Cambridge Independent Press 27 Nov 1903: Martin farm fire

STACK FIRE AT TRUMPINGTON

£180 Damage

Shortly after three o’clock on Saturday afternoon an outbreak of fire, which threatened to result in a large destruction of farm produce, occurred in a yard of a farm tenanted at Trumpington by Mr. William Martin, a farmer, from Mr. T. P. Pemberton. Chaff-cutting operations were in progress, when one of the men employed, by name Bronson Aggis (sic - actually Bransom Haggis - ed.), of Trumpington, noticed that a straw stack near the chaff-cutter was ablaze. The wind was blowing with tremendous force, and the flames spread so quickly that all hopes of saving either the stack or the chaff-cutter speedily disappeared. The supreme danger to be encountered was the spread of the conflagration as the wind was blowing in the direction of four stacks, the produce of forty acres of wheat, which were only some fifteen or twenty yards distant, while in other parts of the yard there were as many as fourteen additional stacks, one of which was not more than five yards from the scene of the outbreak. Fortunately willing helpers were not lacking and although the water had to be obtained in water carts and used by means of buckets, the workers stuck to their huge task with such pertinacity that after about seven hours’ duration all danger of the fire spreading was at an end.

The blaze continued until nearly four o’clock on Sunday morning, the straw stack, which was the produce of forty acres of wheat and thirty acres of barley, and the chaff-cutter being totally destroyed. The damage is estimated at about £180, the value put upon the straw stack being £150, and upon the chaff-cutter (which was the property of Alpheus Coulson, machinist, of Milton) £30. It was covered by insurance in the Commercial Union, of which Messrs. Wright and Scruby are local agents. The cause of the fire is attributed to a spark from the engine, as there was a large amount of straw lying around the chaff-cutter and engine. Superintendent Webb, Inspector Winter and five other members of the County Constabulary attended the fire and rendered valuable assistance.