The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1912-01-05
Flames which Destroyed the
Garrison Block, for a Time
Menaced the Safety of the
Entire Town.
LOCAL DEPARTMENT
SENT ONE COMPANY
Village Fire Fighters Late in
Getting to Work Owing to
Rebellious Actions of the
Fire Horse.

New Paris. Ohio. was threatened
with total destruction Thursday night
by q blaze which destroyed the frame
building occupied by the Frank Bow.
man grocery, In the north end OF
town. So critical was the situation
that the Richmond fire department
was appealed to for assistance. and
combination hose and chemical wagon,
No. 2, in charge OF Chief Miller. was
sent by order OF Mayor Zimmerman.
When the company arrived. about
10: 30, the building had been complete.
lye destroyed. but the ruins in the
basement were. still blazing fiercely.
and the neighboring houses were still
threatened by the flying sparks. A
part Of the hose OF the chemical wa
gon froze enroute to New Paris, and It
was q few minutes before the trouble
could be remedied and a stream played
on the flames. BY one o'clock the
blaze had been completely extinguish-
cd and the local company then return
ed to Richmond on its special train.
We're We'll Insured.
T. r. Bowman lived above the store
room and all his household goods We,
destroyed Mr.. Barber resided In the
rear OF the grocery and most of his
household goods was saved, bu near.
ly all the stock in his grocery was de.
stroyed. The total loss incurred by
the fire Ia estimated between $4,000
and $1,000. Barber carried about ST.
500 insurance and his stock was val.
ued cbout $4,000. Alfred Garrison.
who owned the building. carried ST.
500 insurance.
The fire Thursday night made the
people OF New Paris keenly realize the
inadeQuacy Of their fire fighting
Equipment. and method of fighting q
70laxe. When the fire was discovered
1t 3 o'clock on the roof In the rear Of
the building. probably starting from
q defective flue, two men dashed to
the center Of town and began ringing
the fire bell with such vigor that the
rope broke. The new fire department
horse. which Is quartered in livery
barn q little distance from where the
antequated bucket wagon Is kept.
strenuously objected to being pressed
into service on such a cold night, and
when he was finally hitched to the
wagon, which two men could have
drawn to the scene Of the fire within
five minutes after the alarm sounded.
the animal bolted. running in the oppo-
site direction from the fire. After q
dash Of about q block he halted and
was finally persuaded to take the wa.
ron to the conflagratiop. BY the
time the bucket wagon arrived the fire
had been In progress twenty minutes.
and the entire top Of the building was
. mass of flames.
Wells Were Frozen.
Two small chemical tanks. with no
hose attached to them. proved almost
useless. and the ice in the wells and
cisterns had to be broken before the
buckets could be brought into use.
Fires started on the roofs of several
nearby buildings. but fortunately the
shingles were 30 wet the flames were
soon extinguished. 1t was thought
for time that the home of Mrs. Beel-
man. adjoining the grocery. would be
burned. and her household goods was
removed.
Despite the protestations Of the
Pennsylvania railroad company Of
its desire to cooperate with the press
In aiding 1t to secure news of impor
tance to the public. two reporters.
one representing Tha Item and the
other The News, who boarded the spe
cial train with the fire comDany on
the invitation OF Chief Miller, were
elected by the conductor at the Rich
mond Junction, u short distance east
Of Glen Miller. despite the fact that
they offered to pay their fares. "Or.
ders from headquarters" the conduc.
tor said. and off they had to go. hik.
ing all the way back to the city. A
Palladium reporter was saved from
. similar fate by accepting an offer to
make the trip in an automobile. One
Of the reporters put off the special
train had both ears painfully frosted.