Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-05-03
PUTNEY'S BIG FIRE.
VIM. A. Cole ~ Co.'s Paper Mill
Burned,

causing n Loss of 100000 with Insur-
ance of O,OOO--Progress of the Fire
--IIeIp from Brattleboro--PrOspects of
Rebuilding.
A disastrous fire which destroyed one of
the most thriving business establishments
i'm town occurred at o'clock Saturday af-
ternoon, when the large paper mill owned
by VIM. A. Cole d Co., and used almost
entirely for the manufacture of fine tissue
paper, was burned to the ground. The
mill had been shut down for two days for
the purpose of putting in new screens and
a new pump, consequently there was no
one in the sorting room up stairs where
the fire originated. Its origin therefore is,
and probably always will remain, mys-
terry.
The fire was discovered at 9:15
o'clock by some one on the street and
the alarm quickly spread, but the flames
had been in progress number of minutes |
and, although the alarm was quickly re-
sponded to by from 800 to 400 citizens, be-
fore lines of hose could be drawn from |
tie mills of F. L. Pierce and the Stowell |
Manufacturing company, the fire had gain |
ed so great Roadway that to save the mill |
was foreseen impossibility. The dispo- |
sition of the people was exhibited, how
ever, in their attempts to save all possible, |
which was indeed very little. There were
80 tons of stock in the building and the |
flames, when once hold of it, spread with |
surprising rapidity.
The three streams of water, including
the two already mentioned and the one
which was turned on from the mill, were
poured in upon the fire continuously, but
failed to check its fury and it was while
the flames were at their height that the
roof of the building fell in upon the wa
ter wheel, stopping it and cutting off that
supply. Then it was that the stream from
F. l.. Pierce's mill got in its effective work
To that stream was undoubtedly due the
saving of Mr.. Aliens and II. j. Smiths
houses, which meant the saving of that en-
tire side of the street. That stream was
also turned upon A. NJ. Corser's store,
which was in imminent danger of taking
fire at one time.
Aid was summoned from Brattleboro,
and in 4S minutes from the time the des-
patch was sent, steamer No. g. command
ed by Chief Engineer Turner and force
of men made up of companies 3, and 10,
appeared on the scene and had a new
stream of water upon the flames, which
had greatly subsidized. All expressed salts
faction with the work of the Brattleboro
company, although, the flames having sub
sided, there was no opportunity for skilled
mannuvring.
The value of the property burned was
$4,000, upon which there was an insur-
ance of $4,000. Considering the long de-
lay necessary for rebuilding, also the fact
that Mr.. Cole was receiving more orders
than he could possibly fill by running night
and day, it will readily be seen that $780,
900 will not begin to cover the loss to Mr..
Cole, not to mention the loss to the town
by having idle such an establishment,
toward the protection of which, or any
other building, the town has not appropr-
ated single dollar except by the purchase
of a few feet of hose, which did not sus-
tain the strain and had to be replaced by
hose from Robertson's mill, and this hose
was connected to a private hydrant A
new engine was put in the mill short time
since at an expense of $1,000, and the pa
per machine which was put in last sum-
mer cannot be replaced for less than $4,000.
The loss was total except, perhaps, one
boiler, which was partially filled with wa
ter. The other boiler was empty and was
probably spoiled. The rivet heads in the
bleacher are started so that Mr.. Cole does
not consider it safe to use on account of
the tremendous pressure which would be
brought to bear upon it, The water wheel
mentioned still stands and is 30 feet in di-
ameter, or the second largest wheel in this
state.
Mr.. Cole is an enterprising man and was
continually enlarging and improving his
mill both inside and out. He had already
contracted with Mr.. Willard of Westmin-
ster for tearing down that part of the mill
nearest the road and for the erection of a
new one which should have the finishing
room up stairs connected with the manu-
featuring rooms by an elevator, so that the
finished product could be taken out of the
mill where the raw material has heretofore
been put in. AS to the prospects of the
mill being rebuilt let us hope they are good.
If it is rebuilt the new mill will be much
better than the old one and will probably
be of brick. Mr.. Cole was interviewed on
the subject and talked disparagingly to the
correspondent Already people have been
here trying to get him away. Mr.. Cole
says there is no fire protection here and he
can do better elsewhere. Still there are
other things which lead one to believe that
he will rebuild here He says this is his
home and no other place would seem like
home to him. 81 have always said that il
l ever had home, if it was no larger than
an ice-house, l would keep it; but didn't
think then l would ever be driven out in
this kind of way. Everybody has been very
kind to me and thank them for it.
The original mill was owned by Stimp-
son, Green 81 Fairbanks, who made paper
by hand machinery. In 1922 or Whereabouts
William and George Robertson, then fresh
from Scotland, journeyed from Hartford
Conn, to Canada to look at mill, but
being dissatisfied with it returned as far as
Putney and hired the mill of the firm men
toned Subsequently George, who was
the father of our present respected VIM
Robertson, sold his interest to his brother
William and built a saw-mill on the site
of the paper mill now owned by his
son William. After the freshet of 1928
which was the most destructive freshet w
ever had, William failed and the mill wen
into the hands of old Uncle Phineas White
who afterwards sold it to Williams sons
George and John, of Cohoes Falls, n. \
Later George returning West sold his in
terest to his brother John, who in turf
leased the mill to Cole & Cough, who fail
ed and it became the property of VIM
Cole and John Robertson. At the time
the fire Mr.. Cole was practically sole own
or of tho mill and amnlOVed 20 hands,