Cortland Evening Standard, Thursday, February 8, 1900.
A PERSISTENT FIRE.
J. H. TALMAGE'S WAGON FACTORY BURNED OUT.
Origin of the Fire
Uncertain--The Building Thoroughly Gutted—Peck’s Livery Stable and Hitching
Barn in Danger, but Saved—The Losses and Insurance.
A few minutes before 10 o'clock this morning
there was a cry of "fire" from the vicinity of the Messenger House,
and in a moment or two it was discovered that flames had broken out in the
second floor of the third-story frame building in the rear of C. B. Peck's
residence on Port Watson-st., which was largely occupied by J. H. Talmage as a carriage
factory. The building was erected about thirty years ago by Col. J. G. Carmichael
as a furniture factory and is still known as the furniture factory.
For the last nine years J. H. Talmage has occupied
the second and third floors. The first floor was occupied by C. B. Peck as a livery
office and storage barn. His livery stable and hitching barn closely adjoin.
The whole property is owned by Mrs. H. E. Carmichael of Binghamton.
The firebell was rung and the fire
department responded with great promptness. The morning was warm and rain was
falling heavily at the time. Orris and Water Witch attached to the hydrant in front
of G. I. Watson's drug store, while Emerald and Hitchcock coupled to the one in
front of the residence of G. J. Maycumber. Water was quickly turned on, but by
the time that the first stream was started the interior of the second story at
the front was a roaring furnace with flames bursting from the windows. The interior
of the building was perfectly dry. For years it had been used as a paint shop
and finishing room for furniture. The walls and floors were saturated with
paint and oil and burned like tinder.
The smoke rose high and swept down over the
hitching barn and livery barn adjoining. In the latter Mr. Peck had fourteen
horses. Willing hands in abundance helped lead out the horses and rescue the
wagons, sleighs, harnesses and equipments, also teams from the hitching barn.
Mr. Peck's office in the burning building was quickly stripped of furniture.
Orris put a stream Into the front windows. Hitchcock
played upon the east side of the building near the home of G. J. Maycumber.
Water Witch took a position on the roof of the one story hitching barn at the
rear of the burning building, where a stream could be thrown the whole length
of the second floor. Emerald at first poured water into the west second story
windows, and then when the flames were deadened down a little walked in the front
door with ball spray nozzle and fought the way inch by inch up the stairs into
the room where the hottest part of the fire was.
With the volume of water thus poured on it
was not long before the most of the flames were extinguished and it was evident
that the fire would be confined to one building and that the livery barn and
hitching stable would be saved. But the fire got into the attic under the roof
and was exceedingly persistent and hard to get [at], and [it] took almost
another hour to get it fully out.
Orris got into a window at the middle of the
east side and chopping a hole in the ceiling above put a stream up into the
little attic. A tall ladder was raised against the west front gable and an
axman cut a hole into the attic. James Gaffney, pipeman of Emerald, poured a stream
in where the flames were hottest. The axman enlarged the
hole and Gaffney went in through the opening.
There were calls from all sides to him not
to get in too far, as the smoke was dense and nothing but a thin ceiling would
prevent a fall clear through to the first floor, but Mr. Gaffney was bound to
fight the flames right there and keeping his feet on the joists and frequently
sticking his head out of the opening to get a breath of fresh air and to blow
the smoke out of his eyes he directed the stream till all the fire was out
there.
Shortly before the [fire] was finally put out
the second floor fell with a crash and the east wall bulged far out of a
perpendicular position. It was after 11 o'clock before the flames were entirely
out. The livery barn and hitching barn were entirely uninjured.
The origin of the fire is uncertain. Mr. Talmage
used the front room of the second floor as a workroom for upholstering and
finishing. The only fire in the building was kept there, but that had gone out.
Mr. Talmage had been working alone for some days. A carload of gears and carriage
hardware had arrived and was to have been delivered to-day.
This morning at about 9:30 Mr. Talmage told a
STANDARD man he went up the back way to this front room and built a fire of
wood in the stove and then went down stairs again, put a pair of shafts upon a
surrey which he had [arranged] to store at Dr. Johnson's barn next door to give
more room for the new goods coming. He started to draw the surrey around to Dr.
Johnson's barn and had nearly reached the street, when there was a cry of fire,
and looking around he saw the flames through the second story windows of the
shop behind him. He ran back at once.
The fire was discovered among the first by
Frank La Fortune, a man employed at the livery stable, who ran up the front
stairs with a pail of water to see if he couldn't put it out. He found the door
at the head of the stairs locked. Mr. Talmage says the key dropped from his pocket
last night when retiring and the loss was unnoticed. He found it on the floor
of his bed room today. La Fortune burst open the door and threw on the water,
but the flames were already too well started to be affected by water from a
pail.
Mr. Talmage cannot account for the origin of
the fire. He thinks it must have started
from something connected with the
stove or in starting the fire. There was quite a quantity of shavings and
excelsior on the floor at the time. He didn't know but the stove exploded, but
when seen after the fire was out it seemed to be alright. He says it is unsafe
to start a fire and go off and leave it till it is well going, and he shouldn't
have done it this morning except that he was in such a hurry.
La Fortune, however, thinks the fire was not
near the stove, but nearer the corner of the room and a pile of paint pails.
Mr. Talmage estimates his loss on stock and
material at $2,500 upon which he has an insurance of $600; his loss on
machinery and tools at $200; on a quantity of new cuts just received for a
catalogue at $500, and on patterns $50. On all the latter he had an insurance of
$500, all placed with Theodore Stevenson.
Mrs. Carmichael had an insurance on the
building of $800 placed with James A. Nixon. It is impossible yet to determine whether
the loss will be covered by the insurance.
C. B. Peck's loss on goods stored in the burning
building is entirely covered by insurance. Among the articles lost, however, were
the rubber tire wheels for his hack. They were stored in the third floor and
ordinary wheels were on the hack during the winter. However, they were insured.
To Niagara Falls for
$3.
On account of the ice bridge the D., L. & W. R. R. will sell round trip
tickets to Niagara Falls, good on
special train via Binghamton and Buffalo, Saturday Feb. 10, and returning on
special train Feb. 10 or any regular train Feb. 11. Fare for round trip $3. For
full particulars, inquire of D., L. & W. ticket agent.
Some New Sousa
Programs.
In Sousa's programs for his present tour
there are two new Sousa marches, "The Man Behind the Gun," from his
new extravaganza, "Chris and the Wonderful Lamp," and "Hands
across the Sea." Sousa is a rapid and most happy arranger, and there is
little of any account in musical composition that escapes his eye. He is ever
alert, watchful for productions of merit, and whatever has feature enough to
claim public attention is likely to find a place somewhere in his concerts, either
as program number or as encore presentment. His accumulation of new works
constantly is remarkable.
At this particular time especially he Is
making extraordinary addition to his later library in view of the present tour
in this country, the European tour next summer, and the great trans-continental
tour in which he will cover the whole American continent next year, season of
1900-01.
The next Sousa concert here, the only one
this season, will occur on Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 14 at the Opera House at
which we may expect the brightest sort of program. The special soloists are Miss
Blanche Duffield, soprano, and Miss Bertha Bucklin, violinist, both artists of
sterling qualities.
Editor's note:
In Grip's Historical Souvenir of Cortland the fire at the T.H. Talmage wagon factory was referred to as the Cortland Buggy Company fire at 19 Port Watson Street.
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