Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-10-22
THE FTRE

BURNING OF W. =. RICHARDSON'S BARN SOME
GOOD WORK DONE by THE rmEMEN.
Last Saturday evening" just as the Repub-
lican tOrchlight procession had completed its
line of march and while many people who
had participated in the demonstration were
on their way to their homes, an alarm of fire
was given, and simultaneously with this per-
sons who CHANGED to be in the vicinity saw
the flames bursting furiously out Of the roof
of w. L. Richardson's barn on High street.
The whole fire department lost no time in
getting to the scene of the fire, and the yari-
Gus machines were all promptly in place and
ready for work. Steamer No. 3 the odd
steamer was stationed at the corner of Main
and High streets steamer No. at the cistern
near Mrs. Keith Whites, on High street, and
hand engine No. q at the cistern in Mrs. Dut-
tons yard, on Green street. Steamer No. 3
got on the first wnter, her hosemen mounting
the roof of a low shed connecting the barn
with the other buildings, and playing through
an upper window. Although but a very short
time had elapsed when they were ready with
their water, the upper part Of the barn was
then mass of roaring flames, and ii was on
ly by means of their new combination nozzle,
which threw a fine spray in front of them,
forming a screen between them and the fire,
that they were able to hold their ground and
play, as they did, in close quarters, into the
very teeth of the flames. No soon got on
a stream which was used wherever wanted
by the chief engineer, and very soon the new
steamer was at work, at first with one stream
and afterward with two, both Of th0m power
full ones. One of her lines Of hose was taken
through a rear window into the lower part of
the barn, and thence the hoseman carried it
to the stairway in the middle of the barn,
which was then all in a blaze and the fire
working down to the lower floor. Fighting
down these flames the hosemen took their
stream up the stairs and began playing into
the seething mass of fire above. Their po-
siton was by no means an enviable one, for
the roof was all on fire and liable to fall at
any minute The cupoa did, in fact, fall in,
knocking down two Of the men, one of whom,
Oscar Willard, leading hosemen, got a bad
cash on the back of the head from some fall
ing substance. The men beat a retreat for
the moment, but returned to the charge and
remained at their post until the fire was un-
der control. The hosemcn of both steamer
companies are entitled to great credit for the
bravery and GOODNESS which they displayed,
and the department wins universal praise for
the admirable and efficient manner in which
the fire was managed and promptly subdued.
The conduct of both officers and men on the
occasion gives the community renewed con-
fdence in the protection afforded by the de-
the flames had made alarming progress by
the time the first stream of water was brought
into play, the walls of the barn are left but
little injured, and nearly half the roof was
saved from falling in. All the animals, wa
gons, etc, which Mr.. Richardson had in the
barn were saved, and of the movable proper
ty, only some sleighs stored in the loft were
lost.
There seems to be no doubt that the fire
was incendiary in its origin. No light had
been carried into the barn and no fireworks
had passed near it, When Mr.. Orlando
NJ Thomas went into the barn to put up
horse which he had ridden in the procession,
he heard cracking overhead, and, looking
up the stairway, saw the flames in the hay
and gave the alarm. At about the same time,
DIR. Tucker who occupies Admiral Green's
place, was putting up his horse and heard
and saw man jump the fence from Mr..
Richardson's premises and run along by the
hedge and over into Green street Other
parties saw a man run down Elliot street at
that time If We have another fre-bug
amongst us the quicker he is shut up, or 9TH
erwise disposed of, the better.
The new steamer had its first practical test
on the occasion and worked in the most salts
factory manner. After the fire was extin-
guished both steamers set to work to fill the
reservoirs from the brook, job which occu-
pied them until o'clock Sunday morning
Fearing that fires might be accidentally set
by the fireworks and Examinations during the
celebration, the engineers ordered fire kept
in steamer No. during the evening, with
two or three men in the engine house ready
for instant service. The heater has now been
set up and attached to steamer No. 4 and is
working very satisfactorily.