The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-06-04
FOREST FIXES.

afternoon andWednesday When the for
est fire at Lanesboro was raging near
the Montpelier and Wells River depot
and Goslant's mill on Tuesday after
noon request for aid from Montpe-
lier was sen and at 80 O'Clock
special with the hand engine and the
Pitkin hose cart left for the scene.
When Lanesboro was reached all i'm
mediate danger to these buildings was
past but the tub was employed tc
good advantage nevertheless. During
the afternoon the fire, which all day
had been steadily working toward the
buildings and lumber piles near the
station, changed its course somewhat
and left narrow strip along the
railroad unburned. To remove future
danger from this source back fires
were set and under the protection
afforded by the engine the strip was
burned over. To get water supply a
dam was constructed across the brook
which runs through the burned dis
trict, and from this the water was
pumped to the station, distance of
about 500 feet. The engine was oper-
ated by railroad section men and men
from the mills and 1t did excellent
service.
The fire at Lanesboro is the result
Of small blaze supposed TO have been
set by fishermen at Niger Head pond.
1t began on Sunday, May 3, and has
burned with more or less fury ever
since. At times it has seemed to be
we'll under control, but it has broken
out afresh and swept over hundreds of
acres. Previous to Monday and Tues
day it had been confined to the vicin-
ity of Niger Head pond but now it
has swept the three miles between
the pond and Lanesboro and is moving
lily in the direction of Peacham
pond. On Tuesday about 600 acres
were burned over. The Lanesboro
school house was directly in the track
of the flames on Tuesday and it was
only by hard work that the building
was saved.
From Lanesboro the flames swept up
the valley toward the summit and
then up the side and along the ridge
of Owls Head. During all of Tues
day evening the fire in the mountain
ragged with more or less fury and at
times it afforded truly magnificent
spectacle. From a point near Groton
pond it could be seen that the fire
was creeping down the back of Owls
Head and moving steadily in the di-
rection of Peacham pond, about three
miles away. Between these points
are Deer mountain and Devil hill,
both heavily wooded, and at the pond
G. l.. Johnson's large steam mill is
located. The greater part of the terri
tory on and about OWLS Head belongs
to Mr.. Goslant and he also has about
175, 600 feet of logs on skids in the
woods. a part of the territory
toward Peacham has been cut over
and part is covered with first cut
timber. In the second growth timber
the slash affords excellent food for the
flames and this accounts for the rapid
spread of the flames on Tuesday.
Reports from Lanesboro Wednes-
day state that the station, mill and
other buildings are out of danger but
that the fire on and beyond Owls
Head is burning fiercely. There is
west wind and this is carrying the
flames at rapid rate. The fire crew
which went with the engine consisted
of Henry Cashen, who acted as fore
man, Joseph Butterfly, Zeb Carlo
and Nelson Gay. superintendent F.
w Stanyan and Roadmaster F. E.
Dodge accompanied the party. the
latter having general charge of the
operations The section crews be-
tween Montpelier and Lanesboro
were taken along and all worked with
will until past IL o'clock when the
special returned. The fire crew and
engine remained on duty all night re-
turning on the noon train today.
Supper was served to all the workers
at the Goslant boarding house.
1t is impossible to determine the loss
carsed by the fire thus far but it is
variously estimated from $l2, 900 to
$25, 900 Had the flames crossed the
railroad track 1900, 600 feet of sawed
lumber and a like amount of logs
would have been in danger.
Every man and boy in Worcester
who can help is at work ON the noun
tain today digging trenches and fight
ing the fires which have been raging
since Sunday afternoon. On Monday
it is said that the fire was blown in
northerly direction covering distance
of two miles in an hour. Yesterday
the fire was burning rapidly, creeping
toward the southeast and threatening
the Curtis buildings which are the
nearest to the mountains. The yards