$15,000 Loss Caused by Blaze in Early Hours of Morning 
 
  PETERBORO.--Fire which for a time threatened to wipe out the business 
district and part of the residential section of this historic village, 
leveled the Peterboro hotel, meatmarket belonging to, Burr Campbell and the 
home of Mrs. Polly Green early Thursday morning with, a loss that will exceed
$15,000. 
  Firemen from Canastota, Morrisville and Munnsville were unable to cope with
the disastrous blaze which started in the rear of the hotel shortly after 1 
o'clock. Cause of the fire was undetermined at a late hour Thursday, altho it
is believed to have been started by an overheated stove.   
  Efforts of volunteers from Petetboro to check the flames were unsuccessful 
and hasty calls were phoned to the three out of town departments. Unoccupied 
for the last four months the hotel fell easy prey to the flames and the fire 
burst thru the walls, sweeping both ways. It quickly ignited the two-story 
frame structure of the Campbell market on the west and the home of Mrs. Green
on the east. 
 
Furniture Saved 
 
  About 200 men, working frantically to remove contents from the Campbell and
Green properties, saved store fixtures and supplies from the market and a 
number of pieces of furniture from the Green home before they were forced to 
retreat by the sweep of the flames.   
  The volunteers razed a small wooden structure standing east of the Green 
dwelling, preventing the spread of flames to an unoccupied house belonging to
Lillian Austin. Altho badly blistered by the heat the house was saved by 
chemicals. 
  Flames had gained such headway when discovered, that they were beyond 
control. A general alarm was sounded by the church bell resulting in several 
households in the danger zone being emptied of furniture, which was heaped 
high with the salvaged furniture and stock from the Campbell store and the 
Green home on the historic  
village green. 
 
Mansion Not Harmed 
 
  Altho less than half a city from the historic Garritt Smith mansion now 
occupied by a descendent Garritt Miller, the flames did not threaten the 
Miller home.  Concern was expressed by watchers that sparks might fall on the
roof of the mansion but a close watch was kept, and the mansion was not 
harmed. 
  The hotel was owned by Rebecca Greenhouse of Syracuse and was erected by 
Elmer Parkhurst.  It has been occupied periodically for years, and the last 
operator departed about four months ago. The loss there is placed at 
approximately $10,000, with no knowledge by authorities as to whether it is 
covered by insurance.  
  Insurance was carried by Campbell on his two story block that housed his 
market on the first floor. The second floor was unoccupied. Outside the loss 
of his building the heaviest damage was to a recently installed refrigeration
system.  Mrs. Green's loss is also covered by insurance. She is 76 years of 
age and lived alone. 
 
Lay Hose to Creek 
 
  Canastota firemen arrived with the Town of Lenox pumping apparatus, and 
quickly laid 100 feet of hose to Oneida creek, flowing in back of the hotel. 
The alarm was not sent to the Canastota department until 2:05 a.m., and the 
flames had died down considerably by the time the department had completed 
the 10-mlle run this village. 
  The hose was kept connected thru the remainder of the night prevent the 
flames from spreading and to wet down the ruins. The Morrisville and 
Munnsville departments used chemicals on the Austin house.  
  Peterboro is inadequately equipped to battle a fire of serious proportions,
and had only a chemical tank to fight the flames before the arrival of the 
out of town departments. Concern was expressed here on all sides Thursday 
that the village should have more adequate fire protection. 
  It was the worst fire that has visited this village since 1903 when 
disastrous blaze similar to Thursday morning's fire leveled several buildings
in the business section. 

[Note: the picture of the damaged area accompanying the article isn't clear 
enough to scan properly. The Town Historian provided a note saying the 
previous blaze was in 1901, not 1903.]