The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-06-01
FIRE REPEATS
ITS RAVAGES
Wipes Out the New Granite
Plant at Williams
town
DEFECTIVE WIRING,
SAYS SUPT. w. B. JONES
Last Nights Loss Is $4,000,
on Which There Is In
surance of $4,000

For the second time within / months,
fire wiped out the principal manufactur-
ing establishment in Williamstown last
night, when the new stoneshed of the
W. B. Jones Granite Co. was totally de-
stroyed. The destruction of the plant
follows closely on the opening of the
shed for manufacturing purposes less
than two months ago On the same
site June l3, 1913, the Grearson Beckett
stoneshed, in which the leading share
holders were owners in the Jones Co.
business, was burned to the ground in
the early morning.
Roughly estimated, the loss is $4,000,
with insurance of SIT 900, which is car
ried in several insuring companies by
the Robinson McAllister and the n. b.
Ballard agencies in this city. Hints of
ineendiarism figure in one theory as TO
how the fire started and in another the
origin is attributed to defective wiring.
| Whether or not the plant will be rebuilt
is problematical
II was around 745 o'clock last even
| ing when the first general alarm was
I StHHhEu DN NBuIEH uRiIs III lTg Village.
Many people were attending services,
and when they arrived at the burning
shed they found groups of townspeople
! trying to cope with the outbreak by
means of buckets. A strong wind was
blowing from the south, and people who
We're on the scene early say there was at
no time any chance to save the build
! ing. The blaze was discovered in the
| west end of the shed, where was located
the compressor plant and where entered
! the set OF wires from a transformer at
tached to a pole outside. At the out
set men were able to enter the structure
| from the east end and feeble efforts were
made to save some of the portable
equipment. But the flames rode down
| the center of the shed with such rapidity
that the men were compelled to beat
hasty retreat. Eight o'clock saw the
building mass of flames, and with
powerful wind blowing it was deemed
wise to summon outside aid.
Barres Auto Truck Responds
1t was few moments after o'clock
when Chief Gladding received tele-
phone call at the local station. Five
tiremen, regulars and members of the
call crew we're assigned to the auto
truck, and hurried trip was made to
Williamstown. The Barre fremen ar
rived in time to lend their assistance in
keeping the flames away from the office
and In saving two large piles of lumber
just south of the she'd BY this time
the building was thoroughly gutted, and
the walls were fast falling to the
ground, volunteer brigade which lined |
its way with buckets up from a nearby
brook made sporadic efforts to keep the
fire within bounds and were successful |
only so far as they prevented some of |
the smaller outbuildings from burning. |
The wind sent the fire scurrying into /
four corners OF the shed, and by . +
o'clock only a pile of ashes, charred |
stones and great hulks of machinery /
were left.
$4,000 Worth of Granite Useless.
The main building had lateral dimen-
sions of 200 50 feet at one end and /
90 feet at the other. Not so much as a
single stick of new timber that went |
into the building remains. To the south /
is the office building, which survived the
fire Of last July. This time it was badly
scorched, but may be utilized for its |
intended purpose if necessary. Over to
the north of the main shed was a small
section of circular shed. Flying em-
bers ignited the little structure and re-
duced il to ashes, too, in the lower end
of the big shed was located the fore
mans Office. where were filed speciiica-
tions of the building, specifications for
work and contracts. They were de-
stroyed and their loss will bulk rather
large in the total loss. Around $4,000
worth of work finished and unfinished,
was in the shed at the time of the fire.
None of it can be salyaged. Superinten-
dent Jones stated to-day that much of
the work was ready for shipment. A
600-ft. Sullivan air compressor, a 20-ton
Lane travelling crane, an Allis-C Chalmers
motor of IS h. p. development, a Smith,
& Cook Co. polishing machine
in use only a short time and another
machine of the same type, which had
been recently purchased and was to have !
been installed this week. were all ruined. ,
The boiler building was snuffed out as !
though its walls were paper, and only
the tall chimney, towering over the !
remains intact. Il
40 Men Out of Employment.
Upwards of 40 men are thrown out of
employment Many OF the men met
with poor success in searching for their
tools to-day, although a small load of :
hammers was brought to Barre to-day
10 be tempered. a number of stone
.utters also came TO the city to-day to
seek employment. The heavy losers are
Judge c. H. Beckett of New York City 4
md William b. Jones, the superinten- {
lent. When fire had its way with the ii
I'D shed in July, publiespirited citizens a
# Williamstewn held out inducements \
o the promoters of the business to To- lr
ate again in that village. \ new stock Fl
company was organized and Williams "
own people to the number of 30 took III
hares aggregating $1,000 in value. !
Work on the new shed was started as y
Don as the company was incorporated.
vt the last March meeting, the company i
vas exempted from taxation for peri !
u of ten years. Construction work con o
inued throughout the winter and on the 4
10Th day of March Superintendent Jones Il