Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-07-10

THE BRANDON FtRE.-NG find Iu the
Rutland Herau the following particulars vt
the partial destruction by FIRE on Thursday
morning Of the Howe Scale Manu- factory at
Brandon Hadit not been for the stiffness Of
the night, and the heroic and unccasin- chJrt-
Of the men OF Brandon, the scale factory. az
least, would have been swept away, ana
with their immense piles Of lumber ID their
ward in the rear the flames would soon have
communicated with tile rear Qf the stores ON
the rner and destroyed the largest portion
OF the business part OF Brandon.
The fire was discovered by Mr.. Samuel !.
Hall lie was on his way to the depot, from
his residence, nearly a mile out Ot town, t.
meet his daughter whom lie was expecting
on the train from the south. As be passed
hy the building he saw the flames inside the
building IN the wood room, and they were
already pouring in large volumes from the
lower windows. lie raised the alarm 80 fire
and called for the Waterman. pounding on
bis door aud endcavoring To raIse ham, g for
fear he might not know Of the fire and lose
his lfe IN the building lie finally
succeeded in raising him, but not unit. alter
several Of the citizens had arrived Most 90
the citizens thought il as q Fourth W July
celebration and DID not start SO soon AS they
otherwise would, but when the alarm sound
tl LtldE INC rAAAE HuJb " as tl tAf
citizens poured out n W1sss and nearly every
man went with the determination Il 60 hi-
utmost but when they arrived there, and tile
engine was put to work, hardly Is man in tn
whole crowd believed Do could be saved. 1T
was known that the lower story was full DIV
cJmbustIJle material. seasoned lumber ia
large quantities. The building. itself. Was
very dry, and the flames were issuing out ui
the windows and door in volumes. But they
went 10 work with Will, every man tell into
his place, some on the brakes. others passing
water n pals, 80 that nothing was lc.t uu-
done that could be done. Men never worked
better and soon their efforts began q TIL.
But a. soon as they were apparently checked
in one place they broke out in another.
running up the side 0t the building and
reaching the roof But the water ~ pods
checked II until the hose could he spared
from some other place, ard AFTER three hours
hard lighting the efforts of the men secured
tJ them Their well earned victory. Brandon
has always had an ehvIatIc reputation lu
fighting fires, and the result I'D Wednesday
nights work shows that but ilr Tie
ndomltable pluck never o. give up. tic
building would have gone.
Mr. Spra2ue, the president ut tho
company, ami the nam owner M .tac works,
was in New York and arrived home about
three o 'clock A. NJ, IN the midst ot the tIC
The tire probably took from heap u.
charcoal near the forge ga the second H1Jr.
and must have burned for hours. ana h1W
the Waterman could have gone into the room
every half hour and not discovered 10 d.
mystery not easily solved, except uVen tic
superstition that he did not ~ in there tor
some hours before the fire.
The greatest damage was ou the fret 0r
wood floor. The loss on stock and r19.s
quite large, and the sleeper- between the
first and second stories was SO badly burnt
new floor Will probably have 70 he built.
Water did most OF the damage On the second
and third floors.
The buildings were well insured IN the
Home OF New York. international OF New
York. Imperial of London, Andes OF
Cincinnati. Alps Of Erie, and Vermont
Mutual.
Had the building burned, there is uo
estimating the disaster, for in the rear 81 the
building there was over fire hundred thou
and feet Of lumber, and the yard came up
close to the back part of stores on Park
street and the fire would have undoubtedly
consumed large part Of the business portion
Of the village But it has been said and very
truthlully, that they use lCGfer in Brandon to
extingush fire. and erery man Is fireman, and
the work on this occasion adds new laurels 70
the Citizens Fire Company, and they have
again won admiration as IRE fighters.
The loss IS estimated from $4,000 to 500
900 which is fully covered by insurance.
The company were working TO the fullest
extent and were greatly behind their orders,
but the energy of the officers Of the company
will within a week have every department
in Running order.