The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1880-02-27
Fire at Whatnong Grange.

A little before IL O clock on Tuesday eve
ming last cur citizens were startled by the
cry Of Fire fire p which was Justify
taken up and borne upon the still night
air until eur. ever vigilant fire laddies
hustled out their machines, and, led by the
red glare to the westward, hurried toward
the scene of the conaagration, which,
viewed from the Park, appeared to be in
the vicinity Of the ohreaicEe Office or the
Court House. 1t was, however, soon dis
covered to be out of town, and beyond
Sherman's Hill.
According to the new regime, horses were
speedily attached to the apparatus. and off
they started up Speedwel Avenue, at a
rafting pace. Niagara Steamer No. 2,
Charlie Johnson drivers led the van; closely
followed by the Truck, with Alex. McCol-
lum refining his two greys, and A" Monty .
Montgomery at the tlller. Before reach
ing Sussex Avenue, Washington 1, with
John Boss at the helm, came laundering
up and challenged its rivals for brush.
Alexis greys responded nobly, and the
friendly rivalry continuedto Sherman S Hill
where it was discovered that the fire origi-
mated from the barn and carriage house con-
nected with the w hatnong Grange dwelling
house, owned by Mrs. Boyd Headley, and
occupied by R. A. McCurdy, President
of the Mutual Life Insurance Company of
New York. and J. II, Little, of al Broad
way, New York. The family had only that
morning moved TO New York for the re-
mainder of the Winter, and left the place
in charge Of Mr.. Titles coachman, Rob
ert King, and two or three servants.
The fire was first discovered about 1890
by d servant maid, who saw it from a win
dow of the house. She Immediately
screamed, and elected the at tention Of Mr..
King, who was in the house to procure
some kindling wood and coal for the har-
ness room stove which had gone out some
time BEFORE King had only left the barn
| a short time previous, and fifteen minutes
after lie left it Alexander Richards, the
gardener, had been IN to look after the
cows and a horse which he had charge of.
Everything was apparently all right when
both the gardener and King left the barn,
and when the latter first saw the fire the
| front doors of the carriage house were open,
and as he ran out he saw flames leaping and
spreading right among the bedding of the
horses which were Immediately in the rear
of the carriage house. He could not get to
the horses by the front entrance, but hur-
ried around to the rear stable door which
opened inwards. By this time the six
horses had become frenzied and wild from
the fire and smoke, and their terrible
screams and frantic neighing was appalling
to the stout-hearted Robert who could not
open the door because of the poor beasts,
which had gotten loose crowding against it,
and if he had succeeded in doing so it
would have been worth his life to have ven
turedin. He finally entered by another door
opening into the COW stable, and reaching
one of the horses which remained tied, cut
the halter strap, but the poor beast was al
ready overcome and laid down to die in his
stall. King was by this time nearly over
Gene by suffocation and was forced to beat
hasty retreat and leave the noble brutes
to perish together. Thirty minutes after
the fire was discovered the building fell, q
mass of flaming ruins.
The six horses were all blooded stock and
very valuable. phe coach team alone be-
ing worth $1,000 They, with a white Ara
bian, and light bay coupe horse belonged to-
Mr.. Little. A black kentucky saddle horse
belonging to Miss Gertrude McCurdy, and a.
large bay horse belonging to Mrs. Cente-
nleri make up the six that persisted. Three
valuable dogs, one powerful mastif, also
fell victims to the holocaust. One valu-
able V5ctoria, one side bar Brewster wagon,
skeleton wagon, and three sleighs,
one costing seven hundred dollars, were
also burned, together with the contents
of a well stocked harness room. The lat
ter, it is estimated, being worth $4,000.
Besides the implements usually found in a
well appointed establishment, the barn con-
tanned seven tons of hay, three tons Of
straw, three hundred bushels of oats
and a lot Of feed. The two COWS and
an old cart horse were saved by being
| housed in an adjoining stable. King
| lost his entire wardrobe, worth about $500,
saving nothing except what he wore at the
/
as the stock and contents Of the barn were
| fully insured.
Niagara Steamer and the Truck reached
the scene, but the other companies turned
about when they got up o.the old Camp
Ground and saw that their services could
avail nothing. A large crowd went out
from town, besides whom there were hardly
dozen people present..
The origin Of the fire is a deep mystery,
but was undoubtedly the work Of an in
cendiary. Kings theory is that the fire
originated either in the stables or among
some loose straw immediately outside the
door opening into the stable yard.
Bob" has the reputation of being I'M
usually brave and stout hearted, but he
Acknowledges that it was more than he
could bear to hear thescreams and almost
humane groans. of the dying horses.
RIessrs. MeCurdy and Little were tele-
graphod early in the morning and arrived
about noon accompanied by insurance N en-.
We learn the building was not insured.