Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-09-22
Destructive COnaagratiOn at St Adams
SOUTH SIDE OF LAKE ST. BURNED.
Barnes Block, 70 ndry Warehouses
Driscoi.'s Block and MOni or Block
in Ashes.
Loss 1900 900.

81. AlO&nS was yesterday morning N5lted ~
one of the most disastrous corisgrations that ever
occurred in Vermont. The south side Of Lake
street Was entirely burned cut from Farrar's
block to the St. Adams House.
The FIRE broke out in the store Of Johnson and
Dinsmore, groeers, about midway Of the street,
about 3 q. ID. and was first discovered by the
Waterman at the railroad depot 4 general
alarm vss sounded and the iremen sad citizens
were speedily on the ground. Washington
Engine Company arrived first, and was soon FOL
lowed by the Frontier sni Niagara companies
The only water serviceabls, however, vas cor
poration well on Main street, opposite Farrar's
store, which was soon sucked dry, rendering the
further efforts Of the fremea fruitless. iae
flames soon DESTROYED the store where the Ere
originated. nothing being saved, and spread in
all directions. The livery stable Of Gilmore *
Brainerd, in the rear, took fire and vas cons1u-
ed then followed the Dwelling houses in the
rear of Barnes Block Oven Murphy's saloon,
on Lake street, Gilmore & Brainerd's ofiee
Barnes Block, the ware rooms Of tie St. Adams
Foundry Company, Cornell ani McGOTan's
stove store, and Ward ard Blraes' grocery
store, when the fire was stopped in It's weat-
ward progress, at the S.. Adams House. East
erly the flames swept Driscoli's two blocks, aud
the Monitor Block Here an alley interviewed be-
tween this and Farrar's foe hardware osablish-
ment on the corner of Main and Lake streets,
which i.A thoroughly fre-prooi building. 1t
caught fire seversl times On the reef, but the
flames we're extingu.shed The fTc was rot
subduei until E. II.
The Farrar Brothers, having iull confidence in
their building, removed nothing. Noble y
Smith, N. J. Hill, and the Town CLERK, re-
novel their books from their ciiees, which we're
in the second story Of the building.
In Monitor Block, VI. Il Stone, harness ma er,
sayed the most Of bis st9ok, as d'l G 3. Smith,
halter.
In Drisc5lTs Blook, Wllisto-, to5acc1niat,
sayel portion of his goois, as iii Dame
baum, dealer in Dry g91!s
Gilmore * Braiaerd had thirty-ave horses in
their stable, three Of which were br-ucl They
also lost five carriage, 81 their r.5es. ard part
Of heir h.rnesses. Some thirty swine were
kept in the cellar Of the stable, the greater psrt
of which are supposed to have beea destroyed.
Father MeCauley. the Catholic Priest Of Fair
field, lost his buggy sad haruels, LAT saved lis
horse, which vas in the stable.
Owen Murphy's saloon il q to.si 'oss.
In Barnes Block, which Is the largest mex
c.ntie building in ST. Adams, Clara Brothers.
grocers, lost nearly everything. 70 diI Barnes &;
Crowley, grosers, and Victor Atwood, dealer in
hardware. The second floor was occupied By the
Office Of Le Protectear Crsriisa, VI. F. VII
sons lob Office, AMI the ofl;e Of The St. Atans
] Transcript Nothing was saved from these
Offices. On the third for vas tie God Tenn
plArs' hall, and the room Of the ST. Adams
Brigade Band. The Coed Tomglars lost every
thing The ST. Adams Foundry Company loss
heavily in moTiag machine. ani other heavy
merchandise also in patterns Cor castings
Cornell & NcG5wsr, anl Wari S Eurres, lost
largely.
The entire los cluno, be far from 100000,
bat the sufferers were generally insured.
The buildings destroyed 10y this "a grafton
we're mainly fine brick stores, mostly 10, which
were cred, to the village Tea teasmeuis
we're burned. which leaves ff.e.a families
homeless
There was little OF 70 will ia the earlier
stage Of the FIRE, but as Tie conaigrat.5n in
creased high south wind arose. which blew
the ciuiers as far north as Judge Hoytf resi-
dence on Main street
The origin Of the Ere is unknown. Complete
order ass preserved throughout tie Are There
were no robberies. The goods we're removed BY
the citizens to the ParL ami guaris placed over
them. 4 nan was sau5viat Injured in a.
tempting to remove the patterns from the
foundry warerooms. This is tae ca.T casualty
reported.
