The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-07-14
Grearson : Beckett Granite
Plant at Williamstown
Burned
BARRE FIREMEN
RENDERED AID
Loss Early Sunday Morning
Estimated as High as
$4,000

Williamstown, July 1.-THE leading
industry of the town received heavy
blow on Sunday morning by disastrous
fire that almost completely wiped our
the granite cutting plant OF the Grear-
son Beckett Co. The loss includes not
only buildings, but the entire contents
of the main building, 250x60 feet, trav-
cling crane with a capacity of 20 tons,
100 horsepower steam engine, so horse
power air compressor in use but three
years, four surfaeing machines, two pol
ishing machines, hosting gear and der
rick, blacksmith shop and contents,
large quantity Of tools belonging to in
diyiduals, and lot of coal and plas-
ter
To this must be added large amount
of rough stock, two carloads having been
unloaded but day or two before, and
all the finished and partly finished stock,
part of which was boxed and loaded in a
car for shipment to-day, the car burn
ing with the building.
II is probable that the fire was first
discovered by Henry c. House, who lives
near the stonesheds, and word was quick
ly passed to the house of Charles Pas
sera and Windsor Ditty, both of whom
telephoned the news to all they could
reach. The church bells gave the alarm
a little later, about 6.45, and by o'clock
a. m. nearly all the men of the village
were on the scene.
The fire had probably been burning in
side the building for some time before
ii was discovered and the flames fol-
lowed the timbers supporting the travel
ling crane and the whole shed was soon
in flames. The Office is located about
sixteen feet south of the main building
and the furniture, books and papers were
all removed and saved This building
was connected with the main shed by
a wooden passageway and this was torn
away and an effort made to save the
office, which would probably not have
been successful but for the timely arriv-
al OF the auto truck from Barre. which
made the trip in record time of about
ten minutes. BY the help of the Barre
men, the office was saved, although the
side next the fire is burned through in
places. A building once a part of the
Did circular shed, standing a little dis
tance away TO the north was saved, also
/ pile of humber and one of coal. both
On the north side of the main build
ng,
The burned property belonged to the
irearson- Beckett Co. corporation or
yanized under the laws of the state, of
which Judge Charles II. Beckett of New
York City is the heaviest shareholder.
t is not known as yet whether the COM
,any will rebuild or not.
There were nearly fifty men on the
,ayroll of the company and all are
hrown out of employment, The loss
5 estimated as high as $4,000. The
oss is partially covered by insurance.
# which $4,000 is carried in the two
mutual companies of Montpelier and ST.,
100 in the Granite Mutual Co. of Barre
The call for assistance from Williams
own reached the Barre fire station at
:54 a. m, and after securing permis-
ion TO go out of town, party of fire
men left the station on the American
.aFrance auto truck driven by Fireman
/. A. Morris and carrying an extra sup
ly OF chemicals and acids. The time of
he six miles trip was taken by one of
he firemen as nine minutes.
In the meantime word was sent to
'hief Gladdying. who was then at
berlin pond and he with Capt. Z. NJ.
'obin, hurriedly left for the scene of
he fire. arriving short time after the
ruck from Barre. When the Barre fire.
Zen arrived. the main building was en-
eloped in flames.
Prior to that the Wiliamstown fire
rigade had striven in vain to check
he progress of the fire through the
uiding, but was handicapped by lack
{ equipment, so that the main strue-
are was soon found to be doomed They
hen co-operated with the Barre firemen
saving adjoining property. This was
o mean task and it was only after the
D. gallon chemical tank had been re-
larged five times that the office build
lg was saved.
Located in the fire zone were two tow
ing derrcks Because of the dense
noke it was not seen for some time
lat one of the derrcks was burning
!. the top, after which the warning was
ven and the crowd scattered to safe
stance. And it was fortunate that
lev did. for i'm a short time the flames
I'd eaten away the top of the derrick
that the big mast fell with crash.
After the main building had been
zed to the ground, the fire continued
rage because of oils and other highly
fammable materials in the engine
ON. 1t was not till $3.50 that the
ARE firemen thought it safe to leave
e job to the Williamstewn fire fight
5 and return to Barre Foreman Jones
the Grearson- Beckett company, ex-
essed much satisfaction over the work
the Barre firemen.
Joseph ]. Ettor, member of the gen
~ of he