Milford chronicle., 1951-10-05
Harrington School
Damaged By Fire
Three Hundre d Pupils
Flee AS Blaze Causes
$4,000 Loss In Upper
Part Of Structure;
Glasses Are Suspended
Pending Repairs.

More than 300 school children
were forced to flee to safety Tues
day afternoon when fire broke out
in the harrington elementary
school.
Less than an hour before the fire
was discovered, 300 other, younger
children had left the school build.
ing, thus escaping what firemeI
and school officials admitted "cOulC
have been a very serious situation"
Damage to the 39-year-old build.
ing at the intersection of Dormar
and Center Streets in the north
western end of the town was esti-
mated at between $4,000 and
$4,000.
Anxious mothers came running
from their homes when word
spread through the town that the
school was afire. They were visibly
relieved when they were told the
building had been emptied of chill
drGn without a casualty.
Smoke Attracts Crowd
ThrOngs, attracted by the dense
clouds of smoke that cast a pail
over one section of the town, gath
cred at the sceEe and watched fire.
men battle The blaze, confined
mostly to the roof and attic. The
alarm was sounded at 3:15 D. IN.
Firemen did not leave the school
until more than two hours later.
Fire companies from five towns
rushed apparatus to the scene. 1T
was bad enough but it could have
been much worse" said Horace
/ Hamilton, veteran member of the
Harrington Fire Company and for
mer assistant chief of the company.
1t was Mr.. Hamilton who called
upon the fire companies Of nearby
| towns when he was told the school
was on fire. Firemen came from
/ Houston. FELTON,, Milford and Dover
to assist the Harrington company.
The fire broke out in the school
building housing grades one through
six. This building is attached to
the secondary school building with
grades six through y. The great
majority Of the younger children
had either been dismissed earlier
in the afternoon or we're enjoying
a brief recess when the fire was
discovered. it was explained.
Older Pupils File Out
However. the older boys and girls
were ushered out Of the adjoining
structure in an orderly manner
many of them under the impress
sion that they were merely goine
through another fire drill-witH
Fire Prevention Week" less than
a week away.
At the height Of the flames, &
massive cupOla, located in the cen
ter of the roof, disintegrated anC
collapsed to the roof A few large
timbers that were part of the
spherical attachment to the roof
crashed through the roof and pro
truded into the attic.
! A large section of the, building'l
top level was damaged extensively
Water cascaded down steps anC
ran along Railways of the SECOND
floor. enterin classrOOms ant
damaging the floors. New hard
wood floors had just been installed
in the building at a cost of $4,000
Much of the loss was caused b.
water and smoke. with the damage
from fire centering in the roof ant
attic. The building has two floor
and an attic.
The fire is believed to have beel
caused by defective wiring in eithe
the cupQla or the roof.
Glasses Suspended
Glasses were ordered suspende,
/ ! for Wednesday but it was unknown
: how long the elementary school will
} be closed while the damage is be
? ing repaired and the building driet
? out. At the scene and supervising
= the activities of school personne
! was ]. c. Messner, superintendent
of the Harrington Special SchoO
! District. The school staff include
2 80 teachers, a nurse and a secre
tary. Thirteen of the instructor
J., are in the elementary grades.
e The fire occurred only four day
= before voters of the district wer
= scheduled to give their decision il
! a referendum on a bond issue L
build a new elementary school. TIL
= the new structure. to be erecte
= vote will be taken tomorrow o.
d next to the secondary schoO
4 Should. approval be given by tn