The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-10-20
It's Persistence in Leaping
on Bed Finally Aroused
Celeste Marazza
WHO FOUND FLAMES
SWEEPING HOUSE
$4,000 Damage to Building
and Contents Early on
Sunday Morning

After saving the life of its owner
Celeste Marazza's cat ducked into thi
cellar of the house at "a Pleasant street
and expired in fire which damaged
the house and contents to the extent
OF $4,000 early yesterday morning Ma
razza was sleeping heavily at 3:3t
when the cat jumped onto the bed il
alarm over smoke which was pourins
up from the cellar. The man, hall
awake, swept the cat off the bed, only
to have the feline make another leaJ
onto the bed. Now thoroughly aroused
Marazza came to his full senses and
found the smoke rapidly filling tht
house.
Grabbing his shirt and trousers, Ma
razZa rushed to the telephone to cal
the central fire station, but for SOM
reason, perhaps because the wires weri
burned off, was unable to get the teIe
phone office. II was Is minutes befor,
Marazza's next door neighbor, limo
cente Caslani, pulled in a general alarm
from box SO at the corner of Becklel
street and Prospect avenue, and, bl
the way, this was the first bell alarm
Chief A. G, Preble has had since he as
sumed the chiefs duties on Aug. 10.
The flames by that time had madl
so much headway in the two-story ant
mansard roof structure that the flame;
were visible to the firemen as the,
started the long run, The automobili
truck and the hook and ladder respond
ed, the horse-drawn chemical and hos,
truck being held at the station unit
called by Chief Preble later to carr.
extra hose, as it was found that it wal
necessary to string 2,l00 feet of hos,
to get two streams from the hydrani
at the corner of North Main and Nortl
Seminary streets and surplus supply
of hose seemed necessary. There is
hydrant somewhat nearer but it is III
the Beckley street hin and is on
smaller main.
The two streams did the business, al
though the fire was stubborn one be
cause Of the lcng start the flames hat
secured and because Of the nature )
the construction The hydrant threw
water with great force and the inte
rior Of the building was thoroughly
soaked before the flames coul4 be sib
dued enough so that the ti-2s-er -e-,ult
get inside and utilize the chemicals. Il
squeIching the tongues Of flames tkas
broke out every now and then. It wa
two hours before the "all out" WA
sounded. Later in the morning a still
alarm was sent in because of bnrnin,
rags, after which fireman was sta
toned there.
The tiremen were given their frs4
real try-out under the new chief, ant
Chief Preble feels confident that b.
has some good fire fighters and Willing
workers. They worked so effectively
that one Of the two tenements was mol
touched by flames except for the roof
although water, of course, went int,
the tenement, which was vacant.
The fire apparently started in cellar
presumably from spontaneous combus
tion, as there was quantity of greasy
rags and wood thrown together there
Marazza conducted sausage making
establishment in the basement of the
house, manufacturing a brand knowI
as "Salome' About 100 pounds of the
sausage went up in smoke and the
electric motor was also ruined. Mr.
Marazza estimates his loss at $500, on
which there was no insurance. He was
up about the house till 10 o'clock tn,
night before and there had been no fire
in the house all day,
The owner Of the building is Johr
Trow, who carried an insurance in the
Dillon agency. Marazza was the only
occupant Of the house