Bridgeton pioneer., 1892-03-10
INCENDIhRISM.
TH ATS WHAT THE BIG FIRE
LOOKS LIKE.
MRS. John GOuld's Barn Burned,
Four Horses and Two Cows
Consumed. Loss About
$1,000.


A smouldering pile of ashes, the
charred remains of four horses and
two COWS and the rusty iron works of
a carriage and Of numerous farm i'm
plements Is all that remains of the fine
large barns of Mrs. Sarah Gould, on
the farm of the late John Gould, on
the Buckshutem road, Friday morning
The barns got on fire Thursday
afternoon, about or near four o'clock,
in some mysterious way, which seems
to have all the indications of the
agency of an incendiary.
The barns were built by John Gould
himself, he being carpenter, and
were very complete in all their ar
raugements. They were three in
number, but all connected SO as to be
practically one barn.
The main barn was 36x58 feet, the
"L" was 30x16 feet, and another barn
attached was 36x14 feet; attached was
also COW sheds, 1Sx24 feet, and corn
crib about 36x6 feet; besides hog pens.
To the south of the barn was the
COW yard. A gate opened from the
cow yard into lane in such way as
to be visible from the house. The
gate was heavy one and fastened
with an iron ring over a half staple,
such as is commonly used on farm
gates.
In the barn Thursday afternoon
were Mrs. Gould's three horses, and
another one belonging to the hired
man, about six tons of hay, two tons
of straw, estimated $50 worth of clover
seed, ten bushels of feed, two-seated
carriage, fan mill, hay cutter, forkes,
rakes, harness and the usual parapher-
MALTA of a farmers barn.
Somewhere between three and four
o'clock, Mrs. Gould's little grand
daughter ran into her room and told
her the COWS was out. The men folks
consisting of her son George Gould,
who lives in the house with her, and the
hired man, David Pierce, were not home,
so Mrs. Gould and her daughter Lizzie
went out to put the COW back in the
yard. The two or three colts which
she also has, were also out, and the
women could not get them in, SO they
put the COWS back and left the colt in
the field.
Shortly after this the little girl, and
Ella Allen, is girl who lives with
George, came in and said the COWS
were out again and they saw a man
holding the gate open. The man, they
said went off through the peach or
chard and though they made a noise
to attract his attention, he would not
look around so they could see who he
was.
Mrs. Gould and Lizzie went out soon
afterward, and drove the COWS back
and pnt them in the stables They
saw that some one had opened the
cowyard gate and proped it open with
piece of board, so they entered the
barn and searched around to see if
any one was in there, wondering who
it would be opening the gate to let
the cattle out.
Mrs. George Gould was away at the
time having gone up to her mothers,
and the children were with the women
helping to drive the COWS back. Find
ing no sign of any one about the barn
they all returned to the house, and
Ella Allen went to the yard to take
some clothes from the line.
Mrs. Gould says she had not been in
the house more than ten minutes
when Ella called to her that there was
fire in the barn, for she saw smoke
coming out.
Rushing to the barn the whole barn
was found to be filed with flame and
smoke, from the straw aud hay which
had been fired on the floor in front of
the horses.
Terrified out of their senses the
woman tried to get the horses out.
Mrs. Gould ran In among the flames,
and would been soon on fire herself
but for her daughter who pulled her
back.
They could not get the horses out
and and in few seconds the whole in
side of the barn was mass of flames.
No human effort could save the
structure, and the women could not
get the animals out. The whole was
consumed.
A wagon house connected with the
barn with tool shed, and the corn in
the crib was taken out.
A large crowd of people were soon on
the ground and did what could be
done to save property. but only one set
of harness and threshing machine
was saved of all the implements which
were in the barns.
The loss Is estimated at $4,000 dollars,