Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-05-16
Destructive Fire In PlaInfleld.

| NhhtsehDOut nhll-paettWO tnls morning, Dy WHICH
q considerable portion Of the business part Of the
village was destroyed. The fire was first discov-
cred in the basement Of the old carriage and
blacksmith shop, owned by Leonard Dix, and
occupied by Mark NJ. Page rs blacksmith, and
by Horace Goche, N. c. Lombard aud William
Skinner as carriage makers, situated on High
street, west Of the bridge The dry weather and
the unreasonable hour Mt which the fire broke ont
prevented successful resistance to the advance
of the flames, and in few moments the entire
structure was ab,age. The alarm was promptly
given, and in shoi, time nearly the entire popu-
laton of the village were on the spot fighting the
fire with the energy Of despair This building
has long been regarded as dangerous from its sit
| uation, aud It was soon dent that great con
| migration was imminent
At this point Mr. j. Bart Wells took his team
and came down to Montpelier for assistance rous-
| ing the inhabitants the way. Within forty min
| utes he had reached lis village. Driving down
State street, he iu'in = Ihayer the night watch
| man at the Amer 3. House. Thayer aroused Mr..
| Morse, the road me- OF the Montpelier g. Wells
| River Railroad ", lis then found Louis Wood,
OF our police, and they got up General Pitkin,
| Chief Engineer Of oui lire department. Ed De
merritt, uf the police, rang the fire bells, and the
| alarm was soon general. An engine Of the Wells
River road WAS promptly fired up, and with -four
platform ears soon made up train upon which
was placed Capita" No. ., r. j. Coffey, Cap
tain. The cars were crowded. At 90 the train
started, and in twenty minutes was at the scene
Of the fire.
| The first view from the cars disclosed the sad
work which the fire had accomplished, but the
had mt ndars Ia hofn tba
rival of the train The boys, however, fell to work
with IA will and promptly assisted in extinguish-
| ing what remained of the fire, fearing lest wind
might arise which should scatter the Goals and
embers and produce another conhagration.
While Mr. Wells in Montpelier the flame,
had not been idle mt Planfeld Next west of Mr.
Pages shop was the dwelling house, with pain
shop underneath, and barn of George Nye II
was also occupied by Mr.. Charles Bukley. 1h'
house was quickly in ruins no great amount O
the contents being saved Mr.. Buckley also lost
horse. The next building was the harness shop
with dwelling overhead, owned and occupied b.
'lement ST. John; this building succumbed
though most of the contents were saved Thei
anne the large hotel barn and shed, owned b,
ionzo SlaytoD. This, too, soon fell in, Nj
Slayton losing two hogs and his hay, but savini
everything else. Following this the residence
William Parks, occupied by himself and Converts
Parks, was consumed, though most Of the con
tents were saved. b. p. Young also had lot
furniture and bedding in this building, which wa
destroyed This fac residence, and WA
built and formerly occupied by Dennis Lane, Esq
Of this village. The flames in this direction
mere stopped after desperate resistance. Tht
hotel and Unversalist church were across thu
street from the fire, but were saved with til,
greatest difficulty, the paint on the former being
badly scorched and blistered
Opposite Pages blacksmith shop where the fir,
commenced, was the shoe-shop OF Orlando Knapp,
which was burned, although most of his stock IN
trade was saved. Less fortunate, however, was
Mrs. Scott, dress-maker who occupied the same
building, and lost everything.
But perhaps the loss in a business point of view
will be more severely felt by the town in the de.
struction OF the saw and grst-mil rs well as resi-
dence owned by T. G. Cass and occupied by hi,
son David Cass This property is situated across
the stream near the west end of the bridge The
flames from the first building which took fire,
eaping across the river, fastened upon the barn.
and soon this the house and the mill were burned
rhe mill fine twostory building Just erected
per story had been used for a tub manufactory
but was unoccupied at the time of the fire Mrs
Cas- and son were sick abed at the time but
were carefully removed to a place OF safety Mr.
Cass lost about a dozen hogs in the fire Til, |
comprises all the property burned that side OF
the stream the fire having been stayed at the
residence occupied by John Harris
1t was a matter of great surprise to all that on
the west side of the bridge the loss was not
heavier 1t is scarcely thirty feet from the house
of Mr. Cas- across the road to the wooden build
ing owned by Mrs. Richards which forms the
commencement of long of wooden build
ngs, and had any one Of them taken fire. 1t would
have been impossible to have saved the remainder
The marks of the heroic fight made against the
spread of the flames are to be ON every hand
Vt eight different points were stands made, and
nothing but the gallantry of those who contended
with the flames could have prevented the destruc-
ton of the greater part of the village. The alb
@ence Of any wind, too, aided them greatly in stop
ing the fire
The fire was evidently ncendary IN its origin
but of this more hereafter. It was discovered
IN the basement of the Page building, where Their,
no occasion for having any fire, nor any facili.
les for making one.
or course there is good opportunity for blam-
ng the town for not having good fire engine and
department; but it is too late nov to be of an,
wall in this particular case. II 1t shall prove t.
u other towns similarly situated, 1t will
not be entirely without good
The blow is crushing one to the village OF
Plainfeld, and falls with an almost paral, znl
ower upon many of the sufferers. The recover
rom such a loss must be slow one, at best bu
We trust that before many years we may tina
Drtion of the town, now 80 desuAted, covere,
With substantial brick buildings proof againsl
my such attack as the one just inflicted
In the confusion Of the moment it Is impossible
u give an exact statement of the insurance OF
zach. The following are in IT, Vermont Mutual
r. G Cass, SO 600; Orlando aapp so 200; VIM
Parks, sl,lS5; hotel barn, 90; Clement St
Iohn, 5000 1t is thought by tie officers thai
their loss will not exceed 5000 George Nye aso
had policy 70, 81 1000, in the same company
THE suPPos: ISoENpIARY ARRESTED
1t is understood, that an old han named Rich
ards, under indictment, for selling liquor has been
arrested as the incendiary at Planfeld. Some
one girdled the trees the fine nursery of O. L.
IIoyt the same nigh richards has been threat
ening for some tim