The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-02-05
Fire Department Does Good
Work While Tempera-
ture Is Below Zero
BROOKS HOUSE is
FILLED WITH SMOKE

Loss-Damage Also in Robbins &
Cowles Co.'s Hardware Store Base
ment-Origin Is Unknown.
| With the temperature below zero the
| fire department was called ont shortly
after 7.30 clock last evening to fight
blind fire in the basement of Austin
E. Miller's confectionery store in the
Brooks House block. 1t was with much
difficulty that the fTemen were able to
reach the flames, but they did credit
able piece of work and kept within a
small area fire which gave promise
at one time of becoming serious This
morning it was apparent that the total
| loss would not exceed $4,000, although
last night it was thought that the loss
would largely exceed that sum. There
is nothing to indicate the origin of the
fire
The heaviest loss will fall on Mr..
| Miller, whose stock was insured for
$500 and whose fixtures were insured
for 5000. The loss on his stock prob
ably will be total. He also viii lose a
suspension of business while repairs
are being made. He had a quantity
of new goods on the way.
i On the Brooks House Co., of which
| Z. c. Crosby is president, viii fall the
second heaviest loss. The company
OWNS the real estate. which in the
Miller store is considerably damaged.
Several of the floor joists over the
basement were badly eharred, a hole
was burned through the floor, other
holes were chopped through, and smoke
| filed the hotel office and went up the
! stairways and elevator well TO the
rooms on the various floors.
Water and smoke caused loss of
about $500 in that section of the base
ment of the Robbins & Cowles Hard
ware Co., which is in the rear of the
Miller basement, also in this firm 5
front basement room where robes and
blankets are stored. Smoke also en-
tered II. P. Wellman & Co.'S clothing
store, but whether in sufficient guam
titv to damaga the goods especially the
woolens, cannot be told today.
The insurance on the Brooks House
and Miller's store was carried bv the
r. f. Taylor & Son agency. and the
Robbins Cowles stock was insured
THROUGH George N Clay's agency.
W. L. Hubbard was passing the Mil
ler store soon after 30 O'Clock and
s7w rufs of what he took 70 be either
smoke or steam issuing from the base
ment windows OF the Store. which are
close to the sidewalk He stonned TO
investigate and became satisfied that a
FIRE was in progress getting an odor of
smoke. He stepred into the Broors
House and notified Manager George E.
Sherman, who sent in an emergency
call to the fire department.
Mr.. Sherman, Mr.. Hubbard and
Charles w. Cleaveland, whose atten-
tion had been called to the fire, re-
turned to the store and broke open
the door, and tongue of flame was
coming up from the basement. near the
steam RI adiator. With an axe Mr.. Sher-
man tried to cut a hole through the
floor, and disconnected the radiator.
and from that time on large quantities
of steam escaped.
Before the fire alarm sounded the
motor fire truck and few men ar
rived, and line of hose was laid from
the hydrant in front of Crosby block.
Lon Davis was left alone on the nozzle
while another line was being laid, and
the slippery sidewalk made it impos-
sible for him to hold the nozzle. 1t got
away from him and the stream struck
Mr.. Hubbard squarely in the back,
nearly knocking him down.
As soon as the alarm sounded other
firemen started, and soon four streams
were playing into the basement, one
from the hydrant in front of Crosby
block, one from the headquarters on
Elliot street and two from the hydrant
at the corner of High and Main streets.
The smoke and steam rolled out in
dense volume and no fame could be
seen, so it was not known whether the
fire was being reached or not Then a
line of hose was run through from the
rear, through the Robbins G. Cowles
basement. This was difficult matter,
as the basement, separated from the
Miller basement by partition. was
full of smoke and entrance into the
Miller basement was through door all
the end of an alleyway
When this door was opened a rush OF
black smoke greeted the firemen, which
; caused the stOmachs of some of them
! to rebel, but they stuck to the task and
this alone prevented much heavier
loss, as it developed that the flames
could not be reached from the front
side and most of the water that was
being poured in from the front side
was being wasted.
There were two rooms in the candy
store basement, one in front, next to
the street, and one in the rear, and be.