USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Lebanon > History of Lebanon, N.H., 1761-1887 > Part 34
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The precinct continued in its work of providing means for ex- tinguishing fires by laying pipes, providing hydrants. The J. C. Sturtevant Co. had placed force pumps in their building for their own protection, and the precinct connected their pipes with this pump by consent of parties. It was voted to purchase 800 feet of new hose to connect with hydrants to enlarge the territory to which protection could be given. This was a compromise between five hundred and a thousand feet.
The annual meetings had been held at various dates, but was fixed in 1876 to the first Tuesday in April, and so continued to the present time.
The property of the Sturtevant Company had passed in 1877 into the hands of Mead, Mason & Co. The Sturtevant Company had claims against the precinct for the use of the force pump and
380
HISTORY OF LEBANON.
its apparatus. At a meeting held February 27, 1877, a commit- tee was appointed to take all these matters into consideration and report upon them.
Their report at the annual meeting in substance was as fol- lows: That it was inexpedient then to make any arrangement with the Mead, Mason & Co., for the use of their steam pump. They recommend the attachment of the Holley pump owned by the precinct to some water-wheel then in use, which attachment was estimated to cost not more than $200.
They report it inexpedient at that time to purchase of W. S. Moses the hose carriage uniforms, which had been used before in working the hydrants.
After hearing the report it was voted to instruct the fire wards to attach the Holley pump to any water-wheel of sufficient power, expense not to exceed $200, for the next year.
The precinct continued to extend its pipes, erect hydrants and provide reservoirs for the years 1878-'79.
On the third day of March, 1881, the precinct, acting through their chief engineer, Lyman Whipple, made a contract with the Mead, Mason & Co. to the following effect :
For and in consideration of the sum of one hundred dollars paid to them annually by the Lebanon Center Village Fire Precinct Mead Mason & Co. will put their pump or engine at the Upper Shop (so called) in good order, and will keep up steam and furnish power sufficient to run said force Pump to its fullest capacity in case of fire, said steam to be kept up at hours both day and night during the time the Pre- cinct may contract for. It being expressly understood that said Pre- cinct are to have full control of the Force Pump, and to keep the same . in repair after receiving it; and in case the said Upper Shop should be destroyed by fire, Mead Mason & Co. reserve to themselves the right to annul their obligations, and in that case the Precinct are only to pay pro rata up to the date of such destruction; this agreement to con- tinue for the term of one year, and after the expiration of said year either party can discontinue this arrangement by giving the opposite party one year's written notice to that effect; and said agreement to continue in full effect one year from and after the date of said notice; this agreement, when entered into, to commence from January 1st 1881.
At the annual meeting in 1883, the number of fire wards was reduced to three instead of seven, to be known as chief engineer,
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THE VILLAGE FIRE PRECINCT, ETC.
first assistant and second assistant. Lyman Whipple was chosen chief; H. P. Goodrich, first assistant; George C. Perkins, second assistant.
At the annual meeting in 1884, the following resolution was adopted, on motion of J. L. Spring :
Resolved that a Committee of 7 be chosen to investigate the subject of introducing running water, procure full information and estimates and report to an adjourned meeting.
The committee was Charles A. Downs, Edward J. Durant, G. S. Joslyn, Charles M. Baxter, A. M. Shaw, John L. Spring and L. C. Pattee.
This meeting for some reason which does not appear found great difficulty in adjourning.
The first motion was that when the meeting adjourn it shall be to one week from today. An amendment was offered substi- tuting one month for one week. The amendment was not ac- cepted by the mover of the first motion, but the meeting voted to adjourn to one month from date at 7.30 p. m., May 1.
On motion it was voted to reconsider the vote, and it was moved that when the meeting adjourn, it adjourn to the first Tuesday in May. As the hour of the day was not mentioned the motion was amended so as to read that when the meeting ad- journs, it adjourns until the first Tuesday in May at 7.30 p. m., which was satisfactory and the meeting adjourned. The his- torian offers this criticism, that in none of the motions was the place to which the meeting was to adjourn mentioned.
At the adjourned meeting the committee made a verbal report which was accepted with thanks, and the article under which the committee acted was laid upon the table. After the transaction of some other business it was voted to take the committee's report from the table, whereupon the meeting adjourned, a step to- wards the fatal catastrophe !
The annual meeting of the precinct, 1885, was chiefly remark- able for the difficulty of securing a board of fire wards. After having elected a moderator and a clerk, the meeting adjourned until Saturday evening.
