A fire of unknown origin broke out in a barn in rural Lykens Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. The lack of a phone to call in the alarm significanly delayed a response from the fire company in Gratz, resulting in a total loss of the barn and its contents, including mules, a horse, and the crops that were harvested a few months before. The story is from the Elizabethville Echo, December 24, 1925:
LYKENS TOWNSHIP BARN BURNS; COWS AND HORSES PERISH
The barn close to the main road midway between Berrysburg and Gratz, formerly owned by Andrew Reigle, caught fire from some unknown cause on Sunday evening and burned to the ground; two mules, one horse, eight cars, the past season’s crops, and farming machinery and implements also being destroyed by the flames.
Isaac Reigle was the present owner of the farm and Harry Reigle, a brother was living on it as the tenant, who intended to sell his livestock this coming Spring and remove.
When Mr. Reigle discovered the fire he drove to Gratz to get help and the Gratz, Wiconisco and Lykens fire companies responded, but were unable to save the barn or any of the smaller buildings nearby; the dwelling which stands quite a distance away from the barn was not damaged.
The loss is a heavy one but we understand that some insurance was carried on the buildings and stock.
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News article from Newspapers.com
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