The Clio messenger., 1921-07-14

LlOneeT, SuStdlHeu SOfleWndt stVtIe'
loss, early Monday morning, when the
large barn on his farm was destroyed
by fire. The frame part of the barn
was 36x76, to which was attached
log horse barn about 20x30. Mrs.
Powers discovered the fire at about
three o'clock in the morning. being
awakened by the bright reflection
Of the flames in the windows of her
bedroom. She aroused Mr.. Powers
and the boys, but by the time they
were able to reach the barn the log
part was thoroughly ablaze and some
Of the logs were falling in. Forum
ately, only one horse was in the barn,
the others, together with the herd
of valuable cows, were in the pas
ture. At considerable risk, the boys
managed to get the stable door open,
but the horse would not come out
and so was burned to death. There
were two fine heifer calves in the
frame part of the barn and these
also were burned. The barn also
contained twenty-five tons of hay,
200 bushels of wheat, 800 bushels of
oats, quantity of barley, lumber
wagon, two sets of double work har-
ness, and a large number of small
tools, all of which were destroyed.
The barn was insured for 1000 and
the stock and contents for $1,000,
which, while it will not fully cover
the loss, will help greatly in the
emergency. The burning barn light
ed up the sky so brilliantly that it
was seen as far away as Franken-
muth. The Clio fire department
responded to the call for assistance
promptly, but by the time it reached
the scene the fire was beyond
any power to control. The ruins
of the barn and the piles of
grain continued to smolder for
twenty-four hours. This is the sec
ond loss of considerable size that Mr..
Powers has sustained within the past
year, a valuable tool shed and a
number of implements belonging to
him having been destroyed by wind
storm last fall. There has been con-
siderable speculation as to the origin
of this fire, but it is likely to re-
main a mystery, as Mr.. Powers him.
self is utterly unable to account for
it. He had put about ten tons of
new hay into the barn, but as this
had been thoroughly dried in cocks
in the field by the boiling heat of the
past two weeks, it is not con-
sidered likely that the fire occurred
from spontaneous combustion in the
hay. But spontaneous combustion
is known to have occurred from other
causes than heating hay and there
is a possibility that it originated in
the grain or in some accumulation of
dust. 1t has been suggested, also,
that the barn was set on fire
by some tramp or possibly by some
enemy, but Mr.. Powers is at loss
to know whom the latter could be,
and to us both propositions appear
very improbable. 1t seems much
more likely that the barn burned as
the result of some unusual but wholly
natural cause. Our inclination is
perhaps father to our thought in this
matter, as we cannot conceive of
any person base enough to set fire
to buildings in the night time, par
ticularly considering the further fact
that they would be safe in assuming
the loss would be largely covered by
insurance. In this connection we
may mention the fact that several
large barns have burned in this Sec
ton within the past few years under
circumstances equally as mysterious
as those surrounding the present
case. 1t will be remembered, per-
haps, that Manasseh West has lost
couple of barns through fire from
unknown causes and but year or so
ago Supervisor S. ]. Pound lost a
barn in the same way. 1t is only
recently that the writer has heard
of barns catching fire from spontan-
eous combustion, but so many have
been destroyed from causes not
otherwise explainable, that we are
forced to the conclusion that it is
indeed too frequent source of such
losses. Mr.. Powers is fortunate in
having splendid piece of woods
from which to get out barn timbers
and lumber and the old structure will
probably soon be replaced with a
fine, modern barn.
THETFORD CENTER