Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1905-04-06
A FIERY DAY.
Two Alarms, the Latter Serious
Conflagration.

SOnIid9fdttOn.
Last Saturday, April Ist, this village had
two fire alarms. The first was sounded at
9:12 a. m. and gave warning of a fire
caused by the burning out of the chimney
in the block Of J. q. Sargent. high
wind was blowing all day and the sparks
were carried to the dry shingle roof, set
ting a blaze in several different spots.
which were being rapidly famed by the
wind into brisk fires. Again the little fire
extinguishers in the hands OF g. H. Tup-
per and Others proved their great value
and the fires were extinguished in a few
minutes without the use of the hose sys-
TEN. The damage done was slight, the
uncertain factor being the amount of
damage done to the metal roof by the
chemicals used in the fire extinguishers.
AT 1:13 p, m. the fire alarm again
sounded, this time for the barn of William
e. Shaw on the Albert Marsh premises on
North Main street. The wind was now
blowing with great vigor, and it was soon
seen that the adjoining buildings must 90
Some effort was made to save household
goods, but the sweep OF the flames was so
rapid that very little was saved. Mr.
Shaw had thirty by forty foot barn, with
silo and additions.
Adjoining were several hundred cords OF
pulp wood, owned by the international
Paper Co. and the Tisdale company Of |
Keesyille, n. Y. Next were the dwelling |
and barn of William II. Smith and then |
the dwelling and barn of Louis II. Whit |
ney. The above property was SO closely |
located that there was no chance to fight /
the flames.
At the first alarm, the wind was blowing
almost directly south, so as to endanger
the dwelling OF Mrs. Myron Burnett, stu
ated about thirty feet south of the Whit
ney premises. Soon after, the wind
seemed to take turn and blow more
towards the east, putting in danger the
dwelling and barns of George f. whitney
and James Manix. By strenuous efforts
of large crowd of people the property of
Mrs. Burnett and Messrs. Manix and
Whitney was saved. 1t was only by the
Utmost diligence that the fire was halted
mere.
The wind carried the sparks and burn 1
ng brands in clouds in wide swath, set
ing fire to these buildings in probably
lot less than fifty different spots, but the
numerous watchers soon put the fires out.
The sparks were also carried in the air ,
nd deposited on the buildings further
outh and every man had to watch his
property.
The insurance was all carried through 4
he agency OF Guy Wilson, and was as fol- 4
Dws-
William G. Shaw, Union Mutual. $500 b
n barn, 200 on produce and 800 on tools, 2
'agons, etc, in all $500. n
William II. Smith, S40O in Boston Insur- ]
nee Co., $3.50 of it being on buildings and n
100 on household furniture.
l.. II. Whitney, $500 in the Continental
Insurance Co., 500 being on the buildings
nd 1900 on household furniture. II
There is not much doubt as to the cause \
the fire. il IS reported that a freight
ain passed, going north, about 1890. A q
w minutes later it was seen that the =.
rass was afire in the rear OF the slaughter "
ouse of NJ. N. Kendall. w. II. Smith *,
nd several members of the Whitney fam ~
y went to fight this grass fire and after 1.
W minutes work thought they had il ~
aarly under control, when they glanced ~,
lck and saw the barn OF MIR. Shaw on =.
r.. The wind was blowing at a swift =.
te IN direction towards the barn and ~
ere does not seem room for any reason -
lie doubt that sparks were carried the ~
tervening distance of about 200 feet. ~