At the adjourned meeting Lyman Whipple was elected first fire ward, Harlan P. Goodrich was elected second fire ward. Mr.
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HISTORY OF LEBANON.
Goodrich saying that he had served fifteen years as a fire ward, asked to be excused. Upon vote he was excused.
Upon a second ballot for a second fire ward, George C. Per- kins was chosen, who declined to serve and asked to be excused. His request was granted.
Two more ballots were taken, resulting in no choice. At the next balloting William A. Churchill was elected.
Proceeded to ballot for third fire ward, when there was no choice. At the second ballot Frank Sayre was chosen, having eight competitors.
The precinct voted that the fire wards be instructed to con- struct a reservoir near the southeast corner of land of John L. T. Brown on Hanover Street, which was done.
At a special meeting held September 1, 1886, A. M. Shaw, in behalf of the Village Improvement Society, presented a detailed report as to the cost of introducing water from Mascoma River, to be pumped into a reservoir on the hill east of the village.
Upon motion of J. L. Spring, an informal vote was taken upon the question, Shall the precinct introduce water for the purposes specified ? Upon a division 97 voted in the affirmative and 34 in the negative.
Upon motion of C. A. Dole, the following resolution was adopted :
That a Committee of three be appointed by the Moderator to as- certain how many of the owners of water powers on Mascoma River below the Chandler Power (so called) will gratuitously sign a quit claim to the Precinct to draw from said River at or near the Chandler power, all the water the Precinct may desire for protection against fire, and for supplying the Precinct generally with water and report at an ad- journed meeting.
The moderator appointed C. A. Dole, J. L. Spring and R. W. Cragin. Dole and Cragin declined and were excused. A. W. Baker and C. D. Smith were appointed. Mr. Baker declined and was excused, whereupon E. F. Emerson was appointed.
Upon motion of C. A. Dole, the following resolution was adopted :
Resolved that a Committee of three be appointed by the Moderator to ascertain at what amount the land damages can be adjusted for laying and maintaining from some point on the Mascoma River near
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THE VILLAGE FIRE PRECINCT, ETC.
the Chandler Power, so called to the contemplated Reservoir and thence to Shaw street, and also, at what price the land needed for said Reser- voir can be obtained
The moderator appointed the same committee as before.
At the adjourned meeting held September 8, 1886, the com- mittee reported as to land damage. W. M. Kendall agreed to accept $25 for the right to lay and maintain an aqueduct pipe, and upon payment thereof to execute proper release and convey- ances. Upon payment of $50 C. W. Gerrish agreed to do the same, with the proviso not to conflict with any right heretofore given.
W. M. Kendall further agreed to convey the right to build and maintain a reservoir on the northerly side of his farm, with needed right of way, and stone to be taken from his farm for the sum of $50. At this meeting a resolution was adopted which was reconsidered and withdrawn at an adjourned meeting held Sep- tember 18, 1886, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and the following adopted in its stead :
Resolved that a Committee consisting of Charles A. Dole, Solon A. Peck, Carlos D. Smith, Lyman Whipple and Harlan P. Goodrich be authorized by the Precinct and they are hereby authorized to procure necessary surveys, and specifications for putting in water works for the protection of the Precinct against loss by fire, and for supplying the Precinct with water, to be taken from Mascoma Lake or River, to call for proposals for putting in the works, and to contract for the same, provided it can be done at an expense not exceeding forty thousand dollars
And said Committee are hereby farther authorized if bonds of the Precinct may be legally issued, or whenever they may be legally is- sued, to prepare, execute, and dispose of the bonds of the Precinct, suf- ficient to pay for said water works not exceeding the sum of forty thousand dollars; the rate of interest upon said bonds not to exceed five per cent; said bonds to be made payable in twenty years from their date; the interest to be payable annually or semi-annually and at such place as the Committee may determine; and if such bonds are ever issued the Committee are to use the avails therof to pay for said works
This being a special meeting, the law required that a ballot be. taken upon the resolution and that the checklist be used. Such a list had been prepared and was used for the first and last time in precinct meetings. By vote the polls were to close at 8 o'clock
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HISTORY OF LEBANON.
in the evening. A few moments before 8 o'clock it was voted that the polls close at 8 o'clock and 30 minutes.
Upon sorting and counting the ballots the following was the result :
Whole number of tickets given in was, 303
In favor of Mascoma Lake,
2
In favor of the resolution,
295
297
Against the resolution,
6
Majority in favor,
291
It being ascertained that one-half the number of voters in the precinct whose names were on the checklist at the annual meeting in 1886 was 277, the resolution was declared adopted. .
