The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-08-22
THREATENING
BARN FIRE ON
MERCHANT ST.
N. M. Nelson Sustained Loss of $500
Late Yesterday and His Residence
Was in Danger of Destruction.

Late Yesterday and His Residence
Was in Danger of Destruction.
William Bingham, teamster, went
into n. NJ. Nelson's big horse and car
riage barn at the rear of 20 Merchant
street yesterday afternoon near o'clock
to put up his horses for the night.
While haltering his charges in their
managers, he became aware of pun
gent odor that hung heavily over his
head 1t was smoke and Mr. Bingham's
! hurried effort to extinguish a blazig
bundle of hay which he carried to the
middle of the floor was only little
chapter i'm a fire which spread to the
barn of d. NJ. Miles, communicated to
the house of Mr.. Nelson and to Herbert
Cheney's residence across the way on
Summer street, and caused total loss
of 5000 most of which is covered by in
surance.
Six tons of hay stored in the Nelson
haybarn were destroyed and the loss is
not protected by insurance. The north
side of the Nelson house was scorched,
but the loss there will be negligible.
Two or three times fire caught on the
Miles barn, but only hole in the roof
was burned, and the blaze was quickly
extinguished Across Summer street,
flying sparks gnited the shingle roof
and but for the prompt work Of the fire.
men another bad fire would have been
quickly under way. Mr.. Cheney's loss,
too is trivial. The roof on the Nelson
barn was ruined and carpenters, who
looked the structure over afterwards
said that $500 would easily repair it.
The value of the hay is placed at S75.
The lower story of the barn did not
take fire, although goods stored therein
were slightly damaged by water. 1t was
the second barn fire on Merchant street
within month, the Arkley livery barns
having narrowly escaped destruction by
fire only a few weeks before.
After discovering the true proportions
OF the blaze, Bingham, the hired man,
ran to turn in an alarm from one of
the nearby boxes. Someone else, how
ever, had seen smoke issuing from the
hayloft windows and by the time a gem
eral alarm had been sounded from box
IL at the corner of Merchant and Sum
mer streets, the fire station had been
advised of the outbreak by telephone
The auto fire truck was the first to re-
spond the horse drawn apparatus fol-
lowing down the street in its wake
moment later. Within a few moments
after the whistle at the gas plant sound
ed its alarm. four streams of water
were playing on the flames, When the
regulars arrived, the men at the Nelson
barn We're releasing the four horses
quartered there. Neighbors were
emptying the lower part of the barn of
its contents and a small circus crowd
had gathered to watch the blazing barn.
Two streams were laid from the hydrant
at the corner OF Summer and Merchant
streets and two lines were brought to
bear on the fire from the hydrant at the
end of West street. A portion of the
fremen's fighting strength was early
directed at the Miles barn. the roof of
which hal already proved easy food for
the flames. Ladders were run up to the
hayloft from two sides OF the Nelson
barn and within short period tons of
water began to tell on the progress of
the flames.
Fifteen minutes after the first turn of
the alarm box, the big blaze was under
control, although the regulars and call
men continued to shower the smoking
hay with water Once when the fire
semed to be at its height, part of the
force was drawn from the first scene of
fire and transferred to the Cheney house
A bucket brigade and a single line of
hose soon put the neighboring blaze out
of commission. The water pressure, in
spite of the threatening conditions at
the citys principal reservoir, continued
high and at no time were the fire fight
ers handicapped by lack of force. In
deed, the pressure was quite as effective
as ever. For the reason that the fire. |
men lost no time in striking at the very |
seat of the fire, the middle of the loft, |
the danger OF large fire was soon over. |
The upper section of the barn burned |
like so much paper and where the fire |
would have been stopped had it been al |
lowed to communicate effectively with |
any of the several adjoining buildings /
no one can tell.
The origin of the outbreak is still un
explained. Mr.. Nelson was in the barn
fifteen minutes before the fire was first
noticed and he is unable to account for
is occurrence, Bingham started to put
up his horses at nearly the same time
md he knew nothing of the fire over
aead until he discovered the smoke at
,he head of one of the horses in the
'tall. All day men connected with Mr..
Nelson's teaming business had been
nursing a sick horse, but they had left
he barn sometime before the fire start
ID. The sick horse, one of gray team,
vas untethered by Mr.. Bingham, and
'thers were released and led to safety
n ample time.
"Flying Squadron Called Again.
A small boy came running out of the
Hey between the Miles granite block
md the Gordon building on North Main
treet at $3.50 o'clock last night and
old w. ID. Glidden and Byron w.
helps, who happened along just then,
hat fire had been started at the side |,
ntrance to the N. ID. Phelps Co.'S store
nd the Martin book shop. Mr.. eGlidden
nd his companion covered the alley in
ime to grab couple of boxes and a
'arrel beginning then to blaze up con-
They were huriedly kicked
nd rolled into vacant space at the :
ear of the block and Mr.. Phelps called
he fire station by telephone. The auto {