Putnam patriot., 1914-07-24
S5,OOO FIRE
Destroys Property of D. E. Tickle, Vest
 Thompson
Fire Caught from Chimney. Discovered by Minister, Who Rings Church Bell.
 Wells Run Dry

X fire that without doubt caught from defective chimney destroyed the dwelling house, used in part as bakery, two barns and outhuildings of Daniel E. Hiekie in the village of West Thompson Monday afternoon causing loss of approximately 5000 partially covered by insurance. Other houses in the village were threatened and some roofs caught fire but were quickly extinguished. The only means of fighting the fire was with bucket brigades but the wells in the vicinity soon ran dry.
 The fire was discovered between 3 and clock in the afternoon by Rev. ]. K. Miller, the Methodist minister, who lives in the parsonage across the way Mir. Miller says that he saw black smoke issuing from the roof of the building and remarking to his wife that he feared something was wrong at Mir. Hickie's, ran across the road, smashed in window and called to Mir. Hickie. He then ran to the church and began to ring the bell and kept it up for nearly an hour.
 MT. Hickie says that he had been baking and had started his fire shortly after noon. He had just been out to get some wood to replenish the fire and was in the act of putting it on the | fire when the alarm was given. He rushed out and the whole place WAS soon mass of flame. "I never saw anything burn so quick" said Mir Hickie. "I was so. stunned and ex- cited I couldn't do anything. If l had it to do over again l think l could save more but was too excited to do anything.p The only things saved were few articles of personal proper 1 ty. The horse was taken from the barn and MT. Hickie said that some thoughtful person opened his hen- house and let the hens out.
 People came from miles around at, traeted by the ringing of the bell and the cloud of dense black smoke, There
 were many willing hands at work but the only available means for fighting the flames was with buckets.
 Water was obtained from wells in the vicinity but most of these soon went dry. People in the vilage had to take up positions on their roofs as | there was shower of sparks settling on roofs of dwellings and one or two roofs actually caught fire but were ex- tingushed with little damage. The | dwelling house, which was also oceu- pied as bakery, was one of the old landmarks of the village. It was built | in 1S06. The timbers were heavy ones and the building was in good repair but the hard, dry, seasoned wood burned like finder The house was of two and half stories and ell. One barn was 50x70 and one 25x60. Another house little farther to the west own ed by Mir. Hickie was saved by hard work. The church across the street 1 was used Tor the storage or the lew per sonal belongings that were saved. There was about half a ton of hay in the barn besides some grain. The wagons were rolled to the church sheds and saved.
 MT. Hickie feels his loss keenly. He has lived on the premises thirty-eighl years and was never even threatened with fire before. He appreciates the efforts of those who came to his assist ance and praises the work they did under unfavorable conditions. Two large elm trees in front of the premises are probably killed as the result of the intense heat. The loss is severe one to the village and is the worst fire il has ever experienced.
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