St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-04-13
Fire in Johnson's Block.


An alarm of fire was given last Sat
urday night, about halt past ten O'Clock
caused by fire in JOhnson's Block, on
the east side of Railroad street. The
fire was discovered by Mr.. Aiken's fam
! lily who live in the block, and who gave
the alarm. 1t originated in partition
near the centre of the building, on the
first floor, and followed up between the
partitions and broke out of the roof.
When the fire was first discovered by
Mrs. Aiken, the smoke was issuing from
around the baseboar i'll IA bedroom on
the second floor, and had not apparent
| ly got under great Roadway. Mr..
Aiken kicked hole through the Hath
and poured i'll water, but unfortunately
the water stopped running from the
! faucet, and they could do no more to
eXtinguish the flames. When the alarm
was given there were several members
of the Hose Company on Railroad street
standing near the Avenue House, hav-
ing just come from il meeting that had
been held by that company, and they
had their hose upon the spot and 4
stream going very quickly; but the fire
! having got up under the roof it was Il
difficult matter to get ut it, and the
timbers i'll the top of the building Were
well charred and burned. The Other
hose companies We're promptly on the
spot, and such an amount of water wa,
poured upon and through the building
that the fire was soon eNtinguished
The building is three stories high, and
is occupied for stores, offices and tene
ments. The ground floor was occupied
by Mr.. Johnson, dry goods; Quintol
Cook, groceries; Bartlett & Daniels
meat market. The second floor 10y w
II. Horton, tailor; c. A. Aiken ant
family; Bates and COkely, lawyers
The third floor by Mrs. Blown and fam
lily, and Mr.. Thayer and family, all o
whom suffered losses ranging from SlOl
to $500 each. Mr.. johnson gives ~
cSllIDdlC VI HIS iOSS. DuJ IL VIII DlObtl
bly, not fall below $4,000, which is full,
covered by insurance he being in
sured for SIC, 800 on the building ant
stock. The origin of the fire is yet
I, mystery. Mr.. johnson had but jus
left his store, and was about half wa,
home when the alarm of fire was given
When he left every thing was appar
emily safe. Some attribute the origi
of the fire to rats playing with matches
The way this fire was extinguishe
shows conclusively the advantages c
! the present system of water works TO
putting out fires, over hand engines
Had the fire burned until the engine
| arrived, there is no telling where
, would have stopped. AS there ar
! three or four large wooden building
| adjoining, and almost touching eac
} other, it would very likely have con
: sumed them all, and perhaps man
= more. Besides the promptness wit
] which a stream can now be put upO
z the fire from the hydrants, the IRENE
B, lay considerable Importance to the tort
e of the stream. In the case Saturda
S night, after a hole was cut to where til
S fire was, a stream of water was inserte
0 with such great force as to follow til
2 fire into every crevice and corner; an
so fire which had already got undo
:, considerable Roadway, and was in
), bad place, between partitions and rul
: ming through the jut and i'll the roo
II was put out before many people from
). little distance away had time to reat
e the place. The Flanders Pump den
It onstrated Saturday night, what evel
is one supposed to be the fact, that it WI
n splendid machine for putting o.
i fires.