The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-07-15
MONTPELIER
Novelty Shop on Winooski Avenue Was
Burned Saturday Evening.

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Fire broke out in the novelty shor
that has been operated for two years by
IT, G. Taft on Winoosk avenue about
$3.50 o'clock Saturday evening and in a
couple OF hours the building was de.
stroyed h. A. Russell, who was prob.
aoly the last man at the building, said
there was not sign of fire when he left
the place a short time before the fire was
discovered. With his son, he had been
working at the shop during the day. The
loss probably amounts to 5000. which
Is partly insured Mr.. Taft's loss will
be In the neighborhood of $4,000. while
the building, owned by the Central Yer
mont halfway company, was worth
ABOUT Sz,OOO and insured under blanket
policy carried by the company. Mr.. Taft
had completed arrangements for moving
nus property to the Osborne factory on
the upper end of the same street. The
FIRE was discovered by persons passing
the place when smoke was seen coming
from the building by Mrs Frank George
ana others Joseph Lamery pulled the
alarm at the corner Of Winooski avenue
and Northtield street A telephone call
from the Lombard property also gave
the ire department notice of the fire
Inc building was situated out of range
OF the water protection, probably a
quarter OF a mile from the nearest hv
drant, so that the only fighting apparat-
us that could be used was the acid ex.
tlngulshers and Pyrene guns, which did
effective work until the fire broke ont
AGAIN The tremen say that someone
passed them can in which was oil saw
ing ut was water" As soon as this
was thrown on the embers it spread the
nre over that portion of the building and
beyond any effort that the department
could make. Some machinery was saved
small chemical engine would have
easily handled the matter. All of the
acid extlnguishers and Pyrene guns on
the two fire. fighting wagons were emp.
tled on the fire and more extinguishers
were being reloaded when the "ean of
water" was thrown on the almost burned
out embers John Crossett was badly
burned about the hands when this fash
occurred, while Earl Pape, who threw
the contents on the fire, narrowly escaped
being burned He gave the can to Elmer
Pierce, who threw it out the window.
but the damage was done, and the fire.
men had to hustle to get out of that part
of the building
Mr.. Taft operated mill making small
articles and was completing contract
ON piano legs, after which he expected
TO move to the Osborne shop. Mr. Rus |
sell and his son were the only ones work. |
ing at the shop Saturday. Neither uses
tobacco and their explanation of the fire |
Saturday night was that the lightning, |
which had been flashing about that time. |
must have come into the building on the |
wires that had been cut from a motor |
that had been removed The wires had |
been left and probably formed an arc
when the lightning came into the build. |
ing" Mr.. Russell left the building a
little after 6 o'clock and there was no
indication Of fire at the time. Mr.. Taft
had sold the small machinery to Richard
Demeritt OF Waterbury and was going
INTO bobbin manufacturing. In fact, he
had installed one new machine All the
IN the building was this new
a planeT and motor, all OF
which were nearly new. One machine
outside the building was saved by the
nremen moving 1t across the road. Mr.. L
Taft, who was in Waterbury. was tele.
phoned and came back in his automobile
before the building was consumed The
lire put the dozen trunk telephone lines
between Montpelier and Burlington out
Of working order Wire Chief Harold
and his men laid insulated
wires along the railroad tracks from a
pole one side Of the building to one on
The other side, so that they had the serv.
ICE resumed before the fire department
lad left the place. These were temporar-
ly laid and the permanent lines were
placed Sunday Reports from trainmen
Mr. Russell's version. for
me Of them reported seeing a blue fame
lround the wires when the 6;l5 o'clock
rain left Montpelier