There is a report in the Andover Advertiser
on Tuesday the day before,that a suspected earth quake was felt
at Longparish accompanied by a strange rumbling noise. Then the
sky turned black,followed by a heavy fall of snow. At about 3 o'clock
on the Wednesday a similar noise was heard.
The call to Goodworth Clatford came in at 03:00 am. Only two firemen
responded to the bells. The captain suspecting that a heavy snow
fall of snow had pulled the wires down, sent runners to call the
remainder of his crew and to find horses.
Mr Smallbones had offered four horses and these were accepted.They
started out but at South Street they jibbed, The crew disconnected
the jibbing horse but the other were not up to pulling the engine
in thick snow and were sent home, reducing the crew by two eventually
the remaining crew proceeded on foot.
Heavy snow had coated the roof of the building preventing the
spread of fire. Local men together with firemen fought the flames
and saved surrounding property.
They are praised in the paper but again, there is comment about
the lack of provision of horses which took the form of the words.
'Surely it is not beyond the wit of councillors to solve this
problem'.