The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-17
INSURANCE, $14O,OOO
The Bates House-A. G. Bates & Cos
George w. Hilliard's-A. W. Hig-
gins-Charles s. Mason's-Abraham
Bros and 0, A. Cunningham's stores
destroyed Incidents, Notes, Etc.

against the late proprietor, and over which
Cain had been placed as Waterman by
the lessee of the building, M. Quin, while
standing in front of No. AZ Merchants row,
where an auction sale was taking place,
noticed light in one of the upper rooms
of the building, near the corner of Mer-
chants row and Center street. He
Immediately repaired thereto, and
discovered that the building was
on fire in three different rooms,
all separate and distant from each Others.
These fires, which were evidently the work
of an incendary and started with delber-
ate design of burning the whole block and
having no failure in the attempt, were all
in the upper. or fourth, story and located
in room No. So fronting on Merchants row
aud the second from Center street, room
No. 81, n dark room near the northwest
corne, of the building, and room No. 30,
situated near the northeast corner of the
house and fronting on Merchants row.
The building had been occupied on the
second third and fourth stories as the
Bates house, hotel, and was erected for
that purpose. The first floor was occupied
by stores as follows, commencing at the
north A. G. Bates & Son, saddlery and
hardware George w. billiard, dry goods !;
A. w. Higgins, drugs, medicines and fancy
goods and Charles s. Mason, clothing
all fronting on Merchants row and on
Center street, Abraham Bros, cigars and
tobacco John Haley, saloon Arthur o.
Cunningham, clothing. Ia the basement
was saloon, now, or lately, occupied by
Charles Cushman.
Immediately after discovering the fire,
as above stated, Cain started for Sprague
and Kingsleys block, which adioined 1t on
the north and which had, in fact, been
used in connection with the Bates house,
and to which access was gained on either
story by doors cut for that purpose. After
alarming the inmates Of this block, among
which was w. +. Paige, late keeper of the
hotel, the alarm was communicated to the
street and at s. 10 p. IN. the alarm became
general, the whistle of the railroad machine
shops sounding five minutes later.
The fire department responded prompt
| ly, Washington engine compsny No. 2,
| being the first at the scene of action, being
stationed in the depot park and taking
water from the reservoir therein. Then
came Killngton steamer No. 3, who took
position and drew water from the reservoir
at the corner of Grove and West streets,
followed by Nickwackett No. l, which
was placed with Washington in the park.
Hose was speedily laid and the firemen
were ready for work, but here an obstacle
presented itself. They were, for time,
denied admission to the Bates house, both
outer doors being locked and kept locked
in spite of their persistent and oft repeated
demands for admission.
In the meanwhile, however, they were
not idle. Unable to gain admission, Union
hook and ladder company by the
way, was equally prompt in reporting Ter
duiy-commehced to place ladders at the
| WluuOW5 Vi tnC oSSbhd aiid luiid otoiSc, oO
that the hose might be introduced into the
building in that way. Ladders were so
placed, the hose carried up and through the
windows, but in the meanwhile the doors
were opened and the firemen had access to
the building and the fire, both by the way
of the windows and the doors.
While this was uanspiring, N. L. Davis,
master mechanic of the Central Vermont
railroad, with his accustomed energy, was
coupling and placing hose from the force
pump in the railroad shop, through and
under the track, across Merchants row, up
Center street and to the rear of the burn
ing building, and was soon doing most eff
fective work.
The flames, all this time, were making
rapid Roadway, and evidently passing from,
room to room with fearful speed, although
the evidence of 1t was seen more in the
smoke than in fire. 1t was apparent that
the block was doomed, and so the work OF
removing the remaining furniture and fix
lures of the hotel and of the several stores
in the block was commenced, under thu
personal supervision of the chief and as
sstant engineers of the fire department, thu
chief of police and the several village
trustees, each taking personal supervision
of one Of these departments.
These stores, as well as the Bates hnus'
proper, were speedily cleared of their con
tents, except rs herein subsequently stated
and the removing process did not stol
here. The offices of the sheriff and of j
j. X. Randall were rapidly denuded o
store, bindery, ETC., of futile e. Co., tn
Herald office, D. l.. Morgan's boot and sho
store, and the millinery and dry good
store Of j. B. Kilburn-the latter beip
situated six doors east of the burning block
The stock in the cigar and tobacco store O
y Abraham Brothers, and in Haley's saloon
were not removed, and were, of course, Ell
o tirely consumed by fire. The stock
a Daniorths saloon, the "Temple of FAST
ion" and of Francis Fenn's drug store, wei
6 untouched for removal and unscathed /
/ fire.
= While this was taking place, the FAM
e were making rapid Roadway, the smoke WI
u overcome, and soon the fire began to da
o its forked tongues first through one VII
g dow, aud then enother, darting from roo
to room, and from floor to floor, until Il
a entire hotel portion of the block WI
Il wrapped in one mass of flames. The scel
"a at this time, and, in fact, during the who
progress of the fire, was lndescribab
g grand, thrilling, terrific. We shall not a
n tempt, at this time, any description.
a. The conflagration had been underwt
n just an hour when some thirty feet of Il
- | x~aat wall from the ton IN third floor. II