The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-01-19
Firemen Handicapped.


Firemen Handicapped
Handicapped by the lack of cellar
pipe, which would have enabled them
TO have played an effective stream on
the ceiling OF the cellar. which because
of the construction of the windows
opening into the cellar from the side
walk they could not reach with the
ordinary nozzles, they fought valiantly
to keep the fire from getting into the
wooden partitions in the building and
thus mushrooming through the whole
structure.
1t was impossible to live on the first
feor from the start of the fire, so
dense and pungent was the smoke, so
there was no opportunity of cutting
holes in the floor and thus getting at
the cellar fire.
There were no cellar windows ex-
cept on the front and west sides and
this further handicapped the men as
they could not attack the fire except
| from those two points. Fire shutters
on the back of the building had much
to do with saving George B. White s
| large livery stable buildings in the
rear of the burning structure, which
were separated from it by an alleyway
| Of SIX feet.
For two hours the fremen prevented
the fire from showing except in the
| basement but it was too much to hope
| that it had not worked into the par
| itions and at the end of that time it
began to show in the rooms of the
Vermont Wheel club and elsewhere on
| the seeoad floor.
Other Buildings III Danger.
That spelled the doom of the building
and theTi came the question of pre-
venting the possible spread of the
flames to the story and u half wooden
building on the east side owned by
Mrs IL. W. Sargent and occupied on the
second floor by Mr.. and Mrs. Sargent as
a residence and on the lower floor by
w. II. Haigh, merchant tailor and the
Direct Importing Co, teas, coffees, etc.
All moved their property out in order
To be on the safe side. Two streams
from the roof of this building were
4 material aid in protecting this
property and PLAYED directly into the
heart OF the flames through the win
dows IN the Wheel club rooms.
Equal anxiety was felt for the big
stables in the rear and the horses
vehicles and harness were moved out
to safer quarters temporarily.
Three streams from the overhanging ng
roof on the front of the White stable
were mighty effective, preventing the
flames from leaping the narrow gap
between the Grange building and the
stable aud getting in through the sta
ble windows.
Greenfield Ready TO Help
When it became practically certain
Ithat the fire had worked upward into
the partitions and the Grange build
ing was doomed Chairman Solon A
Richmond OF the village commission
crs, who was working as hard and was
as wet as any of the fremen, sent
word TO Greenfield Of the danger oi
t he fire spreading and asked the au
thorities there if they would be in q
position to send assistance if needed
Fire Chief Partenhcimer of that
town replied that he would bring met
and apparatus at any time and the
; Boston 4 Maine railroad authorities
made up special train and had it IL
readiness should the word be sent thai
help was needed. As it turned out this
, help was not needed, but the READINGS.
of the Greenfield department to sen(
men and apparatus and of the Boston
, * Maine railroad TO bring them her'
! was none the less appreciated.
Charles Il. Crosby sent his son, God
, frey Crosby, in an automobile to th'
grain elevator on Vernon street, ant
} he brought up several hundred feet O
: brand new hose, the property OF Il
Crosby y Co, and this was used as ;
: line from one of the two steamers
both of which were put III operation a
, about this time, one working at th'
S corner of Main and High streets, will
fthe line run through the alleyway i'm
;. der the Brooks House, and the othe
Z working first from a cistern near tn
t Crosby grain house and later from
n another cistern in the rear of tn
r buildings.
+. Club Members Cropped Way.
g About u dozen men were in the Yel
= mont Wheel club rooms and they ha
no suspicion that the building was o
fire until the still alarm was sounded
Immediately smoke was smelled, an
C. r. Crosby seized fire grenade an
4 started for the street. The other
y they could reach the stairway the
were obliged to grope their wa
m through the dense smoke.
r., III. r. Lawrence went back to e
" some of the club IS money and was til
u last man out. He was forced I
6 crawl through the corridor and pal