The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-10-10
Lane Polishing Mill on Burn
hams Meadow Gutted
OTHER PROPERTY DAMAGED
Temporarily Nearly 200 workmen Have
Been Thrown Out of Employment
Cause of Last Evenings Fire Has
Not Been Ascertained.

Nearly two hundred men were tempo
rarily thrown out of employment. sew
eral stonesheds were seriously threat
ened with destruction and the polishing
mill and compressor plant of w. A. Lane
was damaged to the extent of nearly
$4,000 early last evening, when a fire
broke out in the Lane mill on Burn
hams meadow. The principal losers are
! w. A. Lane and the Peerless Granite
Co, the firm name adopted by George
| Jurras, Levi Jurras and Fl. w. Carr. The
| Lane property is well covered by nsur-
ance, and it is understood that the firm
OF Juras Bros. and Carr was fairly well
| protected. The flames seemed to center
around the polishing mill, and it was
there that the greatest damage was
DONE
The entire fire department was called
out at o'clock by general alarm
sounded from box 10 on Granite street
and within five minutes after the an
paratus had assembled in the meadow,
six streams of water were PLAYING on
the blaze. All of 'he sheds in the mead
ow were practically deserted after work
ceased at o'clock. and the origin Of the
fire has not been discovered. The last
OF Mr.. Lanes employees, boy employed
about the compressor room, left the
plant around ) o'clock. and he asserts
that there We're no signs Of fire at that
time. He stated this morning that he
wiped the air compressor Just before
quitting work for the day.
1t is likely that the outburst of flames
in the polishing mill was first seen by,
a woman in the Miles building She tel
ephoned the fire station and notified
Chief Gladding. who with his regulars
started for Burnham's' meadow in the
new auto fire truck. Two streams were
playing on the fire when the general
alarm sounded and the arrival of the
chemical wagon and hook and ladder
truck augmented this number to six. A
few moments after the station had been
warned of the outbreak attaches at the
NJ. & W. freight station noticed the
flames and called up the station by tcle-
phone. A gari"enginr was quickly sent
to the Lane mill and three cars partially
loaded were hauled out of the danger
zone just as the bulk of the fire fighting
force arrived.
The flames having gained strong hold
on the polishing mill and compressor
room at 6 o'clock. it looked as if every
building in the immediate vicinity of the
fire was doomed; but the fremen were
aided by the stiffness of the air, and
the tons of water poured on the burning.
structure soon began to tell. Several
times the roof of the Peerless Granite
Co.'S shed, which skirts the high bank of
Prospect street, took fire, but the fire.
aIy hlo 10 he
lges of the flames AT 6:20 o'clock. the
ire was under control and the danger
If serious eonIhagration was past.
With portion of the hose men direct
ng the water against adjacent build
ngs and the remainder flooding the mill
md compressor room. it was inevitable
hat the progress of the fire would be
ieaded within short time
At 6:35 O'Clock. the all-out signal
ounded and a crowd of several hundred
eople which gathered at the first alarm
egan to disperse. Chief Gladding and
is men remained on the scene for an
our afterwards. and one of the regu-
'rs was left to guard against a second
utbreak. A drizzling rain which set in
oon after the fire broke out continued
uring the evening and effectnally
renched the ruins, as well as the build
lgs adjacent
The polishing mill is thoroughly gut
ed, and a large part of the compressor
pom will have to be rebuilt. The roof
the Peerless Granite Co.'S shed viii
equire considerable patching in places,
nd the north end of the Lane circular
ned suffered somewhat from the near
ess of the flames Both of the ruined
uildngs were constructed of light ma
rial. and the loss to the structures
i'll not be heavy This forenoon Mr..
ane was unable TO determine the ex-
mt of damage to his machinery, but it
known that the air compressor. mo-
,rs and other machinery found in
neral machine shop will have to be
overhauled.
In the mill adjoining were several
ones under the wheels. but it is not
ought that the loss of the stock will
large The Peerless Granite Co. leased
part of the mill. and this firm viii
are in the damage to the interior The
in did general polishing business for
veral firms in the meadow, and the tie
in this department OF the Burnham's
ssdow granite industry will not be
vial
from the Lane pant went power WHICH
n the wheels Of thirteen manufactur-
2 plants in the meadow district. Many
these are small firms. The Peerless
ante Co. and the firm Of Dineeu
os. were obliged Ia suspend business
Is morning. and the proprietors were
t able to say just when operations
,uld be resumed II is likely however,
at arrangements viii be made to Sc
Re power from other sources for the
ne being
The destruction Of the Lane mill il
second time N the history OF the
siness that such = disaster has oc-
red. Back in the winter Of 1891. he
ce was Quilted. and there has been
least one smaller FIRE in the vicinity
&c that time. Mr.. Lane stated this
rning that he would undoubtedly re-
ld. Within a few days. Insurance
pectors win complete their work and
damages 70 tire Lane property ard
rounding buildings viii be definitely
rned
kept for the determined feht which
5 waged from the first il i probable