The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-08-10
MONTPELIER
Burnham Barn with 80 Tons of Hay
Burned--Hit by Lightning.


The biggest fire that has occurred
in Montpelier since V. L. Person was
elected chief of the department a lit
tie over two years ago, occurred Mon
day afternoon when the barn of w. H.
Burnham on the Worcester road was
hit by lightning in the heaviest storm
of the season and burned to the ground
with loss of over 81 900, which is
partly covered by insurance. The fire
started at 2:25 p. m. That is to say,
the alarm was rung in at that time
from box 81 by Clayton A. Stewart,
who saw the flash when the lightning
hit the barn and says that the flames
burst out from the barn in all direc-
tions. He was working at his fathers
ice house and ran Immediately 10 the
box, ringing the alarm. Leon Japan
and j. r. Gasrow, jr., were very close
to the barn when the building was hit.
They tried to get the three horses in
the barn out, but were unable to get
into the barn in time to accomplish
this. Mr.. and Mrs. Burnham left on
Monday for Willoughby lake and rela
tives had some trouble last evening
in locating them. Mr.. Burnham had
just finished haying and had about
80 tons of hay in the barn. This
burned until late last evening so that
it attracted large number of ,eople
to the place during the evening. The
house, which is some 20 rods from tie
barn, and the Pitkin house across tie
road, were endangered at times because
of the intense heat and the wind shift
ing. The barn was built by the late
General p. p. Pitkin in 1881. At that
time it cost him $4,000 to construct
it, so that it would cost considerably
more TO replace it. 1t was probably
as well constructed barn as there is
in this section OF the country. Some
of the farming tools were removed
from the barn by those who were there
early, while other tools burned. One
pig was also burned and probably sew
eral hens, for these were about the
place before the storm broke, but dis |
appeared after, so it is thought that
thew we're killed. The fire department |
was late in reaching the barn. In ad- |
dition to the mile run to the site, the |
number, as il arrived at the station, |
was read wrong so that the department !
started for Seminary hill, but when ON
the elevation they were advised that |
the number was 81 and returned to |
the station and then the long run in
the hot weather took place. The team
was well nigh "all in" when the site
was reached. 1t demonstrated the need |
Of triple combination equipment for
fire protection in Montpelier When
the fremen first threw the water on,
he pressure was low, but as soon as
lot of mud came out of the water main,
the pressure bounded to normal and
they were able to use the line Of hoses
but the building, which could not have
been saved probably had they been
earlier at the fire, burned to the ground.
The lowness Of the pressure was due
10 the fact that the hydrants had not
been tested in that section for some
time, it is claimed. Mrs. p. J. icAvoy
was standing at her, kitchen window
when the lightning struck the barn
and 50 she saw the effects of it. She
vent at once to the telephone, intend
ng to call the fire station, only TO
ind that the storm had put the tele-
phone out of working order. A sim
lar condition appeared evident in 9th
r sections Of the city.