The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-12-12
FIRE MADE HAVOC
IN OLD TOWN HALL;
LOSS N. ar $4,000
Sparks from the Fire.

1t was not warmer than the January
morning when the old City hotel was de
stroyed three years ago, and by all ac
counts the mercury dropped lower.
| An observer noted the indicator point
ing to minus 80 as the fire artillery
wheeled under his window.
The cold was enough to combat, but q
breeze of almost any velocity would have
added immeasurably to the discomfort
or the firemen and the peril of surround.
| ing property.
Stores of Moxie cached in the fruit
store will have the smoky taste of the
Scotch that is no longer to figure in
fires since the well known king, Alcohol
was tabooed at public gatherings.
Firemen climbed the icy ladders in the
face of an ever present peril, but they
were nothing daunted by the smoke or
slippery footing.
James Coutts, one OF the regular driv-
ers, was momentarily overcome in going
to the aid of his companion, Peter Puri-
celli, but re-entered the fray after a few
moments of recuperation.
Less trying were the outdoor condi-
tions then, but the blaze which the fire.
men fought in the Reynolds building
across the street two years ago offered
similar resistance to their efforts.
The B. & NJ. r. & z. Co. began the
day by running its cars no farther south
than Pearl street. Line after line of
hose spanned the tracks, and flowing wa
ter quickly made the road impossible,
even had the hose been lifted.
In mid-forenoon an area extending
from Keith avenue to City park was
roped off and policemen were on hand to
prevent well-meaning bystanders from
getting in the way of the fire fighters.
Nos. 90 and 81 have it all over Big
Ben" in arousing people who own prop
erty in the business section. No. 23
brought a number to their toes this
morning.
Some of the fremen believe that the
blaze may have been smoulderlng for
Walker and Bemis, meeting in front OF
the store shortly before $3.50 a. M, saw
nothing of fire.
In the aftermath of the big fire, it |
nay be ascertaned how the blaze start |
ID, but none of the fremen desired to
De quoted this forenoon, and the origin |
emained a mystery.
Around the furnace in the basement of 1
he grocery store, there were no signs of
ire. and there were no evidences of over
leated pipes. Firemen examined coal
tove in the fruit store above but learned
lothing that aided them in their search.
There are always-the Germans.
Food supplies in quantities were scat
cred about the back yard of the build
ng when the work of salvaging was at
ts height, but no one offered to misplace
nv of the goods. Ia fact, looting was
ery foreign to the thoughts of a crew
4 volunteer workers who labored un-
iringly to save a part of the stock
Tom Mercer of the Baltimore restau
ant was on the grounds early with a
teaming pot of coffee, and Tom in the
ole of the ministering angel got warm :
-elcome from the firemen. Others CON
ributed hot coffee during the morning
nd helped in this way to allay the ef- {
,cts of the singing cold. /
The second call. sounded soon after 6
clock. brought a lot of helpers to the
.ene. Call firemen who are employed '
the stonesheds did not lose any time {
fighting fire, for scarcely wheel t
lrned in this frost bitten granite belt s
'-dsy.
Flowers in the Emslie store looked like =
Iilled wax when the proprietor opened Z
, to inspect his water and smoke loss. =
A veteran fire fighter who has missed o
, more than half-dozen roll-calls in !
$ long career as a volunteer in Barre q
authority for the statement that the Il
partment never fought under more ad- 4
rse conditions than to-day. a,