The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-01-14
Gasoline Station
 Explosion Called
 Most Serious Event
Schools, Hospitals, Theaters, Public Buildings Fre- quently Inspected By Marshal, Staff--Many
 Corrections Officially Ordered

Waterbl1ry's small fire loss in 1899 Is cited by Fire Marshal Den Lalaey in his annual report to Mayor Frank Hayes. The report lists the many steps taken by the Marshal and his staff to prevent fires from starting to eliminate dangerous fire hazards.
 Tn an interesting preamble. to his report, Fire Marshal Lahey traces back local official mention of fire marshal to the year 1879, when Fire Chief Andrew Goldsmith recommended that such an office be established. The preamble fur ther lists the early statutes and ord- finances which empowered the fire marshal to investigate the causes of fires and order the elimination of possible fire cauge.
 A special effort was made this year to eliminate danger of fires originating in cellars, says the re- port. More than $500 local cellar in- spections were made, and numerous improvements were ordered. Hun dreds of inspections were also made of public buildings, places of pub lie assembly, schools, hospitals, etc.
 Many night inspections were made during the year, says the fire mar shal, in order to keep the city reasonably safe from fire"
 Fire Marshal tahey says in his report which reads in part as fol- lows:
 MarshaPs Observations
 The most serious happening of the fire year was the explosion in a gasoline station at IA Wolcott street which resulted in the loss of two lives and serious injury to two other boy attendants or visitors at the institution. This was on February q; there were several other deaths from fire, too, already chronicled, in the report of the Department Chief.
 But strange happenings during the year included the dynamite charge which badly scared residents of Welton street late the afternoon of May IT; the strange odors that per- meated the neighborhood of Grove street, last January and resulted in the opening of the roadway, and various changes in far away gas oline tank, on the part of the Mar sha1: the finding of closed draft in Q smoke pipe in Bank street apartment, where the family was overcome by. carbon monoxide fumes; the finding on the part of the firemen of an asbestos treated canvas on fire located on metal hood between the furnace and air conditioning unit; the explosion of a aAsoline steam wall paper re- mover, and the burning of the oper- ator, in Bank street apartment; how 8 woman's night dress acci- dentally opened 8 gas jet and the escaping gas killed the house can ary and knocked out various mem berS of a family housed in an apart ment; the finding of 20 cans of poi sonous gas in a garage; the dis covery of fire in an apartment block on Prospect street, and which event. ually caused the death of the oc- cupant of the apartment; the ex- citement that followed the dis charge of of refrigerant in the cafeteria of the telephone company plant on Grand street last January; how a stray fox caused much un- easiness in the vicinity of Alexander avenue last February, and brought 8 call to the department; how a patient in a hospital Set himself on fire; how 2 year old boy insisted upon playing with matches, and setting fire in the house and after being arraigned in juvenile court being placed in part in the custody of representative of the Marshals office; and sad death of Florence Mahoney, T, from burns received at bon fire in the yard in the rear of her home, 142 Hill street; no fire call was received at headquarters: the painful burns sustained by an- other 2 year old girl in the vacant