The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-11-02
FLAMES SWEPT STORE
Continued from first page.)

Montpelier Was Ready To Aid.
People living several miles from I'll
city discerned the smoke early in I'll
day and many hurried to town to viii
ness the fire sometime before the dyin
embers had been smothered by tons an
tons of water that were emptied into tn
structure from eleven lines of hose FRS
Assistant Ernest A. Powers of the Mont
pelier fire department was on the seen
early and his generous offer of assistanc
from the capital was gratefully acknowl
edged, although the emergency was no
OF a nature grave enough to necessitat
outside assistance. Having thought o
Igiving neighborly assistance should it b
needed, Chief w. A. Pattee of the Mont
lpelier department assembled a part o
his men while the flames were at thei
height and held them in readiness to re
spond on short notice.
Not all of the call men were advised
of the fire at the moment of the genera
alarm, as the big whistle at the gas plant
failed to boom forth its usual warning
and some people who plan to respond
when the call comes were not advised
until afterward, The bell alarm served
to arouse large number of call men and
with the arrival of assistance for the
Regulars around 5:45 o'clock it began to
wooden buildings which line the street
for some distance would be impossible.
Chief Gladding In Danger.
Dense smoke beloved out Of many
l mi, L., ha 80 H.
began their work. Chief C. B. Gladding
was one of the first, if not the first, of
| the fremen to enter the first story of
the building. He started to explore pas
sages leading to the second floor, but the
| smoke was so dense that progress was
impossible, 1t was with much difficulty
that he was able to pick his way to the
street, and only by SCATTERING one OF
the heavy plate glass windows did he
succeed in leaving the store alive.
From MIGRANTS directly across the
street, at the north corner of city hall
park, as far north as the Miles granite
block and in the rear of the store along
Enterprise alley hose connections were
made Evidently having had its start
in a room adjacent to the office on the
ground floor, the fire had spread rapidly
to the upper stories and during the first
two hours after the alarm II was scarcely
possible to venture within the building.
The flremen, therefore, had recourse to
the use of many ladders. Eleven streams
of water were presently directed into |
the burning area, but at times volumes of
thick, black smoke repealed the firemen |
and for the moment permitted the flames |
to gain a fresh hold.
Ladders were used in scaling the build |
ing on the North Main street side and
means OF access TO the
flames at the rear was made possible by
a lean-to, upon the roof of which the
firemen mounted with the aid of shorter
ladders. Wooden sheathing with an ex.
terror of metal walled the structure and
in many instances the hremen had TO
use their axes freely in breaking open
the way for the hose.
Smoke burst many Of the windows and
everyone OF the eight plate glass panes
n the front were shattered. Men mount.
ID 10 the third story by means of ladders
Ind fought the flames back through the
Latterly, when the smoke be
yan TO subside, it was possible TO enter
he store on the ground floor. Some OF
he fremen were detailed TO duty on the
oof of the Durkee block 10 the south,
.lthough the suggestion that the flames
,e fought from that altitude was &C no /,
lime feasible. A coping on the Mascot
state building TO the south furnished a
'erch for two fremen with hose and in
act, every vantage point that could be
aimed was occupied by fremen.
Apertures chopped open on the rear
rail- OF the building also furnished ave-
ues for the water TO penetrate the
uilding and by o'clock the fear that
Their buildings must be destroyed had all
ut subsidized. Tons and tons Of water
nrned into the building had had their =.
'ay with the FIRE and except for sporad-
outbreaks the flames were under con.
-ol.
Hardware occupied much Of the space :
a the ground floor. although = quantity i
paint was stored In a room adjoining 4
he Office; but the second story was
.ored with stock Of q nature much more !,
and the same was true Of i
" third floor, where a large stock o.
OGDEN ware, such as wheelwright's sup =
lee, was carried. Two stairways fur. !,
shed an cgress upward for the flames. !,
IA when Gre began to make inroads on
ie goods stored on the second and third o.,
,ors. the blaze was reaching it, height
/ times smoke rolled through windows !.
at tipped the top end Of ladders 20 !,
Iickly that i was almost impossible for !.
-emen 70 work the hose. IN every In. I.
anoe. nevertheless, they stood grizzly -
the task and i was this determina. ~
On 10 best the flames AZ al hazards -
81 bulked large IN the successfui battle :,
aged against the outbreak. Ia
Citizen fire hghters lent a hand 20 the Il
gulars and can men whenever nscos =.
~. Coming az 4 Did 81 isybreak the =.
. attracted large number Of people, =,
4 excellent order prevailed and - soon
the exact nsture 81 the alarm was -.
.rmea Chief sinclair ~ the police az. =,
rtmeut detailed : Gordon 81 he men h.
establish q Gre i.ne On both sides Of ~
, huruinr stfurture. ThrruRhout the y.
~ morning heaxF volumes 81 smoke =.
.led gui of tit hafldinr hut even whsn =,
; tluudF were blafksst. there wAs y.
,iization among tie spectators that =,
; Ere in En- probability. would 80 no =,
-thaf. n
Tensnts Of the n,urlse Rorus ts1iE'nr =.
fis street fru1u ths Rsfuoi8s blo,k -,
tlssst IN ths MHsartt nststs tnslfinFf -.
20 prepared b. ugts uthoat dsiaY n.
- trisk frsraH b ths ueFth sud h.