The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-05-07

quickly strung to the roof and gallons
of chemical solution were, emptled onto
the burning shingles. One man was as
signed to the machine for the purpose
OF replenshing the chemical supply, ana
the tanks capacities were several times
exhausted before the school building was
out of danger.
The visit of the Barre iremen ter
minated happily for the school mousse
but as it was, the building was dam
aged to a slight extent Several WIN
dows were cracked. the roof was dam.
aged. and the leaking of the chemical
charges slightly damaged the rooms. Ses.
sions were held in only a portion OF
the building today. j,
When the fire had reached its zenith,
there were many in the crowd OF on
lockers who believed that much other
valuable property in the neighoorhooa
would be destroyed. Across the street
from the general store, Odule Gilbert
residence was constantly in danger, ana
the Cogswell house to the east also
caught fire several times. Other bulid,
ings further up the street were lgnited
az various times and but for the keen
watch which householders kept on their
propertv. the fire would have made
clean sweep through several blocks. TN
the north side of the street, Jerry Muir
phys house was often ignited and only
by dint of the hardest kind of fighting
was the structure and outbuildings saved
from the fury of the flames. Wet blank
cts were used with good effect by fire.
fighters at the Murphy home, as wen as
elsewhere.
Fire Fighting Handicapped.
strong wind from the southwest
rendered fire fighting difficult and with
the absence of any hydrant system, a
strong combination of circumstances
initiated against the best efforts OF the
;mnromptu fire brigade. When the dan
oar to the school building had passed,
the Barre contingent lent hahd 70
saving property on the hats oeio"' II
was after / o'clock before the progress
~ tho flames were effectually checked,
and il was not until an hour afterwards
that the auto truck returned to TINS
city.
The Losses.
FIGURES obtainable to-day indicate the
loss will fall short of the estimate mace
vhan the fire was at its height last
night. Odue Gilbert believes his loss
win not exceed $1,000, his estimate being
based on the value of his store stock
and the loss to the building. The Gilbert
store was a large frame structure built
along the lines of many another general
store erected in Vermont at period
dating back score or thirty years ago.
IL was never designed to withstand
serious attack of fire, and what with the
the dry weather of the past few weeks
II burned like finder. In the same man
per the livery stable buildings, recently
reuodeled BY Mr.. Ryan. We're easy prey
for the flames, and little time was con-
sumed in their destruction.
Mr.. Gilbert carried insurance OF s2,ooo
or more on his store stock and the
bu;ldine was also protected. The Mar
ceau and Lasor families lost most OF
their household goods, but it is under
stood that they were partially protected
by insurance. Charles Gilbert estimates
the loss on his building at sl,2oo' whiie
his barber shop furnishings and pool
foom fixtures were vaued az sow.
blanket policy worth Sl,5o0 represents
his insurance The Ryan stable, totally
DESTROYED cannot be repaced for S5'ooo,
and the stock will bring the owner loss
IN to figure considerably larger
Unfortunately, Mr. Ryan was without
insurance at the time OF the hre.
Mr.. MeCues house was valued at @i,ooo
or more. and the contents lncludlng the
household goods of both occupying lam
lies. were insured along with the build
ing proper. The storehouse removed by
ropes to nearby lot may be rehablil-
tated with little loss. Other houses con-
tipuous to the destroyed property We're
slightly damaged and less than $500 Will
replace the loss in these instances.
Hundreds OF people were at upper
Craniteyille this forenoon and later IN
the day to look over the burned area.
Datinite information as to the prospects
for rebuilding the destroyed buildings
was not at hand. although members OF
the Gilbert family intimated that a new
store and barber shop might be erected
IN the site of the old ones. Mr.. McCue
will undoubtedly rebuild his dwelling at
some future time and Mr.. Ryan is unde-
cided MS to whether he will resume his
livery business on the site OF the old
stable.
The Gilbert store was one of the larg-
est in the quarrying section and drew its
patronage from a wide area. Around the
ruins of the building this morning i was
freely predicted that a store would again
occupy the site of the burned structure,
even though Mr.. Gilbert should decide
not to rebuild. Although it was con-
eeded that the little village had suffered
! severe blow, little knots of people
gathered here and there about the ruins
We're disposed to be optimistic in regard
10 the future Of the destroyed business
section. Most of the insurance carried
hy losers in the fire was handled through
local agencies and several adiustors were
an the ground this morning