The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-03-20
FIRE Loss ENCEEDS 500, 900.
Continued from Page /.

CONTINUED from Rage II
and in drilling cold rain. but with
| excellent water pressure;
| Soon alter o'clock the iames broke
| through the gravel roof Then it was
easier TO reach the fire with water, but
/ the iirebrand hazard was greatly in
| creased, although not so much so as
would have been the case had there been
| no rain. This was an emergency for
| which Fire Chief Frank Streeter had
made preparations He attached two
/ lines of hose to q hydrant on Elliot
/ street and ran them through the fourth
/ ana fifth floors Of the Bradley Corp. fac
! tory, and from windows in that factory
| two streams easily were directed into
! the top Of the burning building. making
/ eight streams in all
! The roof fell in soon after 6 o'clock
and then the sprinkler system started.
/ The place was flooded out in a short
/ time, and the basement became full to
| the top of the windows with waited from
the hose and the sprinklers combined.
\ large quantity of water also became
| confined on the first floor. The firemen
| broke the basement windows to let the
water run out, and that section Of Flat
street was converted into Il brook. Two
streams were kept playing on the ruins
until 9 o'clock
| Besides the danger TO the Crowell
| building there was danger TO the Finer
| son x Son building, a hye-story brick
structure north of the fire. and 70 the
| former Harrow stable about 20 feet to
| the east Of the fire. which was bought a
few years ago by the Dewitt Grocery
| Go. Because Of the danger the horses
and automobiles owned by the Dewitt
Grocery Co. were moved to places OF
| safety.
The total amount Of insurance on the
property was S114000. divided among
not lpl.s.
Britain & Howe. 100000 on stock, SD,
600 on building; George NJ Clay So
eco on stock. $1,000 on binding, $4,000
on Office furnishings and fixtures; San
ford \. Daniels, $4,000 on stock; III.
T.. Taylor X Son, $4,000 on stock, S.
600 on building.
The Dewitt ,t1rocery Go. has occupied
/ the present location II years or more.
I The building was erected by Emerson. 4
Son about p years ago and was sold by
/ that firm to the Dewitt Grocery CO. Is
years ago. The latter concern has tran
sactcd q large business there, employing
at the present time about 20 hands. III
Guiding three travelling statesmen. and
running delivery trucks to the surround
I ing towns. Several of the employees did
not know of the fire until this morning,
in fact the FIRE started at 50 early an
hcur that only a comparatively few per
sons ventured out in the rain.
/ DcWceac +. Dewitt this place is
treasurer and manager and owns con-
trolling interest in the business. James
/ \. Muzzy of Jamaica is president and
! Holland !. Wilson of Brattleboro j.
clerk The owners of the common stock
are these three aud Mrs Ernest Allen
of Jamaica, Harold AIuzzy of WeSttield,
Mass. Frank 4. Dewitt of Newfanc.
/ Mrs Milton Eddy, Fred j. Pier. Mrs.
! d. p Dewitt. DcWeese W. Dewitt,
Mrs Ella Stearns, Mrs. +. G. NIoffatt,
Frank Smith and Mrs. Sarah J. Wilson
of Brattleboro.
d. ?. Dewitt said this forenoon that
temporary quarters had been secured on
| Vernon street of the s. ~ Smith Mfg.
! co. He said also that the company would
/ rebuild, either on the old foundation or
on larger foundation to include the
present site and the site of the former
I Harrow stable To the east.
On tho first floor Of the building
burned today the company stored sugar
I -four aud bulk cereals. ON the second
/ floor was kept tobacco, candy, cigars
| cigarettes. drugs, package goods and
canned goods The top floor contained
matches. of which there We're about POO
cases on hand. teas. coffecs. cereals
soaps, galvanized goods. roll paper. bot
| tied goods, bags and Irvine. In the base
ment was stored raisins, prunes. soft
drinks. vinegar. lard and potatoes.
! The firm has a carload of potatoes in
the railroad ward. Five carloads of stock
have been placed in the building the past
| 10 days
Neither Mr.. Dewitt nor Mr.. Wilson
nor any Of the other employees believe il
: possible that the fire started in the boiler
room. That room is i'm the northwest
! corner eff the basement and is enclosed
/ i'm brick and Il fire door. Everything was
! all right when the fires were banked Sat
[ ur,lay night and there was no litter ON
| the floor ID. L. Dewitt went to the Of
/ fec yesterday and there was no odor or
any indication whatever of, anything sus-
picious.