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l 1 I 1 . 1 1 t j 1 » , ■ x x FIRE AT ROCKINGHAM PARK Two Fifty-Stall Barns Consumed by Midnight Conflagration. Horsemen Form Bucket Brigade to Fight Flames— Horse Oral Gives Alarm by Neighing. — • SALEM, N. H.f July 24.— A fire of unknown origin razed two fifty-stall barns at Rockingham Park Monday night. A general alarm was sounded and for a time it was feared that the entire racing plant was doomed. Fire apparatus from nearby Ma-theun and Lawrence came to the aid of the Salem fire-fighters, but it was the bucket-brigade formed by the grooms and other stable attaches that saved the day. Four thoroughbreds lost their lives in the flames, Mrs. R. T. Flippens Little Stokes and Arrowswift, also Vote and Old Depot, owned by Miss L. C. White. Wayden and Oral were injured so badly that they had to be destroyed, bringing the equine death toll to six, though many more suffered more or less serious injuries in the stampede after having | been turned loose. The plater Oral was responsible for the spreading of the alarm., About 10:30 B. E. Chapman was aroused by Oral neighing and raising a rumpus in his stall. On arising Chapman saw the flames and awakened every one in the stables. He then informed track superintendent Tony Silva. The latter telephoned the fire department, then called racing secretary H D. Monroe, who hurried to the track. General manager Lou Smith was located in his hotel in Boston and hurried to the scene. The horses of Mrs. W. R. Fiemming. H. T. Parker, J. Bishop, T. J. Ward, J. L. Roberts, Mrs. R. T. Flippen, C. H Robinson. S. H Fairbanks, L. Haymaker, Mrs. B. E. Chapman and A. L. Briggs, numbering over seventy head, all quartered in the burning barns, were led out with the exception of the four. Stable hands were working feverishly, many wearing nothing but shoes and caps* trying to keep the flames from spreading. They formed a bucket brigade when it appeared that the other barns were doomed. The horses in the adjacent stables of A. A. Baroni, W. H. Gallagher, J. Cattarinich, R. Curran, J. Burke, R. Allen, C. J. Meister and C. W. Phelan were let loose and corraled in the center field. Many of the frightened* animals got away, running out on the roads and adding to the confusion. Many strayed miles away from the course. About one oclock the fire was under control and many of the horses were not caught for hours afterward. Lou Smith was loud in his praise of the valiant manner stable hands attempted to save the thoroughbreds. Smith, on behalf I of his associates in the New Hampshire Breeders Association, has instructed racing secretary H. D. Monroe to see that all of the stable hands that lost their personal belongings in the conflagration be completely out-F fitted, as well as new racing tack be purchased for the stables that lost theirs in the flames. ♦
