Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-03-26
A DESTRUCTIVE BLAZE.
THE EVARTS HOUSE IN THIS CITY
BADLY Quilted BY FIRE.
The Flames breaking Forth From the
Roof Upon the Arrival of the Firemen
and Guests Barely Escape with
Their Clothing-The Loss Heavy.


The square on the west side of the city
park was againlvisited by fire last Thurs
day morning, when the Evarts House, i'm
mediately adjoining the Wheeler block
which was recently burned, was almost
completely Quilted, 50 that the wall will
probably have to be torn down. Mr.. De
laney, one Of the lessees of the hotel, was
awakened shortly before o'clock by the
strong smell of smoke in his room. He
Immediately took measures to awaken the
inmates OF the house, after which he ran
to the police station to sound the alarm
from the box there, but no one could be
found from whom he could obtain
the Key to the box. He then
ran back to the hotel and by
that time the flames were breaking forth
from the rear stair case where the fire
originated. Upon learning the situation
of affairs Chief Engineer Grant, who had
rooms in the hotel, FASTENED to the box
and sounded the alarm When he re
turned the flames mad broken through
the roof and the rear portion of the build
ing was enVeloped in fire. The fire com
panies responded promptly considering the
time of night and soon seven streams of
water were playing upon the flames. In
spite of this immense volume of water the
flames spread rapidly and it looked at one
time as ii the building would burn to the
ground. The iiremen fought manfully,
however, many placing themselves in posi-
lions of extreme danger from falling walls,
and at $50 the fury of the devouring
flames was materially abated. About
this time a portion of the COrnice fell and
three firemen who were at work near the
front of the building narrowly escaped
serious If not fatal injury. AS it was
Thomas Brady of the Star Hose company,
received sprained wrist, but he was for
tunate to escape thus easily. The hotel
guests and employees all escaped from
their rooms without accident, but gen
orally with but little clothing and during
the early stages of the fire devoted
themselves to removing furniture and
goods from the lower floor, the
only part of the building accessible.
The smoke together with the torrents of
water soon put II stop to this work and all