Fighting Fire at Minus Fifteen Degrees Fahrenheit.

Fire Department steamer.

The St. Lawrence Plain Dealer, Wednesday, December 30, 1896.

POTSDAM’S BLAZE.

The Worst Fire in Many Years--The Loss Is Estimated at $57,000, with Insurance for $30,000. The Fire Engine Breaks Down at the Start.

   The village of Potsdam seems unusually unfortunate in fires. It has had several serious ones, but not for years one so bad as that of last Sunday morning [Dec. 27, 1896], when the alarm called out the fire department at about two o'clock, on a bitter cold night, with the thermometer 15 degrees below zero.

   When first discovered the fire was confined in the rear office of the Wilson meat market on Main street, but even before the first arrivals put in an appearance the blaze had broken out and had wrapped the entire building in flames, which were rapidly reaching out on all sides and threatened to soon envelop the Herald block on the east, the Windsor House on the west and the Williams livery stables on the north, all in close proximity. The entire absence of wind alone saved the entire business section on this side of Market street from destruction.

   In spite of the fact that the fire department responded promptly to the alarm and five streams were soon playing on the burning meat market, the flames had already found their way through a shed into the Belding block on Main street, occupied by Davis's restaurant, Henry Papaw's confectionery store and Pat Calnon's saloon, and was making rapid strides toward the Windsor House. The heat began to grow terrific, and plate glass windows on the opposite side of the street were cracked. The iron shutters on the Herald building saved it and prevented the flames spreading in that direction.

   At the first alarm of fire, Engineer Howe touched a match to the engine at her quarters back of Story's dry goods store and in an incredibly short time she was giving forth two terrific streams, operating in her house and drawing water from a deep well located in the room. She was working in splendid shape when an accident occurred which ruined her completely for any further service that night.

   It was at about 3 o'clock and Engineer Howe was standing near her right discharge pipe when the heavy hose attached suddenly burst with a loud report and the full force of the water, with a 140 pound pressure, struck him full in the chest, knocking him against and through a window. He managed to stagger out of the way, however, and after turning off the valve took refuge near the heater in the corner of the room to get thawed out and recover from the shock.

   The accident seemed to have disarranged the automatic valve in the pipe which supplies the boiler with water, as Engineer Howe's young assistant soon called to him that they were losing water and be could not get her up, whereupon Mr. Howe ordered that the fires be drawn, when it was discovered that one of the flues had sprung a bad leak. This of course rendered the steamer useless and the fire fighters were left with nothing but the city pumps to supply them.

   The buildings on the corner were among the oldest in town, largely of wood and regular fire traps. The flames spread from the meat market to the Sullivan livery stables and were checked at the Williams stables in the rear, but on the front they licked up one or two saloons and went on to Matteson & Lehand's grocery on the corner. About the same time the Windsor house on Market street belched forth flames and in a few minutes it collapsed. In this building was the Williams saloon and the Barnett Bros. clothing store. The next to go was the Central restaurant and Hepburn’s saloon. The flames were checked in the Jacobsons’ clothing store and by church time Sunday only a smouldering mass of ruins was left.

   The following estimates are probably not far out of the way. Barnett Bros., Windsor house block and clothing store, $25,000; insurance $12,000. G. C. Lewis, restaurant loss, $6,000; insurance, $2,000. William Williams, saloon, loss $4,000; insurance, $1,000. Matteson & Lehand, grocery, loss $4,000; no insurance. I. and S. Jacobson, clothiers, loss $6,000; insurance, $5,000. Daniel Hurley, Windsor house, $2,100; no insurance. H. H. Hepburn and Pat Calnon, saloons, loss $5,000; insurance, $3,000. Knowles block $2,000; fully covered. Other small losses mostly covered by insurance.

 

Potsdam: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potsdam,_New_York

 

 

The Plaindealer

Published every Wednesday Morning in the

PLAINDEALER BUILDING, MAIN ST,

CANTON, N. Y.

GILBERT B. MANLEY, Editor and Proprietor

WILLISTON MANLEY, Associate Editor

GEO. T. MANLEY, Manager Printing Dep’t

Terms, $1 per Year in Advance.