Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-08-21

BLAZING BARNS.
a SERIES or lNCEND,AhY rlRks.
Tho City Bxc,tsd SATURDAY and Sunday sn
Account OF Durning Buildiuss-
''Tid ~ isrimmer Arrested.
When the INTELLIGENCER went to press
Saturday afternoon the pOOrhOuse barn
was burning and in ruins, Samuel Ranck's
barn was burning and in ruins, and a seri-
GUS ccnfagratiOn was raging in Quarry
vile. The late hour at which these fires
occurred made it impossible to give full
particulars in Saturdays issue. We have
since cleaned the following additional de
tails u:
The pOorhOuse barn was fired by an
inoendiary about "a o'clock. The scOun
drel appears to have gained an entrance
through the entry door ON the east side Of
the barn facing the hospital and the farm
er's house. and to have applied the match
to the fodder gang near the south end Of
the building, as it was at that point tho
flames first broke out.
Mr.. Zimmerman, the farmer, was at
the time working in a field between the
barn and the Children's Home. He ran to
the barn as rapidly as he could, but by the
time he reached it, the flames had spread
from end to end of it, and had gained such
Roadway that all the fire steamers in the
county could not have saved it. What
stock was in it was safely removed. but
everything else was destroyed.
The barn was no feet in length and GO
in width. The lower story in which were
the stables was Of stone, and the piers on
the east side were of brick. The super
structure was of frame. 1t was built in
1880, and was worth $1,000 Or $1,000 It
contained at the time OF the fire 80 acres
Of wheat, say 1900 bushels acres of
rye !; 7 acres of oats 60 or 20 tons of hay :;
20 bushels of {" old rye" not distilled !;
20 bushels of shelled corn 50 bushels of
corn chops a thresher and horse power {;
a cannon corn-sheller, q tanning mill,
.broad-wheel wagon, two sets of hay lad
ders, hay-h0Oks, ropes, rakes and forks,
dozen Of two bushel bags, 5 sets of har-
ness and a variety Of other farm imple-
ments.
Adjoining the barn on tho west was
wagOn-shed 90 by 30 feet, which was also
totally destroyed. A carriage house a
short distance of was ON fire at several
places, but was saved, as was also the
pest house a short distance below.
The History Of the Burned Building.
This makes the fourth time the poor
house barn has been destroyed by fire
within the recollection Of the present gen
Grafton.
The first of these fires occurred on the Sth
of April, 1856, when the double barn, then
standing partly on the same site, was with
its contents totally destroyed by an incen-
diary. A new structure, 80 feet in length,
was at once put up, and in the spring of
1871 an addition to it As feet in length was
built. On the 18th of October 1871, both
the new and the old structures were burn
ed. A fine new barn was then built at .
cost Of 81, 900 or Sc, 900, and it was burned
on the 4th of July, 1880. 1t was rebuilt
the same summer aud again burned last
Saturday as has been above stated. The
loss by tho last fire will reach $40, 600,
and this is partly covered by an insurance
of $1,000 in the following named compa-
mics London Assurance Corporation, of
London, 81 500; Merchants, Of Newark,
$1,2OO; the British America Assurance
company, of Toronto, $1,000; Williams
burgh City Of Brooklyn, 81, 500; National,
of Baltimore, $1,000; Transatlantic, Of
Hamburg, s1,OOO making $1,000 insur
ance divided as follows 81, 900 on building:
5000 on horses 500 on cows and other
horned cattle 5000 On hay ; 5000 on
wheat and other grains; 5000 on straw
$500 ON wagons, harness, farming utensils,
tools and implements. Bausman s. Burns
are the local agents for all tho above
named insurance companies.
Tho fxanck Fire.
The barn of Samuel Ranck, situated in
rear of his residence, on the north side of
the Philadelphia turnpike, directly opposite
the county almshOuSe, was set ON fire
while the almshOuse barn was yet burn
ing. 1t was a frame structure. two stories
in height, so feet long and 40 feet wide.
1t was entirely consumed, together with
it's contents. A horse belonging to Daniel
E. Ranck and valued at 5000, perished in
the flames also three hogs and about one
hundred chickens belonging to Samuel
Ranck. The other property destroyed
consisted Of a ton Of hay, ton of
straw, sleigh, two wheelbarrows, u lawn
mower, a windlass and buckets, harness
and various other articles, including fruit
trees and garden truck scOrched to death
by the heat. Mr.. Ranck's residence and
two other houses owned by him on the op-
pOsite side of the road arc slightly dam
aged. He has an insurance in the Sails
bury Mutual insurance company Of 81, 600
on the barn and $500 on the contents.
which will nearly cover the loss.
Tho Incendiary Caught
Immediately after Ranck's barn was
fired George alias "Tid" Brimmer was
arrested as the incendiary. He has
long been suspected as one of a gang Of
incendiaries who have been the authors Of
the many disastrous fires which have
caused heavy loss to citizens and insur-
ance companies. Tho circumstances of
his arrest were briefly as follows: He was
seen coming ont of the lane leading from
the Philadelphia turnpike to the county
hospital while the county barn was burn
ing. He crossed the pike, jumped over
the fence between Lewis Kohlhaus' and
David NJ. Bair's residences, moved north
to the end of the lot, and then directly east
towards Ranck's barn. Being suspect"
he was followed at some distance by DR..
J. A. Fitzpatrick, who communicated his
suspicious to MIR. KOhlhaus and desired
him to assist in tracking Brimmer, as
he had no doubt he meant mischief.
MIR. Kohlhaus went with him for some
distance and saw him near Ranck's barn
but being fearful that his own property
might be burned. returned to the pike
through Mr.. Clark's private grounds. DR..
Fitzpatrick returned with him and then
fastened down the pike, passing Clark's
residence, the public school house and
Ranck,s residence and stationed himself