Peterborough, New Hampshire, USA
1875 - THE PETERBOROUGH FIRE

A Journal dispatch gives the particulars of the disastrous fire at Peterborough, by which the machine shop of Granville P. Felt with the storehouse connected therewith, were entirely consumed at 1 o'clock on Wednesday morning. It appears that the fire was discovered by Mr. Felt at 5 minutes before 11 o'clock on Tuesday night, and had made such headway that he was unable to start his force-pump, but gave the alarm and directed his energies to saving his books and papers, in which he succeeded. The progress of the fire was so rapid that but comparatively little of the stock on hand was saved. Mr. Felt is proprietor and manufacturer of the so-called People's Pump, and employed when in full operation 25 hands, a large part of whom will be thrown out of employment during the winter months. He had also recently added a large amount of new and valuable machinery for his pump manufactory, all of which, with a large stock in course of completion, will be a total loss. The entire loss, including buildings, machinery, tools and stock, with reach $25,000; the insurance on property destroyed is only $6000. Mr. S. G. White who was engaged in the manufacture of a patent right, occupied a room in the building, and owned machinery and tools valued at from $1500 to $2000, which were destroyed; insured in part. The mill, out-buildings and other property of the Peterborough Manufacturing Company, F. B. Hill, Agent, were only saved by the excellent management of his son, Fred Hill, who had the entire charge of the hydrants attached to the force-pump in the mill. Too much praise cannot be awarded to the citizens, who were promptly on the ground, and by whose almost superhuman efforts the conflagration was confined to the property of Mr. Felt, as at the time the wind was blowing a gale. Governor Cheney who was there on a visit to his old home assisted in saving property by his experience at fires. The destruction of this property is a severe blow to the business interests of the place, and will be more severely felt then anything that has occurred for years. Mr. Felt has been engaged in this business for 27 years, and could always be counted on as having something in the line of employment, when the others had given up. He has the real sympathy of his fellow-townsmen.

The New Hampshire Patriot
Concord, New Hampshire
November 24, 1875

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