The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-02-15
By Fire Which Destroyed
Granite Plant in Montpelier
TOTAL LOSS TODAY $4,000
Jellyman g. Jones, or D. K. Lille, Plant,
One of the Largest in Capital City,
Wiped 0ut--Cause Of the Fire
Has Not Been Determined.

The JellymRn & Jones. better known
as y, X. Lille, granite plant at Mont
pelier, located between Barre street and
the river, was entirely destroyed and a
storehouse of the Deming Hardware
company was slightly damaged by fire
this morning, the total loss being S3s,O00,
with an insurance OF S32,5O0. The Ma.
tional Granite company's plant on the
north and the Mills granite plant on the
south were saved because of heavy
snow blanket on the roofs and through
the hard fight of the Montpelier fire &c.
partment, which took a stand between
the Jellyman d Jones and the National
plant and headed off the flames, which
were blown in the latter's direction.
Thirty.hve men were thrown out of
employment by the fire, and it is not
yet known whether the plant viii be
rebuilt Ii was one of the largest in
Montpelier, 222 feet iu length and IS
in width, being part OF the old Sween-
ey Bros dividend plant and added to
by Mr. Lille to the extent of so feet
in length II was formerly conducted
BY the Lille company and was purchased
last summer by Jellyman q Jones. The
plant was equipped with two derricks,
motors, air-compressing plant and pol
ishingsmil
The cause of the fire has not been
determined; but the flames apparently
started near the middle OF the structure,
where were located the blacksmith shop
and boiler; and in that respect the fire
was very much like that which destroyed
the National plant near BY one night
last year. The latter has since been
rebuilt, and il was in considerable dan
ger a second time last night.
When John Docherty telephoned the
alarm 20 the police station at l.l5 and
the police turned ia general alarm
from box Is, corner Of Main and East
State streets, the flames had encom-
passed the entire building from end to
end and that section OF the city was lit
up like day Passengers on the mid
night train out OF Barre report that they
saw no signs Of fire about the place at
1910, and still later passengers on a
special electric ear into Montpelier re.
port the same, while River street
resident reports that he crossed the
Granite street bridge close bg the Jelly
man & Jones pla.4t, and had hardly more
than reached home when the alarm rang;
vet he, too, saw nothing wrong when
he passed by. Therefore, the cause re-
mains mystery.
But, however started, the fire burned
with vigor, and the flremen could not
prevent the destruction OF the Iellyman
& Jones plant, although they screened
the National plant, located 90 feet away,
so that it WIS saved. A hydrant is
located on Barre street opposite the
scene of the fire, and streams were
turned on from that side and from the
river side OF the structure. the chief
fight being ia the latter part. Other
fiFemen turned to saving property in
the little annex which formed the Of
fee; the safe ges rolled out, papers
and plans were saved and some of the
furniture also. On the other side. mean
while, firemen rolled the stored goods
out Of the warehouse, and nothing was
lost, although the side Of the building
was charred
The fire was under control at 2:30.
During the height of-tthe FIRE, the Gem
trail Vermont train for this city was
held up by the lines Of hose which were
laid across the track, and the passengers
turned out to watch the fight. When
the situation became such that the hose
could be temporarily removed without
danger, the flremen cleared the track
and the train pulled past. There was
one Barre railroad car in the burned
plant, loaded with rough stock, but
neither il nor The stock was much dam
aged
Jellyman & Jones carried S26.500 in
surance through the b. A. Sumner agen-
cy, and D. X Lille has $4,000 more
The latter was conducting a small bust
ness in one part of the plant