The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-02-08
Village Of Chelsea Had a Big
Blaze Saturday Afternoon
TWO PLACES BURNED OUT
Several Other Buildings Caught Fire, But
Were Saved After Great Effort
Three Rifles in Burning House
Were Dischdrged.


residences Of Gilman Sanborn and Pcrley
w. Rogers and scorched several buildings
in the vicinity late Saturday afternoon,
and IL was only by the most strenuous
efforts that great amount Of loss was
avoided. There were many exciting in
cidents in connection with the fighting
of the fire.
The flames broke out in Mr.. Sanborn's
house, being discovered at about three
o'clock and having started from an over
heated stovepipe. When he discovered
the fire he thought he could extingiish
it with water, unaided, and went TO work
without giving the alarm; but in a very
few minutes the smoke commenced to
escape through the roof George A.
Tracy and w. H. Sprague were passing,
and noticing the smoke, stopped to in
vestigate and at once saw that the house
was on fire and that the fire had ad-
vanced to the stage where a hard fight
was apparent If the house were TO be
saved.
The alarm was Immediately given and
in few moments help was coming from
all directions with fire extinguishers, but
the fire had gained such headway and
the wind was blowing such gale that
the extinguishers were not equal To the
emergency. As soon as it was apparent
that the Sanborn house could not be
saved, those who had extinguishers turn
cd their attention to the house and barn
of Perley w. Rogers, which stood within
ten feet OF the Sanborn house, hoping to
keep the fire from getting beyond control
on the Rogers property until the fire com
pany could get the engine into action,
while the rest of the help took from
the Sanborn house what furniture they
could get out; nothing, however, was
saved from the cellar or the chambers.
After the engine arrived on the scene
and the hose was attached, the work was
delayed for about ten minutes by reason
OF one 30-foot length Of the hose being
frozen. This had to be taken out and
replaced, after which, although the en-
gias had not been used for nearly three
years, 1t worked to perfection; but the
fire had made such headway on the Rog-
ers house and barn that it was impossible
to save them, and the attention OF the
firemen was directed to the saving Of
Milo Towner's house, which stood only
about twenty feet from the Rogers build
ings. The Towner house caught fire three
times, as did also the barn Of Amos b.
Wright, which stands across the street
from the property that burned; the fire
being conveyed by sparks and cinders,
and as many times was the fire extin-
guished
Had the engihe failed to work, as
many predicted that it would on account
OF its not having been used for SO long
time, the buildings of Mr. Towner,
Eugene FL, Kennedy, Charles w. Bacon
and Mrs Laura Berry would have been
devourad BY the angry flames, and thus
the whole street above the Sanborn house
would have been burned. Never in the
history of the village mas there been
worse fire to fight, nor under more un.
favorable conditions, but the engine
worked like charm and saved from de-
struction four sets OF buildings. and if it |
could have been on the scene and in
action few moment earlier the Rogers
buildings might have been saved also. |
Much praise is due especially to all who
worked the engine and those who han
died the hose.
Only about half of the furniture and
family stores were saved from the Rog.
ers aiouse. Mrs. Emily Sanborn, who
lived with her SOB Gilman and who is in |
her 85th year, was carried to the home
of her daughter. Mrs Calista Lucas, and |
the family Of Mr. Rogers was cared for
at the home of Charles WI Bacon. Mr. |
Eanborn was insured for about $500 and I
Mr.. Rogers carried only about $500, the
Insurance being in the Montpelier com
panies.
Among some Of the singular incidents
of the fire was that no one was injured /
BY the discharge OF three loaded rifles l
which were in the Rogers house, the re-
ports Of which were very loud and dis
rinet. That no one was injured is ac-
counted for by the fact that the rifles
were All standing up in corner instead
of being suspended on the walls or lying
on . shelf
After the Sanborn house had fallen
In, MIR. Sanborn remembered that he had
not thought of his pocketbook. which
contained about $50 and which he kept
In little tobacco box on a shelf. While
he was lamenting the destruction OF
his money as we'll as his home. someone
discovered the box which contained his /
pocketbool, among the things which
we're dumped out on the snow, and
delivered it TO him, box, book, money
and all
This is the first fire Of any consequence
that has occurred in the village since
the fire which destroyed the old Union
block. which occupied the site on which
the bank block now stands. seventeen
years ago.