Putnam patriot., 1912-11-29
VOL. XII

A fire, which for a time threatened
whole section of the city and which
left terror, restitution, suffering, and
a great loss of property in its wake, oc-
CURED in this eityllast Thursday night.
The fire was the worst confiagr alton
that Putnam has ever suffered and was
without doubt due to'the activities of
some fire fiend who had been seeking
TO destroy property in the city for the
past three weeks. Heretofore he had
been but slightly successful but on
this occasion his fiendish desire was
fully gratitied and his persistent efforts
rewarded. Ten families were render.
ed homeless and the loss entaied will
approximate $4,000. A great part of
this amount is total loss as little in
surance was carried by the pro perty
owners.
The fire started in shed connected
with the plant of the Wheaton Build
ing q Lumber Company. The first ar
rivals saw small fire beneath pile
of lumber. As the flames licked it it
spread instantaneously causing the
belief that the wood was saturated
with oil or other combustible sub
stance. just who discovered the fire
is not known. Mr.. +. NJ. Wheaton
went over the entire building an hour
before the fire broke out and found
everything all right. William Man.
son, an employe, was in the building
al the time and remained after Mr..
Wheaton left. Manson saw a light
outside and going out discovered the
blaze In its infancy. Some ladies, who
had been making a call on Grand
View came by and saw what to them
looked like papers burning and they
hurried to give the alarm but it rung
III as they were on their way. Some
of those who first arrived stated Fri
day night that so small was the pro-
portions of the fire when they first saw
ii that they believed that had not their
way to the spot been barred by fence
they might by tipping over the small
pile of lumber where it started been
able TO have it put out. Officer Cor
der rang in the alarm when breath
less boy ran up to him shouting,
f'Wheaton's shops atire. .
The alarm was rung in from Box Al
and was followed by alarm after
alarm, including Box %, until not
only the whole fire fighting force OF
the city but nearly all OF the cltlzens
were soon upon the scene. Several /
streams were put on and stream afteT
stream added until the water pressure
was overtaxed and some of the streams
were exceedingly small. Inc IRE
rapidly gained Roadway as it fed upon
the dry material all about. Inc IRE
was at first out of the zone OF the auto
matte sprinklers with which the pant
was equipped so that they were OF no
avail. In fact they really proved
detriment for four-inch pipe that led
the sprinklers was pouring forth
stream for some time which weakened
the hose pressure. A roaring furnace
famed by high wind made the IRE
mems work doubly difficult and IL was
only by the bravest, untiring efforts
that the flames were kept within the
area they were. Time and again near
by buildings caught and the hremeh
had 10 draw away momentarlly iIoii
the main fire to prevent its spread 10
other buildings. Telephone and eiee-
trie light poles also caught IRE. Inc
electric lighting lservice was smut Oh
for time and the city plunged IN
darkness while the telegraph wires on
the railroad came down in tangled
mass when poles burned.
The wind blew towards the hofth
and soon dwelling houses north OF the
Wheaton buildings caught flre one
after the other. In the meantime
many willing hands removed much OIL
the household furniture from these
houses. Two women who had been
confined within three days, Win theif
newborn babes, were removed 10 Tue
house OF a neighbor. Personal proper
ty was also rescued from the hall occu-
= lie and
pied by Putnam Nest OF Owls anu
the G.. A. r. hall and also from the
store of Z. I'll. Payne. A brick oioch
just to the north of the main building
of ,the Wheaton plant served as
shield of the flames for long time ana
was a great help in saving one house,
which if it had burned as others near
by did it seems impossible that the oia
Fisher shoe shop building could nave
been saved. If this building had
burned there is no telling where the
fire would have stopped. Ii did eaten
several times but the firemen watched
it carefully and poured streams OF
water on it SO that the slight oia@es
were extinguished.
Early in the fire it was seen that the
sheds of the Putnam Coal 4 WOOD
Company were afiame. The bins con-
tanned some 5000 worth of coal. A
spur track, which cost $1,000 to bulld,
was soon destroyed. The building OF
Mrs. Julia NJ. cole was also soon In