Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-02-02
FIRE At wiNOOSkt.
a Railroad Collision and Explosion of
an OiI-Tank, Three Wen Injured.

of Wnooski, took place on Saturday morn
ing. 1t originated in remarkable way. Al
ten minutes before o'clock, that morning q
number of cars were standing on the side
rack of the Central Vcrmont road, by the
side of the large storc-housc of the Burling.
ton Wooden Mill Co. One of these bore an
iron oil tank holding 1000 gallons of crude
petroleum for the gas works of the company.
AT that hour freight train, composed in
part of n number of platform cars, loaded
with steel rails for a street railroad, shipped
| from st. Adams to Boston, came in from
Essex Junction at rapid rate, passed the
railroad station without stopping, AMI was
passing the storc-housc and side track when
one of the ears loaded with rails, from some
unknown cause left tho track, broke loose
from the forward portion of the train, which
went on to Burlington, and with five or six
cars following it, dashed into the cars stand
ing on the side track. The rails were shot
off from the cars with great force, some of
them being thrown fifty feet. One or two
OF them struck and pierced the oil tank. In
fortunately the car which colidcd with the
oil-tank had shot box" from which the
flames were seen rising, as the train passed
the station. From. this, fire was at
once communicated, probably by the vapor
of naphtha which filled the air, TO the oil in
the tank, which blew up with loud cxplos.
ion, throwing the burning oil in ul dircc-
tions. Streams of liquid fire were thus
thrown against the side of the s,orchousc,
and quantity of blazing petroleum ran
down the embankment against the side of the
storehousc. This was wooden building,
100 feet long by so feet wide, and two
stories high, with an attic story over por-
ton of it, aud was filled with WOOL camels
hair, flour, machinery, dye s.uils and other
supplies for the immense business OF the
company. The side of the building at once
burst into flame, and in an incredibly short
space of time the fire ran from end to end of
it, and the whole interior was wrapped in
flames which burst from every window and
rendered all efforts to save the building or
any OF the contents hopeless from the start.
Near tue storchouse were the coal and wood
sheds of the mill company containing
five hundred tons of anthracite coal aud five
hundred cords of wood, which wcic soon on
fire. The wind blew a gale from the south.
The petroleum burned with intense heat and
clouds of binding smoke, and all in all i,
was very unpromsing fire. Fortunately
the nearest other buildings, being the freight
depot, and the dwellings in the French vii
lage north of the tore-housc, were 800 or
400 feet away, and the roof of the store
house, being of corrugated iron,l kept in the
flames and sparks, to considerable extent.
But for these circumstances the fire would
probably have swept through all that portion
of the village.
The fire department and citizens of Wi
nooski, and II portion of our Burlington fire
department, were promptly on the ground,
Clipper Hose company, whose house is on
the Falls HILL on this side the river, were on
hand with the utmost prOmptness. They
coupled their hose to hydrants in the mill
yard, and working through 300 feet of hose
soon had n good stream on the fire The
Wnoosk steamer company were also on hand
at once with their machine, which was station
cd In the road, near the freight depot, and to
their eNertions is due, among other things,
the saving of the railroad properly. Noun-
tcer Hose company also put in an early ap-
pcarancc, but as all the available hydrants,
four in number, were occupied their services
were not called into use, till a later period of
the fire. when their hose was attached to that
OF the steamer, and aided in saving some of
the dwelling houses. The powerful force
pumps of the woolen mill and OF Edwards
u Stevens machine shop, which are connect
cd with the mains of the watrrwnrks, were
at once put in motion and added TO the mead
OF the reservoir the strong pressure needed to
force streams through the long lines Of hose,
with the power needed. Mr.. Kennedy, the
superintendent If the mills, who was at his
home in this city, was notified by telephone
nj L..
horse at his utmost speed, was on the ground
in fifteen minutes from the outbreak Of the
fire, and by his prompt and energetic efforts,
rendered much service in directing the efforts
OF those who we're laboring TO save property
The flames being so hot tlist the iiremcn
could not approach the fire, h. ordered some
bales OF heavy duck to be opened, and sheets
OF the duck soaked in water TO be wrapped
around the pipemen and their assistants
Thus protected they could push on where
they were needed, and for many hours they
poured powerful streams upon the blazing
pile and the surrounding property, till the
danger of a general contlagralion was oycr.
The storc-housc contained 4GS, 900 pounds of
wool, worth 500, 900; machinery for The mills
costing $40, 900 800 barrels of flour, of which
l2O were owned by Stafford, Humphrey n Co.,
OF Winooski, and the rest by the Burlington
FIGURING Co. a number of bales of camels
mar ana large quantity OF dye stuils and
teazies' VI all Oh these, little or nothing was
saved Inc burning coal and wood was at
iast extingulshed with loss OF two hundred
tons OF coal and one hundred cords OF wood,
VI 'he cars on the side track twelve were
ioaucu WIN the property OF the Mill Co., VIZ
seven with corn, three with green lumber,
anu TWO with merchandise. These, with
I'VE or SIN cars loaded with rails, were wholly
destroyed. The storc-housc was worth els,,
ooo; Inc loss OF the company is estimated
by Mr.: Kennedy at not to exceed $4,000,
on which they have SO, sOOinsurancc, $4,000
being on the building, 81 900 on its contents,
and $500 on the coal aud wood. Most of this
| ~ placed in the Associated Manufacturers