulphur hared Up
 added noise to th" roar Of th. flames. D'ANan2o's stock was lnsur cd and q Considora bln portion of i
 can be salvaged. Water soa ked boNe
 Of matches were piled high on th,
 sidewalk outside inc place the fire
 men ha ing thrown them out befor
 the flames reached them. Largo ha Of walnuts were soaked with water and glass jars of candies N"r
 smashed and 'des'royod by smok [, and water. lntCriet Nohle's opinion | tho damage 10 b'ANanzo'S stock i $ heavier than tn" loss on the build , iugs.
 Starts in Elevator Pit The platform of the elevator . which was flush with the groun | floor. kept the flames beneath it fo
 some time. it see med. but even tually they burst through smai I openings between the edges of th r platform and the sides of the shaf' = Springing up and as yet unseer $ they leapcd through the entrances { - the second and third floors and be : fore they became visible from th ! utside they had enveloped the in h torior of the building. Office
 O'Brien Was attracted by the smok [ when he was on East Main stree Z and within 1O minutes of the sound !; ing of the first alarm, the flame s could be seen bursting out Of win :. dows on the top floor and the smok