The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-12-30
Barre Teleph I Operator,
Mrs. Ell Broggi,
Averte ! Zig Loss
AS FIRE ~ OKE OUT
IN SHEP = d co. STORE
Firemen soon Put Out Fire
But Smoke Did Much
Damage

Prompt action by night telephone
the fire department at 1890 this morn
ing, after she saw the reflection Of fire
In the rear of the Quarry Bank build
ing, averted heavy loss and possible
destruction of the builing. Responding
with the heavy motor truck, the fire.
men found a brisk fire in a workshop
at the rear of the Mrs. Shepard Co,
Inc, woman's apparel store, and the en-
tire store filled with smoke. The loss
from fire itself is not large but the
smoke damage is considerable.
The firemen did not find it necessary
to use water as the partial contents Of
45-gaIlon tank sufficed to extinguish
the flames enough 50 that burning hats,
dresses and other materials in the
workshop could be hurled out of the
window in the rear of the store. The
building was only slightly damaged by
fire, the flames being checked after
they had burned around the window in
the workshop; and the beaver board
partitions kept the flames from get
ting into the store itself although the
fire had been smouldering and burning
for hours probably six hours before
the alarm.
The cause OF the fire was an cleo
trio fatiron, which had been left with
the current turned on when the store
was closed ait $50 last evening. The
fatiron was resting on an ironing ta
BILE in the workshop and when the con
tinued current heated the iron to the
point of combustion for infammable
material in contact the trouble started.
Much of the material in the room was
in process of making into hats, dresses
and other articles of women's apparel.
This workroom presented devastated
condition to-day although, after put
ting out the flames, the tiremen turned
their attention toward sweeping out
the liquid from the chemical tank and
much of the debris
The Mrs. Shepard Co., Inc, carried a
large stock of delicate fabrics on which
the action of the smoke was harmful,
so that the loss will be considerably
beyond that occasioned by the element
Of fire itself. The smoke was driven
out as soon as possible but ii had al
ready done much damage before the
firemen arrived. Chief Heney and one
fireman remained at the store for some
time to guard against any further out
break Of the fire, and during the re-
OF the night police guard
was stationed to prevent the theft of
goods.
The smell of smoke pefmeated the
sntire building but all damage was con
lined to the Mrs. Shepard Co. store
Had the fire been allowed to gain more |
Roadway there would have been very /
serious consequences, as the Quarry
Bank building contains two banks, two
stores, many offices of professional |
men, real estate dealers, granite men,
Board Of Trade and New England Tel
'phone q Telegraph Co. on the sec
md floor and the operating rooms Of
he telephone company and the large
Issembly hall on the third floor. The
building was bought short time ago
~ the Quarry Savings Bank g. Trust
%.
Chief Heney, remarking to-day about
he firemen's ability TO keep the loss a
Iown, gave a great deal of credit to &
drs. Broggi. who, after seeing the re-
lection OF flames on the Pape house in
he rear of the Quarry sBank building,
'romptly telephoned her suspicious to
he fire station. Her position in the
telephone Office was almost directly
yer the place where the flames were
making hesdway. Chief Heney says
be telephone operators have been very
elpful in keeping the fire losses down
D Barre by prompt service in trans
hitting calls to the station.
The Shepard store carried insurance
D the agencies of Drew and Lynde,
ohm Dillon and McAllister & Kent.
Thile, in addition. the Pape agency
ad insurance on the building.