The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-11-12
When Fire Cut Off Exits in
Mcclellan Building on
No. Main Street
NICHOLS & SON STOCK
DAMAGED THE MOST
Total Loss in'Early Morning
Fire Is Estimated to
Be $4,000

f A stubborn fire in the Mcclellan block
so-called, at SIT North Main street, oc-
cupied by +. A. Nichols s; Son, grocers,
on the first floor, and two families in
the second story tenements, called out
ali of the city's fire fighting equipment
this morning at 80 o'clock. Damage
Iapgregating $4,000 was done by fire and
smoke before the all-out signal was Civ
len half-hour after the iremen arrived.
Losses in nearly every instance are COW
cred by insurance.
So rapidly did dense volumes of smoke
spread to every nook and Granny in the
building that the firemen were compelled
to use ladders in rescuing members Of
y j. Abbey's family, who lived in the
forward tenement on the second floor.
The family of B. Siccinelli managed to
make their escape by rear exit, but
smoke cut off all the usual means of
egress for the Abhevs and it was not
iuntil the fremen had scaled an ell strIc-
ture on the south side of the block that
the man, his wife and three children
were able to reach the ground Mrs.
Siccinelli appears to have been the FIRST
| to discover the fire. She communieat ted
her discovery to her husband, who hur-
red downstairs and across the street to
box No. IA near the head of Berlin
street. His attempt to pull the alarm
was futile, but young Cecil Copeland,
who lives. across Second street at 52l
North Main street. was up and doing by
that time. With only his night clothes
as protection against the chilly night
air, young Copeland, after glancing to-
ward the burning structure, raced up the
street and turned in an alarm.
Probably the loss on the stock of gro
ceries and sundries belonging to Nichols
& Sons win approximate $4,000, which is
covered by insurance in the Robinson &
MeAllister agency, Paige 4 Campbell and
the g. H. Pape agencies. The buildings,
owned bysJ. Y. Mcclellan of East street.
can be repaired for less than 81 zoo, and
the owner carries insurance in the Robin
son q McAllister agency. Smoke dam
age may be reckoned under 500 in the
apartments of Mr.. Siccinelli and the Sic
cinellis carry no insurance. The same is
true of the household goods of Mr.. All
bey. Smoke viii cause something of
loss in his tenement, although the ownet
is not protected by insurance.
Cause of Fire Not Learned.
The origin of the fire is no more ex-
plainabe than some of the other fires
that have occurred in Barre recently. F.
A. Nichols of the grocery firm left the
store at $3.50 o'clock last evening. APP
parently everything was all right at that
hour and upstairs tenants were in and
out of the building until late in the
evening. II is plain to be seen that the
fire had It's start directly under the base
ment stairs leading from the rear of the
store. From that point it worked to-
ward the street entrance and upward.
Only once did the flames approach the
second story. and tls1 through the stair
,sse. The fremen reached the store in
iig time and within a few minutes after
he first blast of the alarm whistle two
streams of water were cascading into the
structure. just 10 the left of the stair
'ase where the fire is believed TO have
originated. stood a 60-gallon tank OF oil.
For a time tho efforts of the firemcn
we're divided between heading the blaze
Il the first floor ceiling aud preventing it
rom communicating with the oil.
Smoke was billowing from every win
low and II was with difficulty that a
reman was able To remain within the
tore more than 10 seconds at a time.
he attack was directed from the north
ide of the block and by careful manipu-
alton Of the hose the water dropped
MY in the places where il was needed.
\ ithin the store proper the heat was in
lnse. Two plate glass windows front
lg the street were cracked and show
lses on both sides the store were rem
cred valueless. In the southwest corner
the store a soda fountain stood n
a. damaged considerably By smoke and
aat. even though the flames did not
,uch IT,
According to the iremen. the basement
the blo,k offered every opportunity
" a BIG blaze. Boxes. bidding and IN
7tImuiation ri things did not expedite
atters anv in mbduing the flames. d.
sfara room at the rear. boxes Of stock
lre piled hrh aud low. hut the fire VISA
t 81 hst near fhe doorway. An cu
tie south 4i8e 81 fie block had teen
.5te1 hf ten1nte recently and little f
.v fsrsre was dane there. tpstairs
! e-neIlis bad constructed q frinia-
be- dateeot and fonifry yard just ont
n an tlto raat af abe ell smoke adid~
fhe pigeons and several fine hro1iers
/. as.al this morning. The Ahievs saf-
"a tfa i1ss rf q fea fhiekaus ard ona
fha Daughters 81 Sir. ard Mrs. AhlteT
.s 81 laa'r affected 81 fhe smoke as e.
taufra1 to tif hef to-day
aaIF tua streams ef watef were r,-
fra8 tc fttinruish ths fire.. Water ufs
IA srarinr't and tifemisai sniutinn nrt
al Had tis mnFe gained more 81
1HuaF lriar 81 I've miuutes uanid
ra rat tis hritinr fseronf tif aarf-
! "a fiif fre aruartnleuf. Al sas1 -
srss--ar were ai5e e. star naias Ser
esus asrnfae rtg5ad thrir e9asts -
/ q ar.t aua ~ sB tisa 81 uat ssr
sanlaf TrfI zsH c'lsk the nss.
1ial ur fise -~sae o. rir arr s1.o-nf-
aaffrrnfs rf fre
'1s Err of Niel.als & ~1r hes ssn
- 7rsr-s nt Ea. 5i1 u a
T8s ruer merrisr n tlw am
+ aasataanel te-aar frsn rsra~sr