The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-04-08

Clover and timothy hay in
loft $21o.
Blankets, Veterinary ana
3 other tools S14O.
Damage to Lemert's resi-
dence $500.
Loss of wood shed and con-
s tents $500.
Damage to Borton building,
Detwiler residence, Telephone
3 wires ETC., $15O. Total $4s50.
Total amount of insurance
$4,000.
4 fire which broke out al $50 O.
clock Monday morning entirely de
stnoyed rhe livery barn OF I. 5. Lem
ert, the largest in the city, set fire 10
his residence which was adjacent to
the barn. burned wood shed in the
rear OF the residence TO the ground,
fired the large frame building belong
ing TO the Borton institute, and set
fire to the residence OF VIM Detwii.
er, who resides across the river, caus-
ing a total loss estimated at S4S50.
Over this the total amount of insur-
apce carried by Mr.. Lemert was 81,
600, leaving total loss 20 that gen
tleman Of over S25OG.
Delay at Water Works
\ delay OF about twelve minutes az
the water works, probably caused the
sacrifice OF the entire livery barn,
part OF which might have been saved
il sufficient pressure had been avail
able when the fire department reach
ed the FIRE on east Washington street
The department reached the fire less
than five minutes after he alarm was
later until the water works plant had
knowledge OF fire, and put on ad
dstional pressure. When the nre
whistle was finally blown, there was
hardly enough head of steam to oper-
ate the whistle. The condition at the
water works plant is described as fol-
lows by night engineer J. ]. Wind
bigler Il left the plant at Monday
morning, as it S then when my duty
ends John Leonard, who is the reg
ular day engineer, is Ill, and his po-
sition is being filled by Sim Wilson,
who is an experienced engineer The
wind was blowing strongly from the
south when the fire broke out. max
ing it impossible for the engineer TO
hear the bell in the FIRE engine house
when it was rung The first word Of
the fire was received at the plant
when a messenger from Chief F. II.
Kuhn arrived on a BICYCLE and told
the engineer In less than a minute
an extra head OF pressure was put
through the mains.
The engineer at the water works
plant is not expected to receive news
of fire by listening for the bell. bu;
should be informed by telephone
When the fire department. arrived at
the fire and found very low pres
sure in the mains, an attempt was
made 10 phone to the plant, but it
was impossible for the department to
get central A beautiful example OF
the efficiency of the telephone and
FIRE protection systems of a city of
almost 5000. However Mr. Lemer.
is the loser, and is almost disheart-
ened by the fire, which he says :
the loss OF property accumulated by
fifteen years OF hard work.
Will Build New Barn.
Mr.. Lemert said Monday that
he would rebuild his barn, as he did
not believe that he would give UP his
business. He IS not engaged in the
livery business, but deals in the pur-
chase and sale of large punches of
horses. He recently held a sale at
his barn, when over sixty head of
horses were sold At present Mr..
Lemert has nine head of horses,
which were in the barn. when the FIRE
broke out. These were all saved,
but had to be whipped to be driven
from the burning barn The harness
was also saved.
Fire Caught From Flue.
The fire caught. from a defective
flue, which ignited the hay in the loft.
The fire was first noticed by Mr..
Lemert, who had just left the barn
for his residence for breakfast. A re-
fection of the blaze was seen in the
windows of his home. Mr.. Lemert
had built a fire IN the stove in tn:
Office, for the purpose of heating wat
er TO be used in cleaning harness. A
hostler, Robert Watson, was hitch
ing horse to a mail wagon, when
Mr.. Lemert came running back into
the barn. shouting. Get the horses
out, the barn is on fire." Both men
ran back into the stalls where the
horses were hstched, and one at a
time, drove the frightened animals
TO safety. Mr. Lemert then rushed
into the office and seized the harness
which was hanging there. While he
was in the office, the flames burst
through the ceiling, and dropped
into papers on the Office floor. '.In a
second" said Mr. Lemert, the whole
building was ablaze, the doors were
all open. forming draught which
swept the flames through the entire