Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-09-18
IN THE LOCAL FIELD.
BELLOWS FALLS.
scYTHE sNATH WORKS BURNED

Cause Of the Fire Unknown---The Lack
of Water Increases the Loss--The Wa
ter Question Discussed.
NTessrs. Derby IL Balls scythe snath
works at the north end of the village were
entirely destroyed by fire about four o'clock
Sunday morning. The buildings were
large and for many years had furnished EN-
ployment to about 80 men and boys, being
the largest shop for the manufacture OF
snaths in the United States. Many of our
citizens have known but little of this indus
try, as it was located at the north part OF
the village and at the end of street where
there was little travel. Little has been
said regarding the factory and little show
made by the propretors. This arose large
ly from the wish of the proprietors, often
expressed many years ago, that the CON
Germ be allowed to 20 on quietly IN order TO
avoid needless competition. For long
time they held the larger part of the trade
of the country, but competition has been
more sharp of late years. Both the pro-
prietors are well-knOwn and highly esteem
ed citizens, and they have the sympathy OF
all in their misfortune.
Nothing whatever is known as to the or
igin of the fire, it having started in the at
tic near the centre of the building and
spread to all parts of the very dry structure
with great rapidity. What has long been
feared i'm our village happened at this lire.
We had practically no force of water owing
to the low condition of the supply in Mi
nard's pond otherwise the larger part of
the building would probably have been
saved Much talk and comment is heard
on all sides this week and of course crit
icism, hardly any official escaping share
Much of this is unjust, as probably this
kind of reminder was needed to stir up
the public itself to the gravity of the situ-
alton so the people will be ready to second
an attempt of the water department to rem
edy the evils which exist. For number
of years there has been a scarcity OF water
in the pond i'm dry weather, and it will be
remembered that a few years ago steam
pump was used long time in keeping up
the supply and then there was howl
from the public as to the expense which
was thought by many to be entirely UNI
necessary. Our village is increasing rapid
" in inhabitants and business. 1t is out of
the question to ask industries of any kind
to spread out and multiply here if they
cannot have the required amount of water
for their business, whatever it may be, and
the supply should be adequate to meet the
demand. OF late the present season care
has been taken to husband the scanty sup
ply, but the mischief was probably done
early in the season when the pond was full
and no care was taken to save and store
supply against day of need, and the last
three months the water in the pond has
been rapidly lowered. The evening before
the fire the gauge showed pressure at the
town hall of only - pounds when it should
have shown 120. 1t had been not far from
this figure for some days. On Sunday
morning the end of the pipe in the pond
was only about half covered, not any where
filling the main AS soon as the two lines
of hose were laid there was not enough
pressure to raise the water to the tops of
the first story windows. The fire was up
three stories and the firemen had to stand
and see it burn until the steamer could be
attached to hydrant at another point, but
valuable time had been lost and the strhct-
ure was doomed. The storehouses north
of the main building were saved, and sur
rounding property protected.
AS a whole perhaps the lesson to the vii
lage has been taught as lightly as is posi-
BILE, and without doubt the warning will be
needed. Derby d Ball had S25, 600 insur-
ance, covering the mandatory, store
houses and contents; $4,000 of this was
on the main building and contents, and
the loss will probably exceed this figure to
quite an extent. The insurance was placed
in the Mutual Fire of New York and pOr-
ton of it was reinsured in what are known
as the Armstrong Mutuals' of the same
city.
Mr.. Derby was at home at the time of
the fire. but Mr.. Ball was on an extended
Western trip. Mr.. Derby stated on Sunday
that the works would be rebuilt at once.
nln, 81, bal
with the exception of the steam gong at
tachment, which was known to have a de-
fective valve, and new one was in town
and was to be put in that day. The alarm
from the bells and the tappers was of the
best, and made every resident understand
that the fire was in the vicinity of box
''2l, and it was supplemented later by va
riOus whistles.
AS soon as the steamer began drawing
from the main every faucet in the village
was without water. About 10 o'clock an
arrangement was completed so that water
was forced into the mains by the large
steam pump at the head gates, drawing
its supply from the canal directly below
Farr's livery stables, and in this way the
pressure was raised to about 100 pounds.
The pumping of water from the canal was
finally forbidden by the board of health,
however,, OH ACCOUNT OF lJS ullWnOleSODle-
ness from the sewage of Canal street.
A special corporation meeting has been
called for Sept. 20 to see what action, if
any, the village will take in regard to the
water supply and the use of it.
Benjamin b. Wetherbee, who was for
many years foreman of the paper and pulp
mills of George X. Russell, and who for
the past three years has been part owner
in paper mill in Fitchburg has returned
to Bellows Falls and associated himself
with George O. Guild in the erection of the
new paper mill here We are glad to wei
come ben" back after his three years
absence, and feel that, with the experience
that each partner has in a diversity of
business, they cannot fail to make a sue
cess of their new venture. They have
given up the idea of locating the mill I'M
der the hill on the Earle lot, and have
bought the whole water power of both the
old tannery property and Fall Mountain
saw-mill and also the power at the "For-
est, and the new mill will be located on
the SaXtOns river and run by water instead
Of steam as at first planned,