Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-05-05
HINSDALE, N. H.
AshueIOt Paper company's Large
New Mill Burned
Be Rebuilt at once-Loss May Be
$50. 0oo-Was insured.

Had Been Running About 10 Days-Wlll
BE Rebuilt at once-Loss May Be
$5o.ooo-Was Insured.
Three fire alarms have followed each
other in quick succession this week The
first was at 100 o'clock Monday after
noon, for a fire I'm Mr.. Streeter's hen
house on Brattleboro street. The fire
caught from ashes which we're stored
there
The second call was at Las Tuesday
morning for a fire In the Ashuelot Paper
company's new mill located about half
way between the villages of Hinsdale and
Ashuelot, but within the town of Win
chester. About l o'clock the night force
discovered a fire on the third floor of the
new building. The blaze had already
gained such Roadway that all efforts of
the few men there to check the flames
were of no avail. There was no means of
conveyance and James King, the fireman,
was obliged to come to the village on
foot to give the alarm.
The fire department responded quickly,
but the best they had to offer was hand
engine, the village system being con-
nected with the pumps at the several
factories Very soon after the engine
was there the flames were confined to the
three story structure. and il was probably
due to the efficient and prompt work of
the Hlnsdale fire department that the
machine ROOM with its new and costly
machinery, was saved. Later a hand
engine from Ashuelot and a steamer from
Winchester arrived on the scene and did
good service. The mill was a three story
brick structure, with a one story ell for
machine and boiler rooms. The COM
pany had been making paper about 10
days, although the building was not COM
pleted The pumps and engines were
on the first floor, on the second floor was
the beater room, and on the third floor,
where the fire broke out, were the office,
stock room, and rag cutting machines.
1t is not known what caused the fire,
possibly spontaneous combustion, or it
may have been started from an electric
wire
The loss has been estimated as high as
s5O,000 and the property was well insured.
1t is rumored that the insurance company
are to put the building into the same
condition as before the fire. The flames
made quick work, as by o'clock the
main part of the building was a blacken-
ed. smoking ruin. The factory was equip
ped with steam pump for fighting fire
and with sprinkling apparatus, but the
water connections had not been made
with either safeguard Owing to this
the insurance was of the class known as
builders insurance
The people had not ceased to discuss
this fire. when at s.45 Wednesday morn
ing the third alarm was sounded, when IL
was found that w. b. Spencer's house on
the Chesterfield road was on fire. Mrs.
Helen Spencer, a relative of the family
who was with them, discovered the fire,
which had caught from a defective chin
ney. Mrs. Spencer endeavored to check
the flames, but finding they were beyond
her control the alarm was given Only
Mr.. and Mrs. Spencer, who are aged, were
at home, the son and his wife having
gone to the pasture a short time before
the fire was discovered.
Here again the fire department did
efficient service, combining the flames to
the main part of the house and quickly
getting II under control. The furniture
was nearly all taken out of the house.
with very little damage to it. The roof
of the main part was burned and the
chambers ruined, also much damage re-
suited from smoke and water to the lower
part Only one room remained inhabit-
able, the kitchen, which was in the ell.
The house was insured. but the damage
is not adjusted at this writing. The elder
Mrs. Spencer, who is In very feeble
health, was taken to a neighbours during
the fire. and later to the home of her son,
Samuel Smith, where she is staying.