Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-05-26

About a quarter of yesterday afternoon
the court house was discovered to be on
fire. T. K. Merrill, Jr.. WAS in the Office
Of his father, the town clerk, and heard &
cracking noise which at first he thought
was in the adjoining building but looking
out he thought he saw smoke near the
roof of the court house and ran and told
County Clerk Smile he thought the
building was on fire.
Just about this time an alarm was given
on the street. Those who first went up
stairs on going into the court room could
hear the lire we'll under way in the attic
on the west side. They then went up
toward the door to the belfry which was
locked; after getting it open it was seen
that there was fire in the belfry also. The
smoke from the fire in the attic also found
its easiest egress from the belfry.
Engine No. was set near the Wells
River railroad bridge while No. 4 got Il
better position Just back of the postolfice
building. After u time hose was laid from
the mill of L. w. Bailey & Co., and a
stream of water thrown from their pump
which did good work on the flames.
1t was soon seen that the court house
must 60 there being quite heavy wind
that aided the start the flames had obtain
ed on the perfectly dry wood work of the
roof part. Clerk Smile had confidence
in his vault but others who did not know
its construction as well thought the files
had better be removed and this was DONE
Part of the probate records were also
removed, Some of the fixtures in the
court room were torn up and saved and all
the furniture. Town Clerk Merrill re-
moved all the town papers there being no
vault in his office.
The roof fell in about o'clock. The
wind being high close watch was kept on
the roofs of buildings on State and Main
streets and this was needed, rs the Ellis
Redfield building was once on fire. Mr..
II. L. Slayton, one of those on the roof of
this building, was overcome by the heat.
but managed to get off the roof into the
building before losing consciousness.
The fire was after 5 o'clock easily kept
within the court house walls except that
the efforts TO save the Watchnsan office
had to be very lively even after that. 1t
was very narrow escape for that build
ing, and only the direction Of the wind
with the hard work done by the firemen
saved it.
1t was hot day and work on the brakes
was hard for the men of Nos. and 5,
more so than was needed for there was
plenty Of hel standing on the streets who
might have been of good service in 'spell-
ing" the men who worked the brakes.
Towards the close of the fire hose was at
lached to I. o. Bailey's pavilion pump
which threw good stream on the burning
timbers inside the walls.
There was an insurance in the Vermont
MUTUAL LOT SoZDJ. Inc Wills SJdnu llIul
and solid except a little at the top and the
upper granite cups. The vaults built last
year for the clerks Office and the probate
office were uninjured and the fire went no
lower than to ruin the floor of the second
story. The fire probably started from Il
spark from the smoke stack of the Watcb-
man, The wind was blowing in just the
right direction for this to be done. Some
have suggested that the spontaneous COM
bustion of waste used about the clock was
the origin of the fire but an examination
into this matter convinces us that there
are no good grounds for any such suppo-
sition There had been no fire in the
court house for some days.
Mr.. James r. Langdon has offered the
use Of his rooms in the post office building
to the county officers free of charge. The
damage is some $l200. Or $1,000 Or so above
the insurance. Judge Riford was tele-
graphed for and came last night, and the
county judges will soon determine what is
to be done.