KENSINGTON HALL BURNED DOWN

Fort Erie News

[Welland Tribune, 8 January 1904]

The Power Specialty Co. occupies the rear of Kensington hall, the front being used as a church and Sunday school by the Disciples. The building was owned by John T. James and was valued at $1,500. At 3 o’clock on Monday morning a railway man named Thomas Hood, who lives in a brick cottage, belonging to Mr. James, next to the hall, discovered that the Power Specialty premises were on fire. He gave the alarm and the firemen, soon after the alarm was given, were on the spot, but, owing to a chapter of accidents, including inability to call up the waterworks engineer (Mr. Jukes, Fort Erie) to put on fire pressure, frozen pipes and uniforms, it was half an hour before a stream of water (a weak one) was thrown on the building. The water pressure (there being no person at eh pump house to put on fire pressure) gradually grew weaker and became useless, the result being that the hall was burned down, but a little water poured on the nearby houses saved them. The Amigari hose company next arrived, but want of water rendered those willing fire fighters powerless. Both hose companies worked hard under discouraging circumstances such as no water and a thermometer down below zero. A kind soul, Mrs. Hamilton, wife of the foreman of the Specialty Co., very kindly brought the firemen into her house, warmed them and gave them hot tea. The hall, valued at $1.500, had $600 insurance in the Waterloo Mutual. The Specialty Co. lost $3,000 worth of tools and machinery, the insurance on which was $2,000. Mr. James’s cottage, occupied by Thomas Hood, insured in the Guardian for full value, was damaged to the extent of about $150. Mr. Hood’s furniture was damaged to the extent of $75 in being removed from building. He had no insurance. The cottage west of the hall (also owned by Mr. James) escaped with slight damage to its windows. A short time ago Mr. Herman, Power Specialty Co., wanted Mr. James to rent him the whole hall, and had concluded to do so and have another building erected for church and Sunday school, but he now declares he will build nothing else in the village until it has a proper fire alarm, a good system of having fire pressure turned on at any time and provision made for the care of hose and firemen’s suits so that they will not find them frozen when needed; and we quite agree with him. There is no need for us to point out what might result if there had been a high wind. There should be a stove in the fire hall to prevent the appliances from freezing, a tower for the hose, and some person living in this village should always be available when fire pressure is needed at the pump house.