Vorce Home is Burned

This story was published by The Daily Ypsilanti Press of February 1, 1913. The horrors attendant upon a fire in the country were experienced Friday afternoon by Fred Vorce when his country home near the county line three miles east of Ypsilanti burned to the ground. It took littlemore than an hour for this substantial structure built when big timbers were liberally used to become ashes. It was about five o’clock in the afternoon when flames burst from the furnace room. Earlier in the day Perry Vorce had cleaned the carbide lighting plant in the furnace room and refilled the tank. This he had done on many former occasions, but in some way the gas seems to have escaped. Fred Vorce went down later into the furnace room and detected a peculiar odor which he could not identify. Twenty minutes later, shortly after his wife had returned home, there was a terrific burst of flames from the furnace room. R. Vorce owns a chemical fire extinguisher and he quickly set this into operation, but it made no headway in quelling the fire which had begun large. The word quickly spread abroad tha the homestead was burning and farmers from miles around made their way to the scene. All helped in saving the furniture and this was entirely accomplished except in the case of the two rooms above and the contents of the cellar. The wind blew violently and it seemed doubtful at times if the barns could be saved. The horses and cows were brought out, but no attempt was made to remove the 400 bushels of beans stored there. However the fire was so valiantly fought that it was confined to the one house. The house which was destroyed was the old Vorce homestead into which Fred Vorce moved with his bride about two years ago. The parents, Mr. and Mrs. Perry Vorce, who are wealthy farmers, immediately opened their home across the way to the son and his wife, and the furniture was taken there at once. The insurance, which amounted to but $1200 would not go far toward replacing the homestead.