The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-04-18
saw BIG FIRE.
Prentice Towsley, Goddard Boy, Joined
the Fire Fighters.

the Fire Fighters.
Prentice w Towsley, son Of Rev. Ir-
wing Towsley Of Washington, and grad
uate Of Goddard seminary, 1900, now in
Tufts college, had a hrst,hand view of
the great Chelsea, Mass, fire and what
he writes below III letter to his father
is very interesting.
4 suppose you have heard all about
the fire, but ! will give you my version
OF it:
1t must have broken out somewhere
about 10 a. m, Sunday, though didn't
hear anything about it until dinner. 2
o'clock. We didn't imagine that there
was much Of fire; but the smoke
looked rather tempting, 50 with twO 9TH
ers, l went over. We got OF at City
Squarein Charlestown-- walked
past the navy yard and over the long
bridge, into Chelsea.
I'VE came upon the fire lIgst at Cne-
sea Square, but some marines were keep
ing the crowd back and we had to look
on from a distance. But after a little
we went down side strea., climbed over
a high board fence in backyard AMI
came upon another portion OF the FIRE;
little in advance OF it. II was
residence district and the ire went from
house to house very quickly AS it ap,
preached, we were driven off again.
Nextetime we came to street which
the fire was just getting at. There were
no fire-engines in sight; nor any marines.
The people were either moving out or
had Just done so. Some OF them couldn't
get teams to lug away their stuff So
it was left in the yards or even out in
the streets We looked into the kitchen
windows Of small deserted house. w.
could see through the opposite window
into the backyard. which was like a
seething furnace. The flames were lap
ping at the window frame, which gave
way while we looked, and the fire rushed
into the house. 1t seemed so strange
and pitiful to see house after house
catch fire and burn up with nobody egen
trying to stop 1t.
I'VE then went farther down the
street, where they were Just coming
with the hose Hemmcnway and / helped
to carry up the hose and hold IL, but II
leaked SO badly that they had to stop
and replace a length of ii. There was
piano in the street and the water was
running all around 1t. So we got some
more to help mp and carried ii across the
street. There we had another chance TO
rescue a piano, which we did.
just then cat without q bit of fur
on it. came running past.
stkNn MANI fstff hns. drx+., Aha et@nnt orI
came to the wharves. Ahead, two big
oil-tanks had taken fire and were send
ing up black, black smoke, $50 feet to
300 feet high Once IN while a big
ball Of flame burning CASA hundred
feet in diameter would rise slowly to
a great height.
ION one corner there was fire en-
CINE, squirting feeble stream at 4
place where it could do no possible good.
Nearby barn had Just started to burn
There was tall ladder leaning against
it. 80 / went up on the roof 10 see how
things were getting along. was at the
top OF the ladder looking down into d
sort Of skylight, when heard some men
down below call out, Turn on the wa
terl1 ] looked down and saw that they
had that hose pointed straight at me and
the fire engine had steam mp ready to
let her 90. You can bet slid down
that ladder in short order BY the time
! reached the ground they had begun to
soak the top Of the ladder.
HEMINGWAY and | helped to carry
around the hose 4 while until we got
Dur eyes full Of smoke and cinders. Then
we found that we had lost Getchell.
.sWe went out on The wharf, where
there was an old submarine boat locked
on the pier and got drink Of water in
a tug-boat.
IL got back TO the college ut 7s45-
One Of the fellows took three einders
out OF my eyes, so that 1 could see
something They had begun to hurt me
i good deal | must have looked swell,
,n the car coming home; all covered with
SCOT and trying to see with one eye
The chef had a good feed on the kitchen
table-you know we don't have any
tegular supper Sunday nights.
After supper a lot OF us went up on
he reservoir and watched the fire for
while
~This afternoon Monday went over
o see what was left Of things There
vas a soldier every fifty feet to keep
he crowd out but we managed to get
through the line in one place and walked
he whole length Of Main street There
vas nothing lint rlline on all sides -