Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-03-03
A Serious Fire.

After long period of comparative i'm
munity from fires, this village had veiy
serious confiagration last Wednesdf v
night that resulted in the total destruction
of the large steam mill owned by the IT, 5.
Screen Co., and occupied by them in the
manufacture OF window and door screens,
etc. The fire was first discovered by the
Waterman William Toby and engineer
Fred Amsden about II O'Clock, in a parti-
ton on the south side of the mill. They
| Immediately sounded the alarm and went
to work with the hose attached to the stand
pipe to try and put out the flames, but the
smoke soon drove them from the building.
The Hose Company promptly responded
to the alarm, and soon had three powerful
streams playing upon the fire, but the
building was filled with very dry stock, in
all stages of manufacture, and the fire went
up the partition to the third floor which
| was soon all ablaze and the flames were
| beyond control. The boys kept up the
| fight for about three hours until the fire
was under control, and succeeded in saw
ing the engine room, engine and boiler.
The wind blew fresh from the southeast
which took the flames away from the
buildings nearest to the east and the big
piles of lumber between. The heat was
very severe and the house of Mrs. Holman
To the west was severely scorched, but by
the exertion of citizens with small hose,
and later by a stream from one of the hy-
drants by the hosemen, was saved. How
the fire caught was a mystery, but it must
have been from spontaneous combustion,
as the Waterman had just made his rounds
and found everything comparatively all
right when cracking was heard in the
partition soon followed by fire. The boil
er had been inspected that very afternoon
by the inspector from Boston Boiler AS
surance Co and the engineer was present
men in the morning. The fire had only
Just been started under the boiler and the
steam was very low which accounted for
the faintness of the alarm. The other
steam mills did not have steam enough to
blow their whistles and many in the viii
lage did not know of the ire till the next
morning.
The insurance was as follows: North
American, Philadelphia 5000; First Nat
ionsl, Worcester, Mass, $1,000; Commercial
Union, London, $1,000; Niagara, n. Y,
5000; American Fire, Philadelphia, 5000;
Vt.:Mutual Ins. Montpelier, 5000; Aetna,
Hartford, $1,000; total $1,000.
Since J. w. Atwood and j. II. Burt took
hold of the business they have been crowd
ed with orders, and had over $4,000 OF
completed stock in the storehouse, which
unfortunately was connected with the mill
and very little OF it was saved. Besides
this there were thousands OF doors and
in various stages OF manufacture
in the mill, large lot of wire, many very |
valuable machines, etc. that were destroy
ed. The new firm had taken hold OF the |
business with such ability and put so |
much push into ii ms to develop IN re- |
short time business sufficient /
to furnish employment 10 thirty hands,
and had already demonstrated that ii was /
a good paying business. Both these gen.
tlemen lose all they have as the insurance /
will not half cover the loss. Already there
is talk of taking hold and aiding them to
start again and we trust that il will soon
develope into something more than talk.
There is no doubt whatever that the busi-
ness would pay and that 1t would furnish
employment to double the hands that have
been employed, all OF which would add
greatly to the wealth of this town. IL 1t
pays Bethel, South Royalton, Chelsea and
Stockbridge to start new enterprises when
he trade itself must be worked up, and
he plants and machinery are far more
costly, and when the stock must all be
from a distance it will surely pay
Every property owner in this town to help
his company TO start again, as they have
demonstrated already that there is more
profit in this business than In shoes, and
hat II aided to start again the success of
he enterprise would be assumed. Again
he stock is nearly all grown here, and
heir business would furnish a market,
,rowing with each year, for hardwood
umber. The employees would need all
,lnds OF farm produce thus charging the
lone market, and later houses for them
elves and families, thus adding in every
gay to the prosperity of the town.