The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-08-09
e C. Gitchell Plant at Mont
pelier Was Destroyed
Sunday
FIRE DISCOVERED
AT 800 O'CLOCK
Cause Of the Outbreak Has
Not Been Deter
mined

1 Fire which started in the dynamo room
from an unknown cause destroyed the
r. c. Gitchell granite plant on upper
Barre street in Montpelier yesterday
morning, running much finished granite
stock and causing a loss estimated at
about $4,000. The plant was owned by
the Barre Savings Bank & Trust COM
pany, which foreclosed on mortgage,
amounting to $4,000, the first day Of this
month. The shed was valued at about
| SIS, 900 and was only partly insured. The
shed was occupied by the Ala Brothers
Granite company, who leased the plant
and sublet room to three small firms,
Doucette & Beaudette, Aronte & Fer
nandez, and E. Lachapell
William Wedge Of Berlin street, re-
turning home from Middlesex, espied
the blaze about $500 o'clock. He watched
lit for a moment, not certain but that
his eyes were deceiving him, but soon
realizing that the shed was afire, he
made with all speed for the corner of
Barre and Granite streets and pulled in
box 80.
Hardly had the first round of the
alarm started to sound when flames en-
veloped the plant on all sides, and when
the fire department arrived, attention
was devoted to the saving of property
surrounding the burning structure, al
though determined effort was made to
stay the progress Of the flames on the
Gitchell plant.
The services OF two hydrants were
brought into play, and several streams
of water were used without success.
The small shed occupied by Sheridan 4
Poole, which adjoined the Gitchell plant,
caught fire several times. and it required
the constant attention of the firemen TO
prevent the flames from getting foot
hold. Damage was done by water and
fire to the smaller shed, which will prob.
ably total around 500.
Within Is minutes after the sounding
Of the alarm. the Gitehell plant had
practically been destroyed, only the
beams standing. The only piece of ma
chinery that can possibly be used is the
big travelling derrick, which failed to
crash TO the ground, although momenta-
rily expected TO.
The recall was not sounded until wen
after o'clock, although the fire was
practically all out at about 5. Y. B.
Persons, a call man, was painfully but
not seriously injured, when beam fell
upon him, striking him in the back. He
was handling a nozzle at the time and
failed TO see the big piece of timber
n. Al -, h. EWa a4a
ton, but insisted on returning TO the
fire and worked until nearly s o'clock.
The Ala granite firm suffered the big
gest loss, aside from the owners of the
she'd, an estimate yesterday placing the
loss at $1,000, with about $4,000 insur.
ance. Fourteen men were in their en-
plov. Doucette & Beaudette employed
but six men. the same number as Aronte
& Fernandez, I'D each firm lost about !
81 500. with sufficient insurance TO cover |
the loss T. Lachqpell had but three
men. and his lnss win probably be less
than a thousand dollars. T.. c. Gitchell |
asserts that a small portion of the plant
belonged 10 him, and that he viii lose |
about $500, having no insurance.
The plant was erected in the fall OF
1911 bv Mr.. citchell. the cost being /
about $4,000. with the Barre bank hold
ing a mortgage
A motorman on the Barre A Mont
pelicr Traction oompany's line said that
he went hy the shed AZ about ; o'clock,
and AZ that time no sign Of any fire
existed. The FIRE i similar In many |
ways 10 other stoneshed fires which have
visited Montpelier often in the past, the
oi which lead 10 the be-
ief that they are Of incendiary origin.
Nearly all fires which haze destroyed
,lanis there have been in the winter,
aowever. and few are the reasons that
an BE- ascribcd for Ere IN warm wcath-
r.
Following the Globe granite plant
,laze last winter. many granite manu-
.scturers there got together and hired
rstchmen 20 patrol certain sections of
he granite belt A watehman. Who was
.rnioved last winter. was allowed 70 50
al May. and The section IN which the
.itcheli plant uas located hss since been
ri,bout that additional protection.