Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-05-23
Fire at GrOtOn Pond.

Probably the most destructive forest FIRE which |
was ever known In this state visited Groton last
Saturday. There had been q FIRE In the woods near
West Groton for several days and this was |
thought 10 be extlnguished, but II must have |
broken out airesh when left to itself About |
twelve O clock Saturday noon an alarm was given |
at Baldwin's mill caused by fire breaking out |
In the engine room. This was put ont but |
shortly afterwards flames were seen coming over |
the hill from West Groton and so rapid was their
advance that within fifteen minutes the whole |
settlement was In blaze. Three barns, a store |
house one hundred twenty five feet long by thirty
feet wide, a two and one-half story boarding |
house, three large tenement houses, school |
house, the mill and engine house. about two mil |
lion feet OF sawed lumber, four hundred cords OF
wood, seventy-fve cords Of bark and large
number Of cars about the yard were one seething
mass OF flame before any one could raise hand
TO stay the FIRE or cave property Of any kind.
The women and children were hurried into boats
and the men took 10 the RATS OF logs and pushed
out into Che pond. There was a strong wind
which made the water very rough and the refu-
gees suffered much inconvenience from the waves
washing over the RATS and from the binding
smoke. In one or two cases some few things
which they had with them caught FIRE from the
flying sparks and they were obliged to bail water
on them with their hats. One or two OF the RATS
were 30 slightly fas entd that the men were obliged
to lie down and hold the logs together For
four or FIVE hours they were obliged to remain on
the water while the fire was all around them
Any who did not see 1t cannot form an adequate
conception Of the sight Acres and acres OF tim
Der and brush were all on fire at once while the
burning buildings above mentioned formed q kind
OF center piece for the picture
Much other property besides that belonging to
A. T. and Z. Baldwin, Jr., was destroyed. The
Montpelier and Wells River Railroad Company
lost their station, water tank five OF their freight
cars and about four hundred cords OF wood, nearly
two hundred and fifty OF which had been sawed.
Eighteen other freight cars were burned, but 1t
is not certain that this company will be obliged TO
stand the loss. The side tracks running down to
the mill were rendered useless and n short strip
Of the main track had to be replaced with new.
long strip OF track was saved by dlsconnecting
1t and thus allowing the rails TO expand without
bending o. G. Smiths gang Of men, who
saw the wood for the Boston, Concord and Mon
treal, and Montpelier and Wells River railroads,
we're at work at this station and lived In their
cars which were set off on siding. All that is
left OF their property Ia lot Of old iron. Cars,
| saving machine and all went like chat before
| the wind. 1t Is reported that foreman Grant Of
| this crew lost quite a sum OF money, the amount
being variously fixed at from $500 to 5000. There
was no train run by this station from Saturday
noon until Sunday noon The Groton Pond Lum-
Der Company built mill at this place In 1875
which was burned and afterwards rebuilt by
them About two years ago the Messrs Baldwin
purchased the property and have since carried on
the business, getting out large quantity Of lum-
Der. They estimate their loss at about $50, 900
besides their insurance. W. c. Harris was their
| superintendent and general manager and was also
postmaster. He lost all his personal effects ex-
| cept what was In one or two trunks and saved
nothing from the postoffce except some registered
letter receipts which were in the safe. Some Of
| the families were taken to Groton and others to
this village, where they were kept over Sunday.
| NOTES.
| 1t Is not known yet whether or not the mill will
| be rebuilt.
Three horses and one pair Of cattle used about
| the mill were saved.
| The adjusters will be at Groton Pond to-day to
settle In regard to insurance.
President D. r. Sartwell and Superintendent
W. A. Stowell were on the ground Sunday.
The amount of territory burned over is variously
| estimated at from fifteen hundred to two thousand
| acres.
One fiat car in the lumber yard was left almost
unscorched, although those at each end were
| burned.
About one thousand cords OF wood belonging
| to the Baldwins and piled away from the mil
| were burned.
The engine from this village was taken up on
fat car, but not unloaded as 1t could not render
| any assistance
Many Of the families saved nothing but the
clothes which they had on at the time and are now
| in a destitute condition.
Trains were run from Montpelier and Well,
River Sunday and large numbers visited the
scene OF the confagration.
Roadmaster Morse and his section men Tough
the fire Saturday night and stopped 1t on that sid,
about a mile from Lanes mill
One Of the men remarked that million mel
could not have stayed the fire when 1t came dowI
| that hill. Its advance was resistless
Some OF the rails were bent up almost doubl,
by the expansive power Of the heat and severa
car wheels were melted into a shapeess mass.
All the underbrush, bark, ETC., about Lane
mill was raked into piles and burned Monday AZ
as to prevent q fire from running on the ground
The Messrs. Baldwin's safe was opened Monda,
morning and the contents were found all RICH
although the binding was burned off from thu
books
Messrs. A. T. Baldwin, one Of the owners, ant
Superintendent W. c. Harris stood 10 the brool
covered with wet blankets while the fire passed
over them.
The money which would have been received b,
the railroad company for freghting the lumbe
burned is large sum and this is the same as 81
much additional loss to them.
u is remarkable that not one OF the one hundred
and twenty-five persons at the settlement wa
seriously Injured. John Morse was sQWey
burned about the face in trying to save 5c.ss5 0
his private property,