The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-11-02
FIRE WAS CONFINED
TO ONE BUILDING
Although 1t Ragged in One of
Most Hazardous Places in
Barre Chief GIadding
Had Narrow Escape from
Suffocation at the Outset

i fire loss involving property valued
at $4,000 occurred in the heart Of the
business district of Barre this morning
when blaze of unknown origin as
lsumed such proportions that the three
story wooden building owned and occu-
pied by Reynolds & Son, hardware deal
ers, was practically destroyed and other
wooden structures in the immediate vi
cinity were seriously threatened. A gem
leral alarm was sent in from box 90 at
the city hall corner at $500 o'clock and
less than half hour afterward the same
alarm was sounded second time. Fully
two hours elapsed before the danger Of
a much more disastrous fire had been
eliminated and from the time the alarm
was sounded until o'clock the flremen
were hard put to it to keep the flames
within bounds
Losses incurred by Reynolds & Son,
who conducted one of the largest hard
ware stores in Vermont, are protected to
the extent of $4,000 on the block and
$4,000 on the stock. all of which is car
ried by the J. W. Dillon agency in fifteen
insuring companies.
Telephone Operator Gave First Alarm.
Miss Rose Lemay. an operator IN the
central office of the Vermont Tel & Tel.
Co. in the Rowland building across the .
street, appears TO have been the first per-
son to notice the fire. She was on duty
at 5l5 o'clock or thereabouts' when she
heard the cracking noise of flames. In
vestigating, she discovered smoke issuing
from the Reynolds block and her first
move was TO notify the fire station. A
moment later she was endeavoring to
arouse by telephone W. c. Reynolds. who
is active head of the concern. Some
little time elapsed. however, before Mr..
Reynolds, at his home on South Main
street. could be reached.
Thus early advised of the outbreak,
the fremen were on the point Of leav-
ing the station in the auto truck when
the first general alarm was registered on
the big dial IN the apparatus room. A
nan passing up North Main street had
seen unmistakable signs OF fire in the
Reynolds building and il was his loud
lion Of bakers employed in a nearby
lakery. They rushed 20 the front win
low Of the esta blishment and directed
BE man to ring IN an alarm al city bali
orner few moments carlias James r.
.fackay an attsche AZ the postofice. had
Iassed the hardware store while on his
ray TO work He did not notice anv
igns Of the impending outbreak as be
lanccd into the windows of the store.
or did Alderman A. ~ Bruce. who was
eturning ~ that early hour from an
uto trip 20 New Hampshire. II i sur
lised. then. that the Gre broke out sud.
enly. after smouldering. possibly. for
arersl hours.
Mr.. Reynolds and }. J. Kennedy. 4 rep
Of the IneersoIl Rand Co.,
.ere the last % leave the store In the
yening before. Clerks departed a. .
.clock the hour # closing and = few
loments later Mr Reynolds himself
lrned the key IN the door snd len With
Ir. Kennedy So far as is knovn, no
be visited the store sgain
1orst Business Block Firt Since 1901.
In point 81 MONETARY iass. i eas tie
asf disastrous fre that has ocufred in
se business section ~ The city since
= Currier hiock uas Destroyed 90 q
81 uinter night fu ia1L o. fhs suna-
- 81 1914 frr VISITED ths Gordon hlstk
rthar a. tha narth. bot ti,s fre loss
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-day speut their fmrg In . usirthiaEhaod
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tuess
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aaa nH rrrrfurse SER
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