The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-03-27
When Firenen Were Able to
Penetrate Where Blaze Was
$1,000 LOSS ON MERCHANT ST.
Four Tenement House At the Corner OF
Summer Street Sheltered Brisk
Blaze When Firemen Ar
rived After Quick Run.

The large four-tenement house at the
corner of Merchant and Summer streets
belonging to John A. Congdon, and the
household effects Of four families, in
| cluding the goods of the owner, were in
| imminent danger of destruction by fire
this forenoon, when a stubborn fire broke
out in the basement of the structure.
The fire endangered property probably
valued at $1,000 and entailed loss of
81 900, divided into personal property
loss OF $500 and the remainder in build
ing loss. The losers are John A. Cong
don. loss on house and household effects; /;
Thomas Abaire, household effects; r..
Mondini, household effects, and j. r.
Trombly, household effects. Mr.. Cong
don places the damage on his building at
$500. with loss of $3.50 on furniture
Mr.. Mondini's loss is placed at $50 while
the losses sustained by Mr. Trombly and
Mr.. Abaire are also small With the
exception OF Mr.. Trombly, all of the
principals are provided with insurance
to cover their losses.
II was shortly after l0:30 when Mrs
Mondini, who lives on the Summer street
side of the first floor, discovered columns
Of smoke issuing from the cellar. She
notified the other occupants of the house,
and William Congdon rang in an alarm
from box IL. 1t is said that the chemi-
cal truck and the hook and ladder truck
never made faster time in going TO a hre
From the first the department was faced
with one of the most complex situa-
tions in months. As an investigation
afterwards revealed, the basement Of the
building was choked TO the ground floor
with boxes, barrel slaves and other in
tlammable material. The flames hal
made considerable Of headway in this
section before the fremen arrived, and
entrance was impossible for several mo
ments after the department equipment
had been assembled at the scene.
Windows were broken to aid in the
work OF reaching the flames and when
the structure was finally ventilated the
iiremen were able to make some progress
toward subduing the flames. The fire
was confined for the most part to the
basement and the partitions, while the
loss on the first floor was largely due
to smoke and water. At no time did
the flames break through the exterior
OF the building When it became eyi-
from the attic to quench the flames
that were mounting up through the par
ttons, the flremen were again confront.
ed at the entrance to the attic by
small room crammed TO the door with
boxes and other loose material Closets
on the second floor were also filled with
the same miscellaneous collection OF pa
per and wooden boxes, etc
At ll:l0 o'clock. the fire was under
control and twenty minutes later the
danger of a second outbreak was past.
The kinding- like material that offered
itself to the flames in many quarters
produced a dense smoke that could not
be penetrated. and the firemen were
handicapped in this respect. Several
of the department men We're left at the
house for a few hours after the out
break. but the chemical apparatus and
ladder truck returned TO the station at
noon.
The origin of the fire cannot be ex.
plained The section of the basement
where ii started had no furnace nor was
it connected by pipes with any stove
or furnace that could originate fire
bv contact. The contents of the place
very plainly invited fire. Persons who
inspected the upper rooms and the base
ment after the blaze had been smothered
and the smoke had subsided believed |
hat the firemen had performed well IN
heading the flames as they did.
The chemical engine was called to the
same house again this afternoon at l:30
o'clock to subdue an outbreak in the |
Trombly part of the house, the flames
having worked up through the partitions.
Mr.. Trombly was using garden hose
on the flames, and that was supple |
mented by the chemical apparatus, which
soon doused the fire.