The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-12-30
ORIGIN OF FIRE
A DEFECTIVE CHIMNEY
Building and Nearly All the
Tenants Insured -MiddIesex
Had a Hard Hit by FIRE.
Durkee Barn Burned.

Fire that started last evening in the
basement Of the Qninlen bloch, supposedly
from an oveTheated chimney, worked It's
way up between partitions to the upper
stories causing loss that is almost total
. The building aud to most of the occu-
pants Of the same Although the fire had
worked It's way from cellar to ROOT before
i was discovered, the Gre department went
at It with the intelligence af experience
and for nearly two hours fought ike vet
erans until It had full mastery OF 1t.
The fire Is supposed TO have begun in
and around the chimney under he first
a0pr and 10 have worked up between the
partitions oE the wall next the Eastman
0eE. III was discovered BY ]. p.
Marr, George FFonp and Robert Inglis.
members Of Clan Gordon. who we're play
aa crbbage ia the Clan club rooms. They
thought the room aud chimney were ey.
eeedingly warm, and then noticed a roar
re sound as Of tire IN the partition near
tha chimney They began 70 look about
and noticed little tongues of FIRE under and
atween the mop board aud the fla5r on
igo sides of the room. Mr. Marr ran to
the street and yelled to a man near Depot
square TO ring 10 an alarm while IugIis
aad Troup warned others on the floor to
scope ~.
Ok ] N'eHes was ar his store w8fktar
o. watches last evening aud he thought az
snslled smoke. He made an investlga2
ton going % the fear aud into the base
usat. bat there were no signs Of dre Wis.
llA He went back 10 the furnace but
ye was 10 fire there, except inside the
aeHaeel He did notice little smoke is-
hg from one petition and ran "a the
"a and hailed Harry Houghton, who
ctsneed 70 be passing. 70 ring IN an alarm.
ktnrnlng % the store Mr. Dodge tele-
ph0aed Chief Campbell that there was ire
10 the building Mr. Houghtoa rang In
90 alarm from box 2l
q j, Dodge has secured temporary
quarters ia the r. n. Averil block aud
moved his stock Of goods today. He Is all
ready to attend to your needs.
At the same time Vinctia lodge, &. OF
P, was meeting on the floor above for IFS
anbual election Two members, ], +,
suilth aud NJ j Roberts, noticing smoke,
retired 10 the ante.room to iad the cause
and re entered the bail almost Immediate
II 10 warn the other members OF the dan
get Gathering up the records and char
tefOf the lodge al escaped while the hall
was rapidly 6lling with smoke.
The alarm brought prompt response
from the fire station, as a hose wagon and
It'd fire truck were at the fire before the
alarm had stopped ringing When these
reached the building big volume Of
smbke was pouring from the trausom over
tha door to Rogers 4 Grady's store and
from the entrance to the floors above. The
door 20 the Rogers u Grady store was
forced and a stream was poured into the
Hra from IN front while a second line OK
lose had been run to the rear OF the build
inaaud was turned into the basement and
Hrst 0 j0r there at about the same time.
The newNire truck was also brought in-
to use for the first time and ladders were
rua 70 the top Of the Eastman block and
soon two streams we're playing into the top
OF the building from the root Of this blAek.
Another line OF hose was carried to the
top 0f the Miles block on the other side OF
the Qunlen building and stream was
thrown into the ire from this side
deluge stream was added to the force at
the rear Of the building and more streams
were turned on the fire from the front, 80
that ten lines Of hose we're very soon al
pouring water into the fire with telling Of
feet From this time the fire was held
well Ia hand and confined to the four walls
OF the block. After stubborn fight the
ire lighters began to gain on il.
The fire was discovered few minutes
before 0 O'Clock. AT 1890 the depart
ment had full control and 1880 1t had
been almost wholly overcome, although II
was not out until nearly O'Clock this
morning Everything on the third floor is
gone, while the second and iirst floors are
considerably damaged by fire and water.
The loss on the building Is considerable.
aud while not q total loss, Is so near to II
the building cannot very well be repaired.
The block was erected about ten years
ago by w. g. Qaineu and was owned by
him. 1t was valued at about $4,000 and
was Insured for Sl1 900 through the J. w.
Dillon agency and $1,000 In the Pape
agency,
Ihe ground floor Is divided into two
stores, one occupied BY D , Dodge, jew
elet, and the other by Rogers y Grady Co.
clothing dealers.
Iae Rogers s. Grady Co. carried stock
of clothing and furnishings valued at ap-