"Big Fire In Truxton"

   It was called the "Big Fire in Truxton" by the Cortland Standard on the front page of its newspaper, published Friday, April 29, 1904. The fire destroyed a high school, a store, a hotel, a house and a barn and damaged several other buildings including a Methodist church. No one was reported killed or injured. The fire was fought at night with buckets of water, as Truxton did not have a volunteer fire company. The Cortland fire department was summoned by telephone, and nine Cortland firemen with a steam engine apparatus responded by train.
   This is the story of the fire as reported in the Cortland Standard.

fire department steamer circa 1904.
 

BIG FIRE IN TRUXTON.

School Building, Hotel, Store, Dwelling House and Barn Burned Last Night.
 

LOSS $15,200, AND INSURANCE $7,200.

Origin of Fire Unknown-Lively Work By the Residents of the Town-Cortland Fire Department Summoned and Went on Special Train, but Flames Were Under Control Before it Arrived—Story of the Fire in Detail.

   Truxton was last night visited by the most severe fire in its history. The new school building which was erected a few years ago to replace the one burned, was destroyed, and also the large hotel at the corner of Main St. and the Cortland road, the hotel barn, the store of Jerry O'Connor which was in the hotel building and a dwelling house next adjoining owned by John O'Connor and occupied by E. L. Applegate. It was only by the most heroic efforts that the Methodist church was saved and also the church sheds which stood south of the school building, and likewise the M. E. parsonage and barn which were next east of the burned district. The Cortland fire department was summoned and responded, going on a special train, but by the time it reached Truxton the flames were under control and it did not unload.
   The total loss will aggregate about $15,200, with an aggregate insurance of $7,200.
 

Origin of the Fire.
 

   The fire had its origin in the south east corner of the two-story frame school building on the first floor and spread with great rapidity. Its cause is unknown. Principal Harry Dickinson says he is confident that there was no fire in the stove at that time, because at 3 o'clock in the afternoon the fire had run low because of the high temperature and he then inquired of the pupils it they were cold. A few said they were, but the majority were comfortable. He looked at the fire then and saw that kindlings would be required to make it go and, since it lacked but an hour of closing time, he permitted those who were cold to put on their wraps and wear them till the hour for dismissal. He is confident that before dark there was not a particle of fire in the stove. There were no other fires anywhere else about the building from which it could have started.

The Fire Discovered.

   It was about 1:30 o'clock this morning when Fred I. Woodward, the furniture dealer and undertaker, who lives across the street from the school and a little distance from it, was aroused for some reason. He thought he saw a light outside and got up and looked out. The sheds of the M. E. church obstructed his view of a part of the school building, but it was apparent to him that there was some kind of an illumination over behind the sheds. He called Mrs. Woodward and they decided that there must be a fire over there. Mr. Woodward hurriedly dressed and ran over to the school building.
   Others in other quarters appeared to have discovered the fire at about the same time, but Mr. Woodward was first at the building and first to give the alarm.
   The fire at that time was burning in the first floor room at the southeast corner of the building and seemed to have gained quite a good deal of headway. Mr. Woodward smashed in the front door and ran upstairs to ring the bell and sound the alarm, but the upper hall was so full of smoke that he had to abandon the idea and get out to avoid suffocation. He then ran up and down the street shouting "fire" at the top of his lungs and in a few minutes the whole town had turned out to do what was possible to stay the flames and save property.

The School Goes Down.

   The school building stood on the Cortland road next south of the hotel which occupied the corner of Main St. Next south of the school is the Methodist church and some of the church sheds came pretty close up to the burning building. It was feared that the fire would spread in both directions. Truxton has no facilities for fighting fire aside from buckets, but the people did good work with their buckets.
   Not a thing was saved from the school building. By the time the men got there in numbers it was impossible to enter the building, and it burned to the ground. It was a two-story frame building 30 by 60 feet in size with an addition of 30 by 40 feet extending at right angles to the main structure. It was comparatively new, having been put up in 1882 to replace a former building that burned and having been entirely remodeled and enlarged in 1900. There were 120 pupils in attendance and four teachers: Principal Harry Dickinson and Misses Severance, Wallace and Allen. The loss on the building and contents is estimated at $4,600 with an insurance of $2,000 of which $1,200 was in the Five County Co-operative company and $800 in the Westchester company.