FURTHER PAEucylAEs-loss li-,l1l--SsrR-
Ascz $1,000.
An extra Of the St. Adams Messenger, issued
Monday morning, gives US some aiiiianal detail;
Of the Ere I, will he recu that the lgure.
Of the total loss n1t up Jess taau
estimated ty our info7mauts Tie .neany-r
puts it Al sl12.250, on sAi,h there va.
ia,urluc. to ;ae amount q s-oO1) We
fear, however, froa al We ear learn. t4a, ties.
figures underestimate the loss. Wc copy FROM
the .ue,seagsr's graphic repar:
Half sn acre wss now covered with roaring
flames. cracking eu.bs-s and c-lmh.in- walls
The light Illuminated the whole rCvu and was
seen. We dsre say. more than fifty miles away
Showers OF sparks All ciniers 81 upon th'
American House. Mortou's. Burgess & Foster
and Shsticck and S-ranahau's stores, repeatell j
setting the roofs OF fire, IN spreaiIng coz
steruat.on among those who oFuei property on
the west side Of Main street, alm05t rs iar q,
Kingmau. AL the buildings q tae Foundry
&c. were likewise je9pard.zsi, anl bu- for tle
d.mpness Of the roofs. the geate1ess Of ta
wind, the vigilance Of faithful ufn at expose.
points sud the untiring exertio1s of the men q
the br1kcs OF the "Nia-ars - machine which
belongs 10 the beys and not 70 the corporation
all this valuable section, sud syeu an untold ex
tent bsyond, would have become involved IN tai
devastating ruin.
This was the time for the exercise 10
only Of muscle bu, Of brains The musei
. stood. in gaping crowds o. hundreds on th'
streets snl IN the park so Intent upon inactivity
and smszement that, in the cor qicuous ahscnc
Of authority, il tOoS the ss.m 81 frantic and ever
threatening appeals of some Of the citizens Z,
cslI the gszsrs into service st the brakes
Meanwhile the western verge greE brlsle
sill, and the horror became magnificent.
Wild Father Druoa had saved whst few u
his tyres he could, and Ar. Guilhault hsi sa,el.
: removed bis family from the laird story bat wa
obliged to esve his furniture and all the equip
ment and stock Of his hook bindesy in the secon
; story to be destroyed. Poor man This is tn
second time within a short period that he ha
, lost all in the same way. The Good TeDplara
hall WAS entered without the ceremony Of mid
; alton and everything movable cleared. Ellsworth
the srtst, rolled up his canvass and did not sto
> to ease down mis- easel. The printing maieria
, said to have been owned by Merchant & So6le
was only partially iaved. Hon. Visitor Atwoo
lost some of his hardware but secured more. Hi
los, however, was considerable. Burnes
Crowley were not able to secure many Of thei
heavy groceries, neither were Clark Brother
) & Son.
1t now became certain that Hon W C. Smith
block occupied by the Foundry Co, must b
burned. stove or two were removed and part
Of a few moving machines, tut the lmme1s
stock of hesvy goods and large loft full OF pa,
terms Of many years accumulation, which 1t ]
said never cost less than $4,000, i vent {
ruin and the long rows Of stoves standing tner
since, like the blackened pillars Of HerculaEaum
indicate at once the extent Of one line Of thei
business and the devastating fury Of the conis
grafton.
Ward & Burns, MCGOWAN Brothers, Michse
Edwards and Fred Thomas, the occupants 9th
wooden buildings between this and the ST. Al
bans House, began to clear out ; Likewise Jerr,
Lsvigne and family, and the other tenants il
, II. P. Seymour's building in the rear. But tn
sudden fall Of the west wall Of the Smith build
ing crushed in these low structures, or let on
the volume of flame more fercsly upon them, 81
; that all had to be abandoned OF stock sai
to number more than enc hundred stoves, be
longing to c. II. Cornell, the McGowans wer
sbe to save but nine, and tin and hollow wa