The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-09-09
Two Houses, Store Build
ing, Barn and Two Small
Buildings Destroyed
CAUSE OF FIRE
IS NOT K )WN
Broke Out in Lof ST Barn
on Beckett s Get at
About Mi .9.ght

Williamstown, Sept. 9.--Two houses,
store building and tenement, one
barn, storehouse and an icehouse
were destroyed this morning in a fire,
which threatened the entire business
section of this village, causing a loss
estimated to be in the vicinity of Sl2,-
600 The grange hall building was dam
aged slightly, chiefly in the loss of
glass from streams of water; and the
residence of B. c. Hoyt across Beckett
street was subjected to such intense
heat that the paint lifted.
Buildings destroyed were barn be-
longing to +. H. and J. E, Martin, in
which the fire originated a house
owned by Mrs. G. U. Sivright and oc-
cupied by W. NJ. Fogg, a driver for c.
Nj. Seaver; house owned by b. G.
Hoyt and occupied by his son law,
l.. j. Daniels; a two story building
owned by f. II. and J. L. Martin, for
mery used by Martins meat market
and now occupied in part by Joseph
| Duffany's shoe and harness shop and
| Henry Stevens upstairs; an icehouse
! in the rear owned by the Martins, and
stOrehouse owned by H. $. Drury
and used by him. The occupants lost
much of their belongings, and Erwin
| Hoyt lost new Overland automobile
which was in the Martin barn Mr..
Stevens saved his Overland car, which
was in a shed back of his residence.
Various farmers lost milk cans, which
were stored temporarily in a cream
station in the Martin store building,
the milk having been brought there for
shipment to Barre.
The Martins estimate their loss on
store building and barn at 5000, with
insurance of 81 500 on the store and
s 900 on the barn. On the tenement
house of Mr.. Hoyt and the Sivright
tenement there was insurance of 81 200
each. Mr.. Daniels, who occupied the
former house, carried insurance of
81 900 and saved most of his belong
ings although some of it was dam
aged. Mr. Fogg had S400 insurance.
and saved practically nothing. The con-
tents of the other buildings were vir-
tually wiped out, with little insur-
ance Mr.. Drury had $50 insurance on
his small storehouse.
A Hazardous Place.
The fire could scarcely have started
in a more hazardous section of Will
Jamestown. as the buildings were all
of wood and placed rather close to-
gether. The Martin barn, in which the
flames started, was in the center of
the group of buildings, and the fire
burned three ways, sweeping in the
Martin store building on the north and
being stopped at the grange building,
wiping out two residences on the south
and taking in the Drury storehouse
and the icehouse in the rear of those
buildings Had the flames got away
from the fire fighters on the south
they undoubtedly would have gone
through the business part of the viii
lage, as the residence of H. S. Drury
sets close TO the burned Daniels resi-
dence and is fanked by an icehouse,
which, in turn, is close to large wood
en- building on Main street. Beckett
street is narrow and the fire would, in
all probability. have jumped to the
row of buildings on the east side and
then communicated with the hotel.
Barre Firemen Aided.
That the flames we're stopped before
this possible loss was sustained was
due in part to the assistance rendered
bv Chief Heney and Fireman Charles
Emerson of the Barre department, who
responded to the call Tor assistancs
and gave personal aid while at the
same time Chief Heney offered valu
able suggestions as to the method OF
fighting the fire.
But without the Watrous fire engine
Of the local fire department. the fight
would have been in vain. The engine
connected with the brook running back
of the fire zone and threw three
streams Of water into the whirlpool
of fame and after hard work the Will
Jamestown fire department, with the
assistance of the Barre men, were
with success, and danger Of
a great confagTation was aVerted. kx-
eryone OF the buildings attacked By
flames was burned fat excepting the
Daniels house. one wall of which next
to the Drury house is standing. The
Drury house stands but few feet
away and the fact that it was not
damaged speaks volumes for the ef-
fertiveness OF fire fighting.
Residents of other buildings in the
vicinity began 20 move out their be
longings at the height Of the fire; and
wet blankets were hung in front Of
the windows TO prevent the breaking Of
glass BY the heat. Chief Griffin OF the
williamstown department, a veteran
fireman, was in the thick of the fight
and directed his meu and the volun-
teers. all of whom worked yaiiantly
attacking the flames or carrying out
the household Furnishings.
Daylight found the ruins still smoul-
derinu but all danger over.
The Fires Origin.
A. already stated, the FIRE originat-
ed in the Martin harm, shortly before
midnight This barn was little used
and contained only a small quantity
of old hay in the loft. Erwin Hoy
drove his Overland car onto the barn
floor after returning from Barre ~ :
O'Clock last night The door Of the barn
was not locked when he left, and u j.
possible that someone may have en-
tered the barn afterwards. either With
4 purpose to FIRE the property or with
a view 90 sleeping there, only u b.
driven ouj BY Biz own csrelessness IN
handling smoking material. Another
theory a. 80 the cause 81 IRE is clee-
trIc wiring
When Jesse Griffith Who occupied q
room IN the FoEr house next q 80