Figure 1 – Burned out meters at 88 Galen Street, Watertown, MA, IPhone photograph. (c) DE Wolf 2014.

Shortly before Christmas there was a major fire on Galen Street that totally gutted an old wooden house*.  I don’t know the facts but it wouldn’t surprise me if the structure has stood there for more than a century, and it makes me feel very sad for the people who lived there,  Their homes are totally gone.  The house is a burned out shell, that I am sure is doomed for demolition.  It was lucky that it didn’t spread to neighboring homes or offices.  Still the scene there is one of major devastation, burned wood, peeled paint, and melted plastic.

It has been cold and snowy; so I have had little opportunity to venture out and investigate.  This week there has been a January thaw and I have been able to resume customary walks along the river.  On the way back to the office today I was drawn to the burned out “electrical?” meters in the front of the building.  I wished I had my good camera with me.  But I had to be content with my IPhone, which did a surprisingly good job.  Still, and as always, I want greater sharpness.  So I guess that I will have to go back and explore the site with my Canon.  For now I offer the IPhone image of Figure 1 showing the devastation to the meters.  There are two meters.  This suggests that two families have lost their homes.

* I have found the newspaper report on this fire.  It occurred on November 14, 2013 at 88 Galen Street in Watertown, MA.