This Day in History: 1899-08-29

Fire broke out in the servant’s wing of the Miller homestead at about 9:15 PM. Some of the guests panicked, throwing their trunks out of the windows, barely missing Mr. Miller. When he went for the fire extinguishers they were missing and later found in a nearby orchard. When the big 3″ firehose, supplied by a large reservoir on top of the hill, was turned on kinks in it caused it to burst. When a new hose was secured the pipes in the basement had already melted and there was no more pressure. Some furniture, mostly damaged, was saved, but the building was a total wreck. It had been built in 1874-5 by Col. Ezra Miller, inventor of the patent coupler and buffer used in most railroad cars today. There were 22 guests at the Inn when the fire began. It was insured for $32,000. He intends to rebuild. (Bristow)