Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-11-24
FIBE.
Partial Destruction OF the Pioneer
ShOps-s.reat Loss OF PrOperty-Mys-
FERROUS Origin of the COnnagratiOn-
Loss and Iusurance.


Loss ana Insurance.
We are called upon to chronicle, thS morn
ing the most destructive fire which has visit
our city for many years, and one which is
more than usually TO be depored inasmuch
as by 1t large number of workmen are
thrown out of employment. The Pioneer
shops was the scene of the conllagration,
which occurred on Tuesday night, and
the buildings burned were those occupied by
j. X. Booth u. A. Woodbury. AGENT,
planning, and box shops; Wing Il
Smith, last; 8. c. kimball & Co., doors,
sash, etc. Brink & Co., iron founders, and
B. 5. Nichols Il Co., engine and boiler
housc-all forming a part of tic Pioneer
shops.
The Loss
could not be definitely ascer,ained, Tuesday
night, in the excitement and confusion, nor
could the amount of insurance be learned
the only certainty being, that is much less
than the loss. In all the buildings everything
was a complete loss, machinery, tools, stock,
patterns, etc., there being from the nature of
the case little or no salvage. Wing Smith
carried an insurance of only one thousand
dollars and their loss is not less than six
times that sum- $. c. Kimball & Co.'S loss
was about twelve thousand dollars insui
ancc, three thousand dollars. Brink IL Coz
loss must be ten thousand dollars insurance
unknown. b. S. Nichols Il Co. carried an
insurance on their whole property of thirty
five thousand dollars, and their loss must be
at the least calculation one-third of that
sum. Captain Woodbury. had a large and
prosperous business and his loss is heavy
What amount of insurance he carried is un
known.
out Of En- plOy mcnt.
Captain Woodbury. employed in tho box
and planning shops about sixty men 5. G..
kimball x Go. had about sixteen Wing &
Smith and Brink Il Co, about dozen each
and b. S. Nichols Il Co, in that part of thciI
business which suffered by the fire, several
more. These men are of course out Of EN-
ployment, temporarily at least, and the los:
to them will be severe one.
Besides those directly affected, the destruc-
ton Of the engine and boiler will, of course,
necesstate the closing Of all the shops for the
present. The various branches of industry
Tor which motive power was supplied by til,
engine and boilers destroyed employs large
number of workmen-not less, probably,
than three hundred and fifty or four hundred
-mcst Of whom will, of course, take an en-.
forced vacation.
The Origin Of the Fire.
is cnveloped in mystery. a railroad car was
standing on the track close Ia Booths ehop>.
Whether the fire originated in the car or the
building can not he known but at any rat,
it was at this point that the fire started. b.
S. Nichols & CO.. Waterman, Henry liar.
rington, was near by and saw the flames
when they first broke out. He Say $ that they
sprang up AS rapidly Us if fed On finder and
such must have been the case, for though
Harrington gave the alarm with the utmost
promptness the buildings even before the fire
bells rang were al abiaze. The iircmcn res
ponded promptly to the call made upon them,
as is their wont, and worked right CALAMITY
to sulduc the flames but the buildings anu
their contents were of such inilalnmublc char.
actcr that the fire Conld not he stayed
save within the limits mentioned and
the trcmcn are entitled to the greatest credit
for their success in keeping it within those
bounds. Booths shops, Brink " Co.'S foun.
dry and b. 5. Nichols * Co. IS engine and
boiler room connected with it, S. e. Kim
ball x Co.'S factory, which occupied the up
per floor and half the lower floor of one of
the Pioneer buildings and Wing Il Smiths
last factory, which occupied the remaining
space in the last named building, were all
swept away.
The Spectacle
was grand one, and never to be forgotten
by those who saw it. The flames rose to q
tremendous height, lighting up the entire
lower portion of the city and Burlington Bay.
City and lake thus illuminated with
the lurid light, with vast volumes
of smoke rising to the furthest sky,
formed Il spectacle that would have
been a glorious one, were it not fol
tue sadness of the cause On closer view, the
interior of each shop was mass of fire
| glowing like furnace; while around were the
| melancholy ruins OF the buildings dedicated
to industry and usefulness. The repeated
alarms had aroused the whole city. The
vicinity of the fire was crowded with fire
men and workers Battery street was lnet
with spectators and in all parts of the cit,
the progress of the flames was watched by
anxious spectators. The fire broke out short
ly before II o'clock and with all the fire
mems efforts, it was several hours before tn,
flames could be said TO Tie cifectuay check
| nH Nyl I'm r.p
volumes ut the moment of writing, 3: 80
The fire is the most disastrous and the mos
difficult to contend against that We have hat
for many years, and we trust that it may b,
many years before We shall be called upoi
to chronicle such another.
The Sufferers.
Universal sympathy will be extended Il
cverything-tools, patterns, machinery, etc.
and TO him, hitherto unfortunate, as he ha
been. will be rendered especial regret ant
sympathy. DIR. Nichols, too, has had hi
full STARE of misfortune, and in this his new
est calamity he will find hosts of sympathy
ing friends. The other manufacturers ranl
among our most respected and esteemed citi
zens, and the public feel for them in thei
troubles.
The Pioneer Shops
were built in lS52-53 by stock company O
our citizens of which Henry p. IIickok
ESQ.,, was the chief stakeholder, the objec
being to increase the manfacturin
facilities of our city, Furnishing shoI
room and motive power to inanufat
lurers. The shops then in the shape Of
great siy-story bulding-werc burned to til
ground in 1858 Lawrence Barnes, E,q., the
purchased the ruins and erected the preset
shops. These passed several years uso int
the possession Of DR., b. S. Nichols, the
present owner. In 1865 there was II bnih
cxposon on the premises by which seve