The Pine Plains Hose company was called out on Monday evening of this week about a quarter after ten to a fire in the home of Mrs. Anna Lown of Gallatin. The fire was caused by a bolt of lightning which struck the chimney, scattering bricks into the roadway, twenty feet away.

The run to Gallatin was made in record time with William M. Peck driving the pumper. When the engine arrived in Gallatin the fire was burning briskly, fanned by a slight breeze from the east. In a very short time the pumper was pumping water from the Roelif Jansen Kill near the mill. The distance from the stream of water to the pumper was 25 feet and 950 feet of hose was needed to carry the water up the hill to the fire. At the Siamese connection one hundred more feet of hose was added.

The two story house and its contents were a total loss and a small woodshed on the eastern side of the house was destroyed completely. The occupants of the house, Mrs. Anna Lown and daughter Mrs. Cora Fingar were preparing for bed when the bolt of lightning struck the house. They rushed out of the house in their night clothes. They were able to save only two trunks, a bureau and a chest of dishes.

The residence of Mrs. Orphclta Blaco, an 86-year old retired school teacher is about 15 feet away from the Lown residence and without the aid of the fire department, this house would probably have caught fire as the sparks were blowing in that direction.

The Lown house was insured for $1500 in the Dutchess and Columbia Fire Relief Association of which A. P . Niver of Pine Plains is agent. The estimated loss is placed at more than $2500. Next winter's supply of wood and coal were destroyed in the blaze.

After the flames had been extinguished by the local fire department, Berton Finkle served coffee, cakes and cookies to the firemen. Mrs. Lown and Mrs. Fingar spent the night at Berton Finkle's.


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