Carleton Place January 1873-
It is our sincere regret to record the total destruction of the Carleton Place Herald Printing Office. printing office and also the residence of Mr. Poole on the evening of Tuesday last. The fire originated in the office from what is thought to be a deflective flue and the roof was ablaze. The printers were engaged in the front room of the office when the fire was discovered. The alarm was instantly given and the efforts of those present were directed to suppress the fire in the house which had by this time made considerable headway. All their efforts were utterly futile as the flames spread rapidly over the wooden building at the corner of Town Line and Bridge Street. A vast crowd of people collected and everyone lent a willing hand to save the contents of the office. Most of the types, forms, stands, cases etc and desks were saved. The steam engine was too heavy to be removed and had to be left to destruction.
The dwelling house a large two and a half story frame builting only erected tow years previous might have been saved had the corporation owned a fire engine. But Carleton Place had none and the building was soon enveloped in flames. In the course of a few short hours the office and house were only heaps of smouldering ashes, but the furniture and household effects were saved.
A small engine kept at Mr. Caldwell’s sawmill was brought on the grounds but too late to render any effective service. Mr. Poole’s loss is estimated at over $8,000 and he has no insurance. His policy had expires some days ago and had not been renewed. The luminous glare of the fire was distinctly seen in Almonte, (about six o’clock) and apparently seemed only a few miles off. The night was perfectly calm, otherwise.
.
UPDATE
January 1873
Mr. Poole, of the Carleton Place Herald
will not be so heavy as at first calculated.
The press and steam engine, with slight
repairs, will be as good as ever. No delay
was occurred in the regular issue of the
paper, which has been printed, since the
fire, at the Almonte Gazette office. Mr. Poole will rebuild ( and he did, the beautiful stone home that now stands)
where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in The Townships Sun and theSherbrooke Record and and Screamin’ Mamas (USACome and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read. Also check out The Tales of Carleton Place. Tales of Almonte and Arnprior Then and Now.
Snippets of the Illustrious James Poole
Related Reading about various Gilles in Carleton Place
The Sad Tale of Alexander Gillies and Peter Peden
The Gillies Home in the Ghost Town of Herron’s Mills
Ring Those Bells in Carleton Place– Wylie’s Woolen Mill
Channeling John Gillies
The Great Gatsby’s of Lanark County?
Life Inside and Out the Gillies House –Photos 1910
lindaseccaspina 