The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-01-04
Sunday Mornings Fire.

The burned buildings were situated on
the east side of Main street,on land own
ed by T. II. Mcleod. They were five in
number. Farthest toward the south
stood w. w. Swiney's building. 1t had
"A front of 20 feet and "A depth of 100.
! The main floor was occupied 10y ). d G.
| l.. Nutting, dealers in slcighs, carriages
and harness. In the front rooms above
| lived a Frenchman, Peter Dcyott. Back
of his rooms was one kept by the owner
for his own use, and still back of that in
the extreme rear of the second story was
a store room containing 20 or 30 collins
and Baskets. According to the state
ment of Deyott, who was among the first
to be alarmed, this latter room was where
the fire originated. His rooms were flied
with smoke and he set out to find the
cause. On investigation, he discovered
that the store room mentioned was all
on fire. Next to Swiney's was building,
20x4O feet. owned by Calvin w. Foote and
used by Geo. McCue as a saloon. Adj
joining this was s. +. Meekn's barber
shop. of the same size as the Foote build
| ing. The owner occupied the main floor
and in the upper story was \. NJ Swim
ey's billiard room. Then came II. II.
McLeod's block. 21xG0 feet. two stories
and n basement, occupied in the upper
stories by II. b. Dodge's hardware store.
| In the front of the basement f. l.. Stowe
had a gun and sporting goods store. and
| back of him was o. f. Comstock x Co.'S
| Phoenix market. In the rear of the Nc
| Le0d block was a small stOrehouse used
| by Mr.. Dodge. 1t was filled with iron,
paints, oils, etc. Running east and west
To the north of the Mcleod block and
the structure last mentioned is narrow
ln,x IN Il tlta
bakery. On the north side of the lane
stands Overs brick block. occupied by
Earl & Barnum, hardware dealers; Hon.
l.. ID. Eldredge's law and insurance
office. Alison b. Colby's billiard room and
Phelps Coolihan's family. The latter's
saloon is in wooden building attached
to the Dyer block. Back of the Dyer
block and opposite Dodge's store-house
is the wooden block owned by Columbus
Smith of Salisbury, and occupied by the
REGISTER & JOURNAL. office and two
families. Across Main street from the
Swincy, Foote, Meekin and Mcleod
buildings is a wooden block owned by
Mrs. VIM. Slade and John l.. Barker of
Brandon. Mrs. SHADES millinery store is
in the south half and above it DR.. NJ. ID.
Smiths office. b. +. Wales, stlverware,
crockery and house-furnishing goods, is
in the north half. North Of this block.
but separated from it by Mill street, is a
long wooden block extending to the
creek. f. a. Bond Il Bros. clothing boots
and shoes and groceries. are in the south
end. Next them is j. L. Negus. cloth
ing; and beyond him +. Il. Clay. dry
goods and millinery, the Case & Rider
drug store and G.. +. Marshall. jew
elry. stationery and furniture. In
the story above Marshall's is \. +. Tup-
, pcrs law Office and Mrs. Churchill 5
dressmaling rooms.
Night Waterman Dickinson. DR.. f. =.
, Russell, fire warden, and { few Others
were on the ground very soon after the
fire broke out. They ran the steamer
down to the bank of the creek near the
bakery. This was soon got in working
order upon the arrival of II. 7. Lang
worthy and Geo. Langworthy. jr., who
have charge of it. But the night was
very cold, and before steam was gotten
up the pump supplying water to the boil
er froze, neccessitating the withdrawal
of the fire and some delay. 1t was not
e more than forty minutes after the alarm.
however. before the steamer was doing
effective work. Next the steam pump at
the bakery was put in operation then the
pump at Stoves mill and finally the
Smith & Aliens shop and took water
from the hume. Mr.. Stowe had about
: 81 900 worth of property. uninsured. in
the gun shop under Dodge's, and remov.
C ed that before setting the pump in hi,
mill going. The ice had gathered about
the gate of the wheel actuating the
v pump, and hot water had to be procured
f to thaw it out. The hose attached to the
Is hand engine burst soon after it started.
These delays, all perhaps unavoidable
= allowed the fire to make considerable,
!. Roadway. 1t shortly consumed Swincy''
Is building and got into those of FoOte anC
Meekin. There it was retarded some
= what but its advance could not be stayed
) and the Mcleod block caught. In The
a meantime sparks from the Swiney build
ing had ignited Dodge's storchousc ant
that was in flames. 1t looked then as il
. the Dyer and Smith blocks must 90. anC
u with them the tenement houses to til,
% eastward and the bakery, as we'll as TIN
blocks on the west side of the street
+ The heat was so great that the window
~ in the Slade q Barker block were broker
s. and the paint burnt off the front. Thi
structure had a very narrow escape. Mrs
" Shade removed the most of her stock an,
he Wales part of his. Bond Bros. stOr
rs was also in imminent danger. but blank
I'd cts spread on the cornice and front am
rs kept wet with water taken up from tn
creek in pals prevented its catching.
BY this time large crowd had gather
ed The tiremcn. under the direction O
Chief Engineer Rider, Foreman Trace
tn and Fire Wardens Marshall, Peck, Rus
sci and Chapman, were working hard
H. They were assisted by the citizens genel
r. ally, all of whom, with very few eS
es ceptiOns, did their best at the brakes q
the hand engine. in removing goods an
nj otherwise. Bond Bros. removed Il POI
NJ ton of their goods, as did Mr. Negu,
~" "S Mr.. Eldredge, Phelps Goodman and 9th
"a ers. Those in the vicinity who did ne
" take away their property packed it u
for removal. The hose from Stowe
CO, mill was taken up the fire ladder, place
Ill against the front Of the Dyer block, an
y from the roof poured down a stead
De stream upon the Mcleod block. III
n: stream from the hand engine was turne
lie upon the front of the same structure
III while streams from the steamer and til