Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-01-04
FIRE AT MIDDLEBURY.
A Whole Block on Main Street
Burned Sunday Morning.
A Loss Of About $4,000 Caused
by the Flames,
Tho Fire Believed TO Have Been of III
cendiary origin.

out about 10 last night In Swiney's Block on
Main Street and, spreading, burned down
the whole block, including Swineys build
ing, occupied in the upper story as a tene-
ment and in the lower story by s. & G. L.
Nutting, makers of carriages, sleighs etc.
insurance $780, Calvin Foct's building
occupied by George McCuc as restaurant
no insurance on the building, insurance on
McCues stock 5000. S. Z. Meckin's build.
Ing, the lower.storys occupied, blythe owner as
barber shop, the upper story by NJ NJ.
Swincy's billiard pool rooms Nleekin's insur-
ance about $3.50 on the building ;
Swiney's on the pool aud billiard
tables $500 T. II. McLeod's building
and storehousc in the rear, occupied by IL.
Il. Dodge, hardware and agricultural imple-
ments Dodge's stock was insured for
S62O0 his loss is about 81, 1000; also occu.
pied by ComstOck & Langworthy, meat
market and E. L. Stove, gunstore. There
was not much wind. The fire apparatus
was in bad condition and though the men
fought the fire splendidly it was o'clock
before the fire was got under control. Much
glass in the neighboring buildings was brok-
en- by the heat, especially in Mrs Lucy
SHADES block, occupied by Mrs. Sladc, mil
lincry, and B. +. Wales, crockery and hard
ware The fire is still burning. The fire
is generally believed to be of inccndiary
origin. The total loss is about 100000.
Losses and Insurance General Notes.
The fire, which started in w. w. Swiney' S
block, at about midnight, Saturday, broke
out at just the same time of night as the
great fire of September II, 1875, and, with
the exception of the fire by which Gov. Stew
arts was burned down in November, 1880, it
was the most destructive connagration which
we have had here since that time. The
buildings burned down were built to replace
buildings occupying about the same site
which were burned down in the great fire of
fire caught in the very rear end of w. W.
Swney's block, in part of the building that
was unoccupicd at the time. Mr.. Swnoy
had room in the upper story, at the rear
of the building The upstairs front was &C.
cupitd as tenement by q poor French
man who lost about all he had Most
of the lower floor was used by 5. ~ c. H..
Nutting, who had a large stock Of carriages,
their property was GO out, but some was
destroyed by the fire and more was probably
stolen after it had been removed from the
building. Mr.. Swiney himself had gone to
Nergennes, having started to drive there at
about nine o'clock in the evening. He had
$1,000 insurance IN the Manufacturers and
Marine of Boston. The block, it is said
cost $500 Next to the Swiney block was
Calvin Foot's building, occupied for a res.
taurant by George McCuc, who was insured
for sos in the Vermont Mutual. Dir. Nc
Cues loss can not lie exactly ascertained yet,
as some OF his stock was got out. Mr.. Foot
had no insurance, and his block was totally
destroyed. He is poor man, lily able 10
bear this loss which is about 500 or $500.
Samuel L. Meekin's block, next on the north
to Fout's building, was insured in the
Phoenix of London for $500 aud his personal
property therein in the same company for
$3.50 his loss above insurance is about
S5U0 NJ. NJ. Swiney's pool tables aud per
sonal property were insured for $3.50 in the
Continental, of New York. He lost also
some valuable veterinary surgeons tools.
The next aud last building in the low was
+. Ii. McLcod's block, the main part Of
which was occupied by Ii. B. Dodge who
had a large stock of hardware and agricultur-
al implements, some OF which were stored in
a stOrchousc in the rear. The north and east
walls Of the Mcleod building are still stand
ing, and parts of the walls of the store
house are left, but they arc in n latter
cd and worthless condition. McLeod'i
building was insured for $4,000 in the Yer
mont Mutual. Mr.. Dodge's stock was in
sured in the Lanca shire Of Manchester, the
Royal o. Liverpool, the Northern insurance
company of London, the Pennsylvania, anC
Htha of Hartford, for $3.50, IN all S62j0
Vv4s1
about $500 or $1,000. In the basement oft Tx
aud COmstock & Langwor,hys meat mHrkt
ntithcr being insured. good deal OF prop
cry was got ont of these places, Mr.. Stout
will lose about $50 and Messrs. Comstocl
& Langwolthy al on $50 This completes tn
list OF losses in that row of buildings.
Eastward from McLeod's building i
Columbus Smiths block occupied by tn
Register printing company's Office, an,
north of it across Iaae, is DycI's hricl
block, occupied by Earil & Barnum, hard
ware, y. b. Colby, pool and billiard io1ms
l.. D. Eldrcdgas law and INSURANCE
offices and Phelps CJohan's restaurant an
sleeping apartments, The Register bloc
was never IN great danger, as whatever win
there was blew away from it, but the D.c
block must have z me bad 1t been frame ii
stead Of bucll Gu'diug. Eldredg-'s oilic
furniture, TO KS, pap -, iNiugs etc
and CoIlihan's stock Of good, and lulnijur,
were all removed at an carly psr!2d Of III
fire, and they did moi lose anything Of y.lu
CopIihau's and Earl Is Batnun's hal no il
slrancc. The latter dill no, remove much -
their stock apd to that extent were lucky.
Across Main street from the burued dis
trirts are the Slale and Barker blocks owl
cd by MIS-. Lucy Sada OF Miidlebury an
John j. Barker OF Brandon, the iDrmt
occupied by Mrs Sla !c rs a millinery stor
and the latter hy b, f. Wales US crocker
and fancy store. Thjs tuildiug caught fit
three times and lie fire was put out cac
time and the building saved, It
though the froNt Of it was badly scorChc
and the glass WAS all broken by the hea
The loss on the building is about $50 Z
5000 Mrs, SHADES stock Of goods was r
moved from the building, and some G.
were considerably damaged, while more ",
lost or stolen. Mr.. Wales did not r,mo,
his stock The buildings and stocks "c
fully covered with Insurance. Month fro
this building, aud across q lane, is Il Ion
row of franc stores On the same side
Main street The first block was occupl,
by Frank A. Bond & Bro, who had h,ay
stock of clothing, boots and shoes, groCcrie
etc. They got out considerable Of the
stock, and think that some of it has het
lost. Next CAGE James L, Negus, merchd
tailor, who had stock that cost $4,000
10000. A good dell OF Mr.. Negus's stu'
was carried ont. He docs not think any
it was lost or stolen, hut is not sure Vt
The other occupants Of the stor
in this row arc f, II Clay, miliner
Brchard & Ryder drugs and medicines, /
E. O.. Porter's offices, Leo f. Marsha
jewelry, books, etc, and A. +. Tuppc
law office, None of them removed their goo
and consequently none of them sustain
any loss. The whole of this region "
burned over in the biz fire of 1879.
When the fire first broke out all the
apparatus in town was found 10 I've out
condition and it was a good half hour aft
the fire was discovered before stream