Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-08-25
FIRE CAUSES
MUCH DESTRUCTION

One of the worst fires that have oc-
Cured since the Reading Iron Works
were burned some three years ago took
place IN this city Saturday night, when
the barn of w II. zimmerman, the one
on the Pursel estate adjoining and the
building on the rear of Charles Woods
property, Mill street, were destroyed
and much surrounding property dam
aged A horse and a COW lost their
lives, while two carriages aud quaint
ity of hay and grain went up in smoke.
The fire was of mysterious origin and
burned with fierceness and rapidity
, that made it hard to control. That
quite coufagration did not ensue was
due to the persistent and well directed
efforts of the fremen as we'll as to the
fact that there was little wind blow
ing aud the surrounding roofs were
thoroughly soaked with the rain which
had fallen during the day.
The fire broke out shortly before /
O'Clock. The discovery, it seems, was
made by several persons at about the
same time. The building by that time
was a seething mass of fire, the flames
and smoke pouring out through the
cIevices between the weather boards.
Hon. r S zimmerman had called
upon Prothonotary Thomas G. Vino
cut, and the two men were standing at
the front door of the Vincent home at
the entrance to the alley leading down
to the fire. They detected smoke aud
were just on the point of investiga
ting, when Calvin Lynn came running
along shouting Fire !" and pointing
to the zimmerman barn.
X. 5. zimmerman dashed down the
allie and was able 30 get one of the
doors open. The only horse in the
building was already surrounded by
flames, which had burned the hair
from his body in large spots and liter
ally roasted the flesh Mr.. zimmerman
succeeded in dragging the horse from
the burning barn into the back yard Of
the family dwelling, receiving himself
severe burns about his hands
Mr.. zimmerman was no sooner in the
backyard with the horse than the
flames burst from the burning barn on
all sides aud driven by the slight wind
blowing from the west rOared over
head raining sparks and fire brands
down upon him He saw that his only
hope of escaping with the horse was
to lead him through the house to Mill
street.
Up to this point Mr. and Mrs, W.
H. zimmerman, who were the only oc-
cupants of the house Saturday night.
were sleeping soundly III a room on
the first floor matter Of less than fifty
feet from where the fire was raging.
They were awakened by the sound of
the injured horse stamping on the
walk outside the window and the des-
perate but futile efforts of r. S. Am
norman to force open the rear door
leading into the Office.
The fire department responded as
promptly as possible after the first
alarm was given. In sending in the
alarm great deal of credit is due to
the thoughtful action of Miss Rella
Adams, the young lady on duty at the
telephone exchange. The fire was in
full view from the Opera House, on
the third floor of which the exchange
is situated, and during the progress of
the fire the burning brands flew into
the open windows of the exchange.
As soon as the fire was discovered
Miss Adams called up Friendship En-
gine House, but owing to the lateness
of the hour there was no one there to
respond without the loss of a mo-
ment, she called up f. NJ. Harrington,
who lives near the enigne house, ap-
prising him of the fire.
Mr.. Herrington is member of the
Friendship Fire Company and he ran
to the Engine House and rang the bell,
which soon brought together number
of the firemen. The blocked condition
of Mill street unavoidable where paw
ing is in under way impeded the prog
ress of the firemen little. The
Friendship Company acted with this
IN view and lost but little time by 60
ing round by Front and Chestnut
streets One of the companies in
attempting to cross Mill street at
Mahoning ran ino pile of earth.
couple of men were thrown and some
confusion ensucd but not much time
was lost. The Continental and Good
Will Companies had little difficulty in
reaching the fire, lower Mill street and
Penn street being open
When tho fremen reached the burn
ing buildings not only were the Am
norman barn and the barn on the Pur-
sci estate, both good-sizod structures.
doomed to destruction, but the flames
had crept up the alley enveloping Mr..
Woods barn and threatening to attack
the barn on the rear of r. ID. Magill's
property and thus communicate to the
residence of Prothonotary Vincent.
The large building owned by Livery
man G. G. Meyer on the opposite side
of the alley from the zimmerman barn
and filled with cabs and carriages was
also on ire, the flames enveloping the
entire eastern end In addition all the
fences near the burning buildings were
on fire aud the flames wore running off
in all directions.
The zimmerman barn was nearly
full of hay and as a result not only
was the fire rapid IN the extreme, bat
the volume OF blaze was enormous.
The long tongues of flame literally