St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-01-24

might -Dt sdNeu anu UTOhe JilIouSH ehS
church dOoI with an Ak. But the in
side was already ablaze, and the open
door, giving vent to the flames, only
fastened the confiagratiou. Half an
hour later not a timber of the old
church was standing. Three of the six
sheds back of the church were burned.
The hearse was in the one nearest the
road, but was got out after it had been
slightly scOrched.
Cashier Mattocks lived with his fam
lily in the upper part of the bank build
ing, directly north of and very near
the church. He retired at ii 80, and
about an hour later was awakened by
low rumblins. Surprising it to be
only the wind, he did not rise. When
awakened a second time by the cries
of fire, he ran down into the bank and
threw the law library and other valua-
BILE books into the vault, which he
fastened. Then taking the records,
etc, from the town safe, he carried
them across to Dole Bros. store. He
then locked the safe, but in the excite
ment did not remove the key. Some
body else came along later, and look
ing into the safe, left it open, and it
was destroyed. After getting his family
out of the house, Mr.. Mattocks went to
the barn, and removed his horse, COW,
sleigh and buggy. He tried to draw
out his phaetOn, but got stuck i'll
snow drift and gave it up. Twenty
minutes later, when the building was
nearly destroyed, the cashier thought
of his mail, which was ready to be sent,
and CROPPED his way back to save the
checks. drafts, etc, in the envelopes.
Just after finding them, he was over
come by the dense smoke, but was
dragged out by Will Dole, who had
followed him. The two had barely
got outside the building when the roof
fell with crash.
Meanwhile much of the house furni
ture had been removed by others, so
that Mr. Mattocks lost only his carpets
and other heavy furniture, his stock of
provisions, five tons of hay, forty
bushels of oats, his phaetOn, harness
and two pigs. His loss will not exceed
$1,000.
The bank building was put up
in 1886, and soon after the old brick
block was burned. The old vault
stood the second and severer test well.
When opened Tuesday afternoon it
was found to be full of smoke and SCOT.
but nothing was injured. The build
mig cost when new $500, and the
barn and sheds, which were also de-
stroyed, have since been added. The
house was insured for $500 i'll the
| Commercial Union Assurance COM
pany of London, and for the same am
cunt i'll the Liverpool and London and
| Globe. Only one of these assurances
was carried till last summer, when the
officials became alarmed ut the manner
of keeping fires in the church and took
out an additional amount. Mr.. Mat
tocks was insured for Sll00 in the
Springfield Fire and Marine, SO that the
whole loss, except that on the church,
is covered. The church was built i'll
1916. About $400 was laid ont on in
side repairs last summer and S50g or
gan was then put in.
Opinions differ as to the cause of the
fire. Some attribute it to an incendl
ary, but more think it caught from the
defective heating arrangements OF the
church The structure was heated 10y
IA furnace" made of two old cracked
stoves in the basement, surrounded by
sheet iron. Pipes from this warmed
the audience room. The smoke from
the stoves passed ont through two old
chimneys in the rear. These chimneys
were found to be in very bad cOndi-
ton few years ago and were lathed
up from the outside, making perfect
fire trap. The superstition is that 4
!, brick fell out of one of the chimneys
so that the smouldering embers caught
the lath. On the other hand, it is ar
gued that Judge Palmer and Rev
Mr.. Mcdonald of Lunenburgh wen
through the building Monday after
noon to look ut the changes, and saw
no sign of fire. No fire had been bull
in the stoves after the Sunday service
A visiting drummer, however, main
tains that he saw smoke issuing from
one of the chimneys Monday after
noon.
Mr.. MattOcks has moved his good
into the Elm house, and bank offic
will probably be opened in the hotel
to run till another building can b
erected. Prominent members of til
Methodist church met in Judg
> Palmer's office Tuesday afternoon t
see what was best to be done. The
> will not be able To build without con
siderable outside help, and are likel
to lease or buy the old brick Baptis
church which has been vacant fO
years.
East Burke.
- Guy Frasier remains very sick. Hi
side was tapped for the third time Sun
day and three pints of matter take
. out.-Halsey Flower is at home for
few days. His eye is very painful.