Church is Scorched.

   Part of the fire fighters turned their attention to the church and church sheds on the south and some devoted their energies to the hotel on the north. By hard work the church was saved, though its roof was on fire several times and the north wall is scorched and blistered. The sheds were also on fire and the end of the sheds nearest the church was badly burned.

The Hotel Next on Fire.

   The hotel on the north was owned by John O'Connor. It stood about 36 feet from the school building and occupied the corner, extending about 150 feet along the Cortland road and the same distance along Main St. It was a two-story frame structure. It was evident that this was doomed and many people, both men and women devoted their energies to saving the contents, A large share of the furniture was removed, but in a more or less damaged condition owing to the great haste of action.

O'Connor's Store Next.

   The extreme east end of the hotel building was occupied by Jerry O'Connor who conducted a large general store and who carried a very large stock of goods. As many as possible of the goods were removed, but as they were taken out with great haste much of the stock was damaged, and much of it could not begotten out at all.

Dwelling House and Hotel Barn.

   Next east of the hotel building and the store on Main St. was the story and a half dwelling house owned by John O'Connor and occupied by E. L. Applegate. The furniture was removed from the house as far as possible and then that, too, succumbed to the fiery destroyer.
   In the rear of the hotel and of this dwelling house was the hotel barn, 40 by 80 feet in size. This likewise was destroyed together with a large stock of hay and grain.

The Fire Controlled.

   The next buildings to the east were the M. E. parsonage and barn, but these were far enough away so that by hard work they were saved, though the sides of the parsonage were hung with carpets which were kept soaked and the paint was scorched and blistered.

Aid from Cortland.

   Soon after the fire started it seemed as though the whole town would go and a telephone message asking for help was sent to Cortland. This was received soon after 2 o'clock. Chief M. V. Lane of the fire department was out of the city. First Assistant W. B. Gilbert could not be roused by telephone and Second Assistant C. E. Thompson took charge. There were five bunkers at the engine house and four more at Hitchcock hose house and it was decided not to ring in a general alarm and arouse the whole city. So the nine men with Mr. Thompson started for Truxton with the steamer and 1,100 feet of hose. A special train on the Lehigh Valley R. R. was prepared for them and they were loaded at 2:46 o'clock and started. The run to Truxton was made in twenty minutes, but when that town was reached it was found that the flames were controlled and the apparatus was not unloaded though the firemen assisted the residents in finishing with the flames. They returned to Cortland at about 6 o'clock this morning.
   The total loss is estimated at $15,200 with insurance of $7,200.
   The loss on the high school and contents is placed at $4,500 with insurance of $2,000, placed $1,200 in the Five County Cooperative company and $800 in the Westchester.
   John O'Connor estimates his loss on the hotel and its barn at $6,000 with insurance of $3,000, half in the Hartford and half in the Home company.
   Jerry O'Connor places his loss on stock in his store at $4,000 with insurance
of $2,200, of which $1,200 is in the Home company and $1,000 in the Hartford.
   E. L. Applegate’s loss is $200 with no insurance.
   John O'Connor's loss on his tenant house was $500 with no insurance.
   School will be opened on Monday notwithstanding the fact that the building is gone. The primary department will meet in the lecture room of the M. E. church. One department will meet in the room over Westcott's store and the other over the store of Hall & Call.

 Taft Represents the President.

Washington, April 28.—Secretary of War W. H. Taft has left for St. Louis, where he will represent President Roosevelt at the opening of the world's fair. With the exception of Colonel Michael, the government board of managers also has left for St. Louis.