The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-02-05
Early Morning Blaze in the
North End Of City
THE LOSS IS WELL INSURED
Italian Proprietors Had Kerosene Heat
er Burning to Keep Fruit from
Chilling, and Fire May Have
Started from That.

Fast and efficient work aud the use OF
plenty Of water saved the two-story
wooden building at 4l0 North Main
street from total destruction by fire
early this morning. The building IN
owned by the Gordon Durkee estate and
the north end was occupied as grocery
store by Almini & Belli, and their sleep
ing apartments were over the store,
while the south end of the building was
occupied by Enrico Rulfo. The total
loss is $500.
An alarm from box l3 at 1885 called
the department out, and as soon as the
chemical reached City square the fremen
could see the blaze, which was flaming
well out into the street. The chemical
made a good run and the firemen soon
had two streams of water playing on
the fire, and within few seconds these
were followed by third. The deluge
of water proved too much for the flames,
and the fire was under control within 10
minutes and few minutes later the
recall was sounded.
The principal damage Is to the north
end Of the building and the stock Of
Almini & Belli. That end of the
building was completely gutted from
basement to roof and the stock appears
almost total loss. The damage to the
south end was confined principally to
flooding with water, although the flames
broke through in places. The loss on
the building is covered by insurance in
the J. w. Dillon agency.
The fire is supposed to have caught in
the front part OF the grocery store, as
there was kerosene heater left burning
theere to keep the fruit in the store from
chilling The fire was discovered by
Robert Imlah and Samuel Kingston, who
were on their way home when they dis
covered the blaze and rang the alarm.
The amount of water used was so large
that the street was almost flooded and
the electric car tracks were filed up,
necessitating the calling of men from the
car-barn with the sweeper to keep the
ice and water clear to make the tracks
passable this morning.
Almini & Bell saved what cash they
had in the store, and the firms books
were also saved There were several
lodgers over the store, including the pro-
prietors, and they saved most of their
effects. One man was rushing about in
excitement while the fire was burning
iercely and said that he had left his
money in his room. Officer Gamble went
to the room with him. and there, sure
enough, was about 5000 in paper money
floating about in the water beside the
bed. which was ablaze.
Louis Almini and Romeo Belli, the
of the store. and Charles Oh
giati, clerk, were asleep in the rooms
over the store when the fire broke out
Olgiat was the first to be awakened
and he was nearly sufocated by the
smoke when he awoke. He became ex-
cited and after going to the rooms Of Al
min and BeIli and calling them, he ran
to the home Of ]. ID. 0.ssoEa in his bare
feet, not daring to stay long enough
to get sufficient clothing to dress com
pletely,
Rushing into Mr.. Ossola's huose, he
cried that Almini and Balli were burned
to death and that he had barely escaped
with his life lit was not quite so serious
as this, but both Almini and Belh did
Jump out of back window, as the stair
way was abaze when they started to
do down. In the hurry Of their escape
from the burning building neither Almini
or Belli stopped for any of their effects,
and cash and iewelry We're left.
After the fire was partly under control
Alnini thought of the valuables that
he had left in his room and 0fiicer Harry
Gamble went up with him and there they
found considerable sum of paper mon
" floating in the water beside the bed,
which was still burning. This and the
firms books were taken out. Belli cut
his hand so badly on the glass of the
window through which he jumped that
Il was necessary to cal doctor to
lress the wound
Almini & Belli's stock is insured for
81. 900, $1,000 in the Granite Mutual,
Il 900 in the Phoenix OF New York, and
81 600 in the German OF New York.