The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-04-19
MARTIN HOUSE
GUTTED BY FIRE
Damage to Linden Street
Residence from $4,000
to $4,000
DEFECTIVE CHIMNEY
IS PROBABLE CAUSE
Mr.. and Mrs. Voetsch Awakened by
Smell of Smoke. Early This Morning
Blaze Gives Firemen Stubborn Fight
for Several Hours


for Several Hours.
The J. L. Martin house and contents
at the corner of Chaplin and Linden
streets We're damaged this morning to the
amount of $1,000 to $4,000 by fire and
water, the fire breaking out at $50
O'Clock and Offering stubborn resistance
until nearly ; o'clock. The house was
owned by Mrs. Katharine MARTINI
Voetsch. wife of Carl NJ Voetsch. she
having bought it not long ago of her
mother, Mrs. Jessie l.. Martin. and her
sisters Mrs Murray NJ. Tucker and Miss
Helen r. Martin. Mr.. and Mrs. NoetSch
and little daughter, Jessie, who occupy
the second story. and Miss Susan Moore,
who is employed by the family were the
only persons in the house, Mrs. Martin,
who lives down stairs, having been in
Florida since March.
1t is supposed that the fire started from
some defect in a chimney in the south
part of the house, probably where it went
through the third floor into the attic and
that it spread under the floor eastward to
the partition, burning embers falling down
in the partition to the second floor. as
the first that was seen of the blaze was
when il had burned through the partition
j into the south room. the living room, on
: the second door. There had been a fire
in the fireplace in that room all day and
during the evening.
/ Flames spread through the attic quickly
and burned off the roof from the front
side west TO the garage which connects
the main house with a smaller house
which was part of the Martin estate.
There it was stopped the garage and the
small house being saved On the second
floor the principal fire damage was in the
! living room and the rear part, but the en-
/ tire house was soaked, four streams of
water being poured into it.
! There was insurance of $1,000 on the
house, $1,000 through George II. Clays
agency and $1,000 through II. f. Tay-
lor K Sons agency. Mrs. Noetsch also
had 5000 insurance on furniture through
i II. i. Brittan's agency, and Mrs. Martins
furniture was insured for $4,000 through
the Clay agency. Mrs. Elizabeth Hurl-
burt, who occupied the small house. was
insured through the Taylor agency, but
she sustained practically no loss. Mrs.
Hurlburt left Friday to visit in New
i Britain, Conn, and New York. She was
notified of the fire by telephone.
! Mr.. and Mrs. Noetsch awoke about the
same time. probably being awakened by
the smoke, but no fire was then visible, and
Mr.. N0etSch Went down stairs and into
the cellar without discovering any fire.
Then a cracking was heard in the parti-
tion and the fire station was notified by
telephone. The fremen in the station
were lust ready to leave when Mrs.
lVoetsch again called and asked for a bell
alarm. which was given at box 81 at the
station.
i The fremen arrived with promptness
and four lines of hose were laid. one from
the WillistOn street hydrant, one from
the hydrant at the head of Chaplin street
and two from the hYdrant in front of G..
\. Boyden'S house on Linden street. But
little water flowed through the last men
toned hydrant at first because of some
trouble with the valve gate, but this was
seemed a long time. There was some de-
lay in getting ladders to the fire, as one
wheel Of the hook and ladder truck col
lapsed when the truck swung around the
Elliot street corner into Main street
Apparatus at the fire was sent after the
ladders. The hook and ladder truck is q
horSedrawn affair and had outlived its
usefulness long ago. Good work was
done by the fremen under trying circum-
stances.
Much of Mrs Martins furniture was
saved, but the greater part of the furni-
! ture on the second floor was damaged by
fire. water and smoke. Miss Helen r.
Martin. who was with Mrs. Tucker last
night, had several chests of personal
: effects in the attic where the fire started,
and she lost most of them. Miss Moore.
whose room was in the west part of the
house. lost most of her clothing
Until there has been opportunity to
make a thorough investigation it cannot
be stated whether the remaining part of
, the house will be utilized or whether an
entirely new house viii be erected. The
house was built for the late United States
District Judge James l.. Martin about
35 years ago, but several additions had
been built since then.