The Belding banner-news., 1922-03-15
BIG BARN AND
CONTENTS BURN
IN NIGHT FIRE
SIX HORSES BURNED TO DEATH
HEROIC WORK SAVES FINE
III ERD OF CATTLE

Ire Oh UNKNOWN origin was ulSCOV-
cred Sunday night at about nine o.
clock in the large barn on the b. F..
Hall farm in Orleans township, east
CT this city, but not however until it
had gained such Roadway that all
efforts to save the fine large building
were in vain and the flames soon re-
duced it, together with large guam
tity of hay, several tons of meal and
feed, a large number of farm tools
and six fine horses which were used
on the farm, TO a mass of smoldering
ruins.
Don Dean, manager of the farm,
together with his son and other
he. pels, had been in the barn a short
time before the fire was discovered
and the Dean family was preparing
to retire for the night whan the
building was discovered TO be burn
ing.
The fire had spread to all parts
Of the barn and Mr.. Dean, realizing
That il was of no use to try and save
the building. turned his attention and
efforts to the saving of the horses
and cattle which were housed in the
Darn. Rushing TO the barn to liber-
ate the horses the men were beaten
back by the flames and left the horses
to theu terrible fate. The rescuers
then hurried to the basement where
63 head of cattle. large number of
them registered Aberdeen-Angus. to-
gether with 81 head of Durham feed
ers, were kept. Some thirty of the
animals Wee tied and il was only by
the most heroic work on the part Of
Mr. Dean and his assistants that the
cattle were liberated. While the
men were working in the cattle barn
the flames had made such headway
and the heat had become so intense
that it was with great danger and
difficulty that the men worked and
the cattle were on the verge of a
stampede when they were finally
driven into the yard After the ami
mails were driven into this yard, i
was still necessary to cut 26 strands
of wire which comprised a FENCE, so
that the animals, which were nearly
wild and suffering intensely from
the great heat, could get into the field
on the west of the barn. All the time
while the men were working with the
cattle, they could hear the pounding
and kicking of the doomed horses,
as they made frantic efforts TO get
away from the flames
The local fire department took the
big truck out to the, fire. hut "win0
the structure and the departments
efforts were confined to saving sew
eral other smaller buildings on the
farm The wind was in favor OF the
other buildings, which were located
To the south and east of the outn-
mo barn and with a south wind, they
were at no time in serious danger
of burning. Sparks from the burn
ING barn, however, carried FAR over
the road to the north and over IN
a field on the Post farm and set fire
to several stacks of hay and straw
which were located there.
The barn was AZ by 80 feet IN size
and was practically new structure
having replaced the one which was
blown down and wrecked by a lorna
do which visited the section several
years ago The financial loss VIII
range in the neighborhoOd Of Sl,OOO
to $1,000 and this is fully covered by
insurance. Mr.. Hall Immediately
laid plans for the erection Of a new
and larger harm which will occunN
the site of the burned building. The
farm has for years been operate
largely as an apple ranch and IN th'
picking season certain work wa
done on the barn floor. which PROVED
to be too small and when the ney
barn is put up. it will be large enough
So that the apple work can be takel
care of i'm more commodious quar-
ters.
While Mr.. Hall has for years spe
cialized i'm apples, he has at the sam
time been building up a fine herd G
registered Aberdeen-Angus cattle
, and the stock was of the best. Onl
that morning large herd of Durhal
feeders which Mr. Hall had purcha:
| ed in Chicago. had been driven OF
:, 20 the farm and thev were spendin
y their first night in the barn when
: burned.
d Mr.. Dean, manager of the farm,
!, of the opinion that the fire is of Il
: cendary origin, but Mr.. Hall; wn'
G asked what he thought of the fl
brand idea, said that he did not TIM
SO and wondered why anyone shou
want to DESTROY a building by flrelr
II it He is of the opinion that 1t WI
:, started from some other mysterlou
e unknown and natural cause and tn
! while undoubtedly same barns mi
e : have been fired in this county recef
a. lv. that incendiarists had nothing
IN sky was il
! do with the burning of his barn.
The sky was illuminated for ma
miles around by the leaping fam
: and hundreds of automobiles, ca
- loaded to capacity with people fro
this city and the country for mi
around the burning barn, visit
the place.