This was a movement in the right direction, but none heard, none saw the fearful calamity swiftly coming.
The annual meeting was held April 5, 1887, at which only routine business was transacted. In four weeks from the ad- journment of this meeting the calamity came.
By the courtesy of the proprietors of the Granite State Free Press the following account of the one great fire of Lebanon is given from their files just as it was prepared at the time, dated May 13, 1887 :
AT LAST.
LEBANON'S GREAT CALAMITY HAS COME-80 BUILDINGS BURNED- 600 MEN THROWN OUT OF EMPLOYMENT- 40 FAMILIES HOME- LESS.
When Monday's sun set peacefully in the west the busy hum of industry in twenty or more manufacturing establishments, large and small, on five dams, on both sides of the Mascoma River in the center village of this town, had just ceased for the day, and the 600 employés therein wended their way to their homes for the night's rest preparatory to another day's toil. When Tuesday's sun rose every one of those shops and mills was a heap of smoul- dering ruins, after a desperate fight of five hours to save them, and the devastation was being stayed for want of anything on
AFTER THE FIRE, 1887.
1
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THE VILLAGE FIRE PRECINCT, ETC.
which to feed down the river, and the interposition of brick walls and piles of green logs, as well as by the arrival of timely help, in other directions.
At about 12.45 o'clock Watchman Berry at the Governor Hale woolen mill, recently purchased by Carter & Rogers, was awak- ened by a light flashing through his window. Rising quickly he could see two fires apparently at the south end of Mead, Mason & Co.'s lower shop. He dressed quickly and hastened out to give the alarm. About the same time or a minute later, and just as Berry came out of the mill, Watchman Bullock at Ken- drick and Davis' key factory saw the light and rung the key factory bell, and almost simultaneously Watchman Webster at the shop where the fire was discovered it. He pressed the electric key connecting with the fire gong at the upper shop, and then rung the lower shop bell. Watchman Duplisse at the upper shop was on his round when the electric alarm sounded, and a minute was lost in getting to the gong, and another minute by pulling the wire so violently as to break it, necessitating the hunting up of a wrench. In those minutes the fire made rapid strides, as it was among shavings under the shop, and every- thing in the vicinity was especially combustible. The whole room above was a mass of flame in less than no time as it seemed, and when the first help arrived it was apparent that the whole lower shop was doomed. It was still hoped to save the immense three-story warehouse on the opposite side of Water Street, and connected by a covered overhead bridge, containing probably an acre of floor, and packed full of manufactured furniture and house finish, much of it elegantly upholstered. This bridge, however, proved a flue through which first an immense volume of smoke and then a sheet of flame poured into the warehouse, which also contained the counting room and the safes, and in fifteen minutes this, too, was enveloped in flames. Very little of the contents were removed, and these largely were afterwards burned. The stock of manufactured goods was unusually large, being held back on account of the interstate commerce law, in hope to get a living rate for freights. There is probably not another such tinder box in the state of New Hampshire. The flames shot up 200 feet into the air, affording a sight appalling and sublime. The heat was intense, rendering near approach by
. 25 .
386
HISTORY OF LEBANON.
the firemen impossible. The firemen rallied promptly to the dismal alarm which sounded out on the stillness of the awful night, but one of the hydrants refused to open, even by the aid of the stoutest wrench, and the line of hose laid from it had to be abandoned and allowed to burn on account of the intense heat. The streams from the force pumps did not seem to come with wonted power for some reason, while that from Athletic Engine Co. No. 3, Eagle Extinguisher No. 1, seemed to have little more effect than common boys' squirt guns. Our fire de- partment, 120 men, with the appliances they had, were never intended to cope with such a fire, and were powerless before it.
Alas! Alas! As we have twenty times expressed a fear, pro- phesying what has now occurred as only a question of time-the water-works, though put under contract and to be completed by September, have come one year too late. How we have plead for them through all these years. They would have saved at least eight times their cost. But, alas, three months too late, and the burden increased upon the taxable property left in the pre- cinct by the wiping out of one-fifth or one-sixth of it. O Folly, thy name is Humanity, and thou art everywhere. But enough of this.
The heat was awfully intense. It did not need the cinders which went hundreds of feet into the air and then fell on all sides in that awful stillness upon roofs almost blistered with the heat of the previous day-it did not need this to inflame the buildings on all sides; the heat was enough. The fire leaped simultaneously to the tenement house of Mead, Mason & Co. at the corner of Mascoma and Water streets on the east; to the key factory on the south; across the river to the Hale factory and Cole & Son's foundry on the west; and across Mascoma Street to the dwelling and livery stable of Dan Scott on the north. The department could scarcely hold the flames in check in one direc- tion-what could they do with all these fires? Almost abso- lutely nothing.
About 2 o'clock the telephone operator succeeded in arousing Enfield, and Protector Engine Co., Capt. Cross, was here by 3 o'clock, a locomotive being detached from a freight train to bring it and a large corps of fresh and hardy men. Never were men more heartily greeted or did better service.
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THE VILLAGE FIRE PRECINCT, ETC.
There was harder luck with Hanover. The telephone would not work, and a messenger was despatched. The Hanover com- pany, Capt. - -, responded and arrived in time to be of ser- vice. Concord could not be reached by telegraph; the line would not work for some reason. The telephone line to Concord would not work. She was finally reached by way of Bellows Falls by telephone, thence by telegraph, and assistance asked for. It was an hour of intense agony. The flames licked up as if a dainty morsel the tenement house known as the Lawton house, standing near in the lower shop yards, and G. A. El- liott's carriage shop close to the lower or Mascoma Street bridge; burned this bridge, but without waiting for that to burn leaped over it to the B. T. Tilden building on the opposite side of Mas- coma Street, occupied by Muchmore & Whipple, house builders, N. B. Marston, rake manufacturer, and Ira Bucklin, carpenter and builder. This building also went like tinder. The pre- cinct pump was in the basement. The operator stood by it until the falling timbers made life insecure, and he left it running. A minute later escape would have been impossible save by jump- ing into the river, and two minutes later by any method. The wheel is running still, but to make a wreck of the pump was the work of only a few minutes and it ceased to work, and being left open, operated as an open valve to deprive the steam pump of the Mead, Mason & Co.'s upper shop of its power.
There was nothing now but hand engines to fight the largest fire New Hampshire ever saw-two or three hand engines and a little extinguisher. Meantime the flames had worked up Mas- coma Street toward the park, destroying a two-tenement house belonging to Mrs. Ellis, and two tenement houses belonging to Mrs. P. E. Davis, occupied by Charles Woodward, Miss E. M. Camp, dressmaker, and two other families. The fire was suc- cessfully resisted in this direction by a desperate and successful fight to save the house owned by Mrs. Davis and occupied by Mr. Hoisington. The flames pressed up the stream, destroyed the Northern Railroad bridge, and attacked the splendid flour and grist mill, one of the best in the state, of William F. Shaw, occupied by Shaw & Wright, also by A. W. Rix, machinist, and the Shaw Rifles' armory. This seemed reluctant to burn, as the sheet-iron covering at the south end protected it for awhile,
388
HISTORY OF LEBANON.
but it was impossible to get a stream of water to the ridge pole, and it succumbed at last. The Free Press building came next, owned by Patrick Jordan, occupied by the Free Press, Freeman & Richardson, job printers, and the families of Patrick Coogan and John Bushway, two tenements being empty. Here it seemed highly probable the fire would be cut off, and having removed books, files and valuable papers, and got some other things ready to go in a hurry if necessary, we were indulging in the hope of going immediately to work to get out an extra. Fifteen min- utes later the extra got us out on the double quick. A quarter- inch stream of water for ten minutes would have saved us, as it would many a more valuable building, but it could not be had. It was now towards daylight, and a stream was turned on the blacksmith shop of P. Jordan, next north of us, and the tene- ment in the rear occupied by Mr. Townsend, which was half consumed, and here the fire was stayed in this direction.
Meantime it had crept up the south side of Mascoma Street to the park, destroying Mead, Mason & Co.'s lumber shed, the old Lafayette Hotel building, owned by S. S. Houghton of Boston, and occupied by L. W. Smith, carriages and sleighs, and by three families ; also the building occupied by Billings' marble works, second and third stories empty, and the large livery stable con- necting. It crept up the east side of Mill Street, taking a busi- ness block owned by O. T. Purmort and occupied as a storehouse by different parties; also the gristmill sheds, the old house in front of our office, owned by C. O. Hurlbutt and occupied by two families, the corner house, occupied by Mr. Rose, and the billiard room and restaurant of P. S. Lemay.
From the Lafayette the fire communicated to the engine house and to W. P. McFee's house on Hanover Street, which being brick lined made quite a stubborn resistance, but in vain, thence to the adjoining harness shop of Mr. McFee and shoe shop of A. Rock, second story occupied by Frank Morgan and mother as a residence. Next came Baldwin's wooden block, lower story occupied by J. E. Lincoln, dry goods, and C. E. Marston, under- taker's goods, and C. E. Colburn, groceries and crockery ; upper story by C. N. Walker, sewing machines, organs and pianos, rooms and residence, and H. P. Granger, tenement and photo- graph rooms. The next was a block owned and occupied by
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THE VILLAGE FIRE PRECINCT, ETC.
C. E. Pulsifer, grocer, second story by Athletic Club rooms. All these blocks were destroyed, their contents being largely removed in a damaged condition. This brings us to the new and elegant brick block of G. C. Whipple, where a most desperate and finally successful fight was made, thanks to the timely ar- rival of the Enfield company. All of the occupants of this build- ing removed their goods, the heat being so intense. On the lower floor G. C. Whipple, dry goods; P. M. Kenyon, tailor; F. Wal- ton & Co .; boots and shoes; I. N. Perley, druggist.
The west side of Hanover Street-Hildreth's block, Whip- ple's old block, and Worthen's block were in the greatest danger, the first named being on fire several times. The slightest breeze in that direction would have doomed them, and with them the whole of North Park Street, including the town hall. The fight was made mainly on Hildreth's block, and it was admirably made, too, by means of pails of water and small force pumps. A. C. Rich- ardson, foreman of the squirt gun company, says that the chimney was so hot he could not bear his hand on it. Down the river from the point of starting, the flames swept till there was nothing further for them to devour. The key factory, C. M. Baxter's machine shop, the old saw mill, and Mead, Mason & Co.'s lumber yard are a heap of ashes.
A scene of awful destruction was meantime being enacted on the west side of the river. The flames leaped the river at the point of first start to Cole & Son's pattern house and foundry. They leaped again both across the river from the Muchmore & Whipple building and across Mascoma Street from the foundry to Cole & Son's machine shop. They leaped again from Shaw's mill across the river to Mead, Mason & Co.'s upper shop, the river side of which was covered with wood dust from the blower, and it went like tinder. Nothing could oppose it, and nothing tried to oppose it. Not a stream of water was put on, not a line of hose was laid on the west side until everything was flat. There was water enough in the river, but no hose. The shop, the dry house, and boiler house, containing the company's pow- erful steam force pump and the precinct fire steam gong, went like a flash. There was great terror and dread of an explosion. The gong valve opened and sent its deep, dismal, half-suppressed
390
HISTORY OF LEBANON.
groan through minutes that seemed hours. It seemed like a howl from the infernal regions. .
The large three-story storehouse, full of furniture in the white, and immense piles of hardwood lumber between it and the boiler, made a terrible fire. T. D. Marston's sawmill came next up the river. It was nothing to lick that up. But the pile of green logs above it afforded a chance to fight the fire fiend to some advantage and the chance was improved, stopping it just short of Franklin Tucker's house. It took a plucky fight with blankets and buckets and force pumps to save the houses along High Street, opposite the upper shop. The extinguisher, re- lieved from other duty, finally came to the rescue and helped to save them. A dozen dwellings must have gone, if a fire too big for buckets had once started here-probably more. Long before this the fire from Cole & Son's foundry had communicated to their counting house, thence to F. C. Churchill's tenement house on the east side of High Street, occupied by Charles Dow and E. A. Cotting, which was burned.
Turning back now to the early morning hour, it will be re- membered that the fire at the starting point leaped the river, setting fire to Cole & Son's foundry. It communicated thence to their counting room building; thence to a house on the cor- ner of Mascoma and Mechanic streets owned by Mrs. Lynch and occupied by Mrs. Balduc; next came a house owned and occupied by Mrs. Lynch, Mascoma Hotel, owned and occupied by S. D. Jones, house owned by M. B. Foss and occupied by P. Duplisse and Charles Burdette, and one owned by Mrs. P. E. Davis, with two tenants. The fire was stopped at the next house, that of Henry Benton, by a desperate effort, aided by the timely arrival of a lot of fresh men by train from West Lebanon and White River Junction. Had the immense stock barn of Justus Sar- gent, next to this, caught fire there is no knowing where the end would have been in this direction. It was about half-past two o'clock when the fire was checked here, and in common with multitudes of people on the east side, we did not know that there was any fire on the west side till about 4 o'clock, so busy had we been in fighting on our side. In the rear of these houses and on the nameless street leading to the woolen mill, were four cottage
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