The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-02-12
Loss in Henderson Building
on No. Main Street Last
Night, $1,000
FLAMES STARTED
IN BANANA ROOM
Firemen Had to Work in a
High Wind and Through
Intense Cold

fruit store in the Henderson block on
North Main street late last night did
damage amounting to $1,000, the loss
being nearly equally divided on the fruit
store stock, owned by Fraquelli & Venet-
iii, and the building, which is the prop
erty of r. +. Henderson of Wells River.
Both are well insured in the Granite
Mutual Insurance Co. of Barre.
Members of young mems club locat-
ed on the second floor OF the main block
are said to have discovered smoke is
suing from the basement of the fruit
store at IL o'clock. At the same mo-
ment pedestrians must have seen the
smoke coming from a hatchway in front
OF the store, for at ii o'clock, or there
abouts, someone turned in general
alarm from box 81 at the corner OF De-
pot square and North Main street. All
Of the city's fire fighting apparatus as
sembled in front of the store and the
firemen began To wage q fight against
the fire, which seemed to center in the
basement. A low temperature prevailed
and details of firemen were presently
spelling each other at the nozzles. A
strong wind made fighting difficult,
but the liremen were able to keep the
blaze confined. Three lines OF hose were
laid and two were constantly directed
against the fire.
A small crowd shivered through the
exciting part OF the outbreak and there
was plenty of help. Nearly all of the
call men were available for duty and
police officers, who We're early on the
scene, joined in subduiRg the flames.
Ere ten minutes elapsed, the fire seemed
to be under control and the two-blast
signal was sounded from the nearest
box. Although smoke was billowing
through the whole south side of the
building, which extends from Main street
to the Buzzell skating rink on Pearl
street, never once WAS there any dam
ger OF the flames spreading to the Pa
vilion theatre to the east, although many
thought for a time that FIRE would com
municate with the vacant store recently
occupied by G. s. Andrews shoe store
and the Carpathia club rooms on the
second floor.
Once the blaze wormed its way mp
from the basement through partition
and spread along the ceiling in the fruit
store. A hole was chopped IN the roof
and the progress of the flames was
stopped at that point. Chemical ap-
paratus was used with good effect in
preventing the fire from gaining hold
in the partitions. More than an hour
elapsed before the last apparent sign. of
fire had been smothered Men from the
station were left in charge of the build
ing and early in the morning blaze
spurted up through the roof. 1t was
quickly extinguished.
Fire Started in Banana Room.
The front section of the fruit store
basement was gutted. Evidently the
fire had its origin in a banana room un-
der the display window that extends
ont into the street. As a means of
draught there was a small hatehway
leading into the street. Also, as an
avenue for approaching the very seat of
the trouble, the same hatchway served
an excellent purpose. Back TO the east
in the basement, goods stored there were
only by smoke and water.
There was no furnace in the basement,
as the heating apparatus for the build
ing is located under the Pavilion theatre.
On the main floor of the fruit store.
the loss caused by smoke and water will
be rather heavy. The firm carried
large line of canned and glass goods and
much of the stock of this kind will prob
ABLY be ruined by the frost. During the
early night, according to members of
the firm. the fire in the furnace had died
down. This morning the store was near
" as warm as cold storage plant. |
While the fire was under way, large |
plate glass window in the vacant store |
next door was shattered. Otherwise the |
1ther sections of the building were un-
although the Carpathia club |
lure to the street when the fremen |
gained the ascendancy over the blaze.
Bitter cold weather added to the dis
comfort of the occasion. Several of the |
iremen were suffering from frost bites |
to-day and other forms of exposure. |
Across the street the Red Cross phar-
macy kept open house and supplied the
iremen and assistants with hot drinks.
r. +. Henderson, the proprietor of the
building, viii make necessary repairs at |
,nce. Insurance adlustors were on the /
pot early and the fruit store doubtless
viii be open for business within short |
ime. Fraquelli & Venetti state that
he origin of the fire is.a mystery. The
asst member of the firm left the store
It 1855 last night.
Three Still Alarms.
Between 4:30 in the afternoon and
asst night the firemen had three still /
Ilarm calls. At 80 the auto truck
vas called by telephone to the house
{ IL Patterson street occupied by Miss
Alice f. Keith. Fire ragged within
arge chimney, but the firemen were
lot called to use any chemical on the
,laze. There was no damage. Soon aft
rwards a fireman was sent to Mrs. A. II.
.ewis' house on Cottage street A Chin
lev fire was subdued before the fireman
eturned.
Flames leaping skyward for distance
II Is feet. so the tiremen say, were re-
ponsible for hurry call in the auto
ruck TO o. ID. Shurtleff's residence on u
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