Putnam patriot., 1912-11-29

flame which covered the entire area
where the fire was finally confined.
The fire had now eaten its way to
the front of all the buildings. Soon
roofs began to fall and the intense heat
drove the tiremen and onlookers far
ther and farther back. lmprovised
shields were used by the fire-tighters
to allow them to get near enough to
play on the flame. With scarcely any
water pressure valiant band of men
were struggling with the flames to the
northward where the shoe shop build
ing was constantly threatened. ltwas
early seen that Corbin street was the
| dead line beyond which the flame was
not to be allowed to spread al any sac
| ritice and it was at this line that the
most gallant fight under trying diff
| culties that was ever seen here was
made. Had the shoe shop gone all of
west side of School street was doomed.
This was the thing the tiremen set out
to prevent and they did it and it is for
this that they are now receiving the
! highest commentator.
The brick building that for long
/ time stood as Gibralta in the midst
of the terrific heat aiding the firemen
/ in combining the flames soon gave up
and began to crumble and fall to pieces
! like papiermache. This caused an eX-
ira effort on the part of the men to
keep the flames within the dead line
but they succeeded in doing it and not
long afterward it was easily seen that
the fire was under control.
II was early seen that the depart
ment had big job on its hands and
one that it would not be wise TO take
any chances with. Help was there
| fore summoned from Danielson and
Webster and both responded. A spe-
cial train was run TO Danielson and
brought back two pieces of ap paratus.
| Webster department came overland in
their auto truck. There WAS plenty of
work for all.
Just before midnight an alarm was
rung in from Box % which is located
near Prentice's ice house. The house
of George l.. Prentice was on fire. His
two tenement house and a cottage in
the rear were soon burned to the
ground. The house of his son, Harry
+ Prentice, was Quilted. The fire was
caused from sparks from the big fire.
AT O'Clock in the morning Mr.. Prem
tice told the newspaper men that he
was awakened little after IL O'Clock
by some one who told him the roof of
his house was atire. He got up and
taking his bedclothes with him went
ont into the yard. He was powerless
TO fight the fire. There was no one
about as everybody was at the big fire.
When a company of tiremen finally
arrived it was too late, as far as his
houses were concerned, and their at
tention was given to saving the sur
rounding buildings. The Webster de-
partment stopped here when they first
arrived. Rumors of other fires in va
rious parts of the city were current
and people stood about in awe wonder
ing where it was all to end. These
rumors, however, proved groundless
although people for mile northward
of the big fire were guarding their
property as large firebrands were fall
ling setting fire to front lawns ar d
roofs but these were all eXtinguished
without damage.
ON the west side of the fire the rail-
road men were hghting to save rail-
road property. When the fire first
broke out an engine whistle was blown.
station Agent Baldwin was sitting
down to little lunch at his home. He
heard the distress signal and ran down
town. He was soon in touch with Su-
perintendent ElweIl who told MIN to
use any of the company's engines or
ears as he saw fit. An engine backed
on to siding near the fire and pulled
off number of cars. SO intense was
the heat that the paint on the side OF
the engine peeled completely off. En-
gines were kept in readiness at Will
mantle Webster and Franklin. Traffic
was held up and if help had been
needed from either of these places
ouiek run could have been made over
a clear right of way. Danielson was
the only place from which apparatus
was brought by train. The railroad
men used their own equipment and
nlayed upon the ROOF of the freight
house and other buildings which were
seorched and would have been atire in
no time but for this work. After the
buildings were out of danger the men
turned to, and helped on the big fire.
IL was nearly o'clock before the citi-
zens began to wend their way home
ward.
Those who suffered by The fire were
the following: The Wheaton Building
4 Lumber Company, estimated loss
S75. 600 only lightly insured. 1t Is un-
derstood that some $4,000 or more Of
insurance had recently been allowed to
Lapse. Putnam Coal q Wood Compa
nv. estimated loss from $4,000 TO szO,-
600. partly insured. W. ID. Case, slip
per manufacturer, estimated loss 5000
with about half covered by insurance.
southern New England Telephone