The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-03-04

4flHd#iHF the <, q. Robinson agency OF
! this City.
One fireman, r. D. Carpenter, of the
city department, who, with eight 9TH
ers responded to the call for assistance,
was struck in the back by falling
chimney and sustained fracture OF
ohe shoulder blade Mahlon White, an
other Barre fireman, who was holding
hose with Carpenter, had narrow es-
cape from serious injury, and Ralph
Ninal. an East Barre man, was badly
bruised on one leg by the same falling
chimney and others fled Just in time.
Fireman Carpenter was brought to this
city by ambulance, and Dr. J. w. Stew
/ art was called to attend him.
| The cause Of the fire was from
/ chimney burning out The flames were
4 first seen shooting through the roof oil
! the machinery room and had made rap
/ III progress when the East Barre fire
| department answered the alarm. There
are two hydrants located near, and the
| hose was attached TO the nearest, only
to find it dead" Hastily trying the
next nearest. the fremen found that.
| too, to he frozen. Then the firemen
| had TO go back 500 feet to Bianehi street
for a try at the next nearest hydrant;
and this they found to be in shape.
Meanwhile aid had been summoned
| from this citv and nine fremen, carry
! ing extinguishers, were sent the four
miles at fast rate, they arriving at
| East Barre soon after the firemen there
had secured stream from the third
| hydrant tried. There is good pressure
on the East Barre water system, and
the single stream did effective work i'll
saving surrounding property; but the
u. b. L. plant was already too far
gene. the roof-having fallen in and the
flames having passed to the office build
ing a separate structure near the iron
bridge over Jail branch. 1t was while
they We're fighting the fire at this point
that the firemcn were hurt. The chim-
ney was seen to be tottering and the
warning was given, but too late for
all Of the firemen to get out of the
way Some of the bricks struck few
Of them. including Carpenter of the
Barre department.
The nature of the construction of the
office building was such that it assisted
the firemen greatly and enabled them
to keep the flames from jumping the
street to c. c. Robes store, 40 feet
away, Cutters harness shop, 80 feet
away, Crowley's store and Hutchins'
place The flames, although running the
Office building, did not shoot ont as they
had done in the stoneshed and thus
the several other structures in close
proximity were in less danger, although
the owners were very apprehensive at
one time.
The fire burned itself out in the d. B.
L. plant. both the stoneshed and the
Office being laid fiat. Aside from the
direct loss to the owners of the prop
erty. the destruction throws 25 men out
Of employment and deprives East Barre
of its chief industry. The granite bus
mess there has been gradually dwindling
in recent years until there remained
only the D. B. L. firm, the World com
pany and the Lucia Granite Co. These
latter two were considerably smaller
than the D. B. L. plant, so that East
Barres granite industry is sliced by
one half The burned out firm does not
know vet whether it will rebuild and
the statement was made to-day that
it might move to Barre.
The members of the firm are w. D.
Mcdonald A. NJ Larochelle, G. " Cas-
savant and J.. Camire Mr.. Mcdonald
says that they had good lot of spring
orders ahead, and the prospects were
very good. There was considerable
granite inside the plant, part of which
was finished work about ready for ship
lnent The plant was in part the old
Carnes sawmlll, but recently, additions
had been made so that it was consid-
cred good modern stoneshed. 1t was
Of the straight type and well equipped.
The name d. B. L. came from the first
il itials of former firm, Desilets, Boui-
rice and Larochelle.
The $1,000 insurance was in blanket
policy and is said to have been evenly
distributed among the Vermont Mutual.
The Burlington Mutual, the Home Insur-
lncc Co, the Royal Insurance Co. and
he London-Lancashie Co., the last two
lf Liverpool.