Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1904-12-29
BIG FlaEIN eRAlNTREE.
Six Barns at Powers Place Destroyed
Friday with Stock and Produce.

AT half past nine o'clock Friday morn
ing fire broke out on the farm Of Earl
Powers in Braintree, 81 miles from TINS
village, and burned six barns, including
the horse barn, three sheds, part OF the
granary, eight cows and one hog.
The blaze started tn shed adjoining a
harm. and in this shed were farming tools
and the watering trough. Mr.. Powell
was not two rods away when the ure
broke out, but the flames were first seen
by Minor Bland, a coiored man who WORKS
on the farm and who was also in the barn
at the time. He called Mr.. Powers and as
soon as the latter saw what was the mat
ter. he ran 10 the house and teiephoned
+ Mrs. Clarence Bass TO alarm the neighbors-
/ Then seizing pail, he attempted TO put
out the fire. but the flames, when no
/ reached the shed again, were beyond con-
+ troll.
He opened the stable door to let the
cows ont but the flames and smoke
/ rushed in There were ten cows IN that
i stable. and he succeeded in getting out
only two, one OF them being badly burned
/ In his efforts he had one side OF his face
/ blistered by the fire and one hand seorehed.
Unable to stay longer IN the shed, he went
to the other barns and let out the rest OF
Forty cows. ten young cattle and five
horses were saved Three silos IN the
barns we're destroyed, and Mr.. Powers lost
.
tons OF ensilage, four or five tons Of straw,
lOO bushels of corn and some grain, dam
aged or destroyed in trying 70 get Il our
of the partially consumed granarY. III
his farming tools. he lost grain separa-
tor and an ensllage cutter.
The house, built to replace the one
burned ten years ago at New Years, came
near going this time with the barns,
which escaped the previous fire. The
flames caught once IN the straw al the
bulk head. and part of the furniture was
removed when it seemed probable inst
the house would be burned with the iesa
of the buildings, but the heat OF the biAz-
ing barns melted the snow. which ran
down in puddles in front and proved
source of supply for saving the dwelling.
The neighbors turned out in numbers
and did their best to stay the progress
of the flames. Guy Clough, pereheu on
the ridgepole at the gable end oil the sheu
attached 10 the house, poured water on q
Garnet hung over the end OF the shed
from the top, and was himself wet down
oeeasionally as were others, to preYent
the sparks from igniting their elothing.
The insurance, all in the Vermont
, Mutual, was placed separately on sns
, house, the household furniture (somew ha.
damaged in movingl, the barns, stock ana
produce. amounting to total OF souo
. Aoiuster Hugh Phillips of the Vermont
, Mutual was in town yesterday anu
settled the loss for s2OOO, whieh war
E. satisfactory to Mr., Powers.
When helm was summoned by telephone
} from the Mann farm, not far away from
. the Powers place, all the men were ~ ths
S woods. and Mrs. Rupert Mann blew ths
+; dinner horn to attract their attention
r THE noise Of their work drowned the horr
) q that the men did not hear 1t, but ths
r Wonderfully intelligent animal, caught
Z. the sound and, seeming to realize tha
!. something vas wrong, he set up sueh
: terrific Loeling that the iden stepps'
work to investigate The horn va
Is audible to them then and rushing toward
i homie to inquire into the trouble, the'
e saw he fire and reached the scene in tim
p 10 render assistance. That dog, by th
way, isn't TO be had from the Mann's 10
e the asking.