Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1904-12-22
BIG FIRE IN HARTFORD.
White River Chair Works, Busbee
Carriage Shop, Etc, Burned.


entaillng a loss OF $4,000. The White
River Chair company's factory was
burned to the ground also G. l. Bug
bees carriage shops, store house and
blacksmith shop a building on Main
street owned by Frank and Charles
Hunt a building owned by Harriet d.
Cone on the same street; the grain
house, dwelling and store house Of
Madden q Trumbull Some insur-
ance was carried on all the buildings
burned.
The fire started about l0:lj o'clock
the night Of December Is in the boiler
room owned by the chair factory.
The alarm was Immediately given and
before the local fire company could
get into action the whole boiler room
was burning at a furious rate. Aid
was sent tor TO White River Junction
and that town responded, arriving in
time to put on the finishing touches
which extinguished the blaze The
people returned home and at 2 o'clock,
hardly fifteen minutes alter the work
of extinguishing the fire in the boiler
room had been completed, the building
of the chair factory proper, which is
some distance from the building in
which the boiler room was located,
burst forth In one mass OF flames. The
White River junction fire company
had not gone home but was all pre-
pared to do so. For second time
this company responded and aid was
sent for from Lebanon, n. H., when il
was seen that the fire was going TO
threaten the village. This town sent
hand engine and several tiremen.
It was then a fight to save the town.
The fire communicated from the chair
factory TO the Bugbee carriage shops
and buildings, sweeping these to the
ground and thence to the buildings on
Main street owned by the Hunt broth
ers and Harriet ID. Cone. Here the
fire was controlled. On the west side
OF the chair factory the flames caught
the grain house OF Madden a Trum-
ball near the bridge, burning this, a
dwelling house and a store house,
Here the last lighting occurred and
the lire was placed under control. IL
was a cold nights work for the fire
men, the thermometer registering
about zero. Had there been any wind
there would have been no chance Of
checking the flames.
II Is not known how the fire started
but it is thought 10 have been OF in-
cendiary origin. The night Waterman
az the chair factory lett the boilerroom
about ten O'Clock on his regular round,
leaving everything intact there. He
had been gone hardly fifteen minutes
when be discovered the lire and rush
ing back TO the boiler room, opened
the door 10 find the whole room ablaze.
This fact. coupled with the breaking
out anew Of the fire in the chair fac
tory later and enyeloping the entire
building Ia flames so soon. has ten
dency 10 substantlate the incendiary
theory
The chair factory was valued az
between $4,000 and $4,000. consid-
cradle being placed IN material around
the building The building was Of
wood, three stories high, about % by
Sd feet. Il was insured In the Yer
mont Mutual for about $500, in the
Lumberman's Mutual for $500, in the
New York Underwriters for Sl,5oO
and Tor 81 600 each in the Boston,
PhWnix and Granite State. Bngbee's
property was insured Tor about $1,000,
Hunts for 81 900 and Cones for $500.
The Madden Trumbull property
was also insured.
Prank Gibson, who came from
Woodstock. Ont, was superintendent
of the chair factory. They intended
70 carry more Insurance and plans
were being made 10 increase the III
suranCe $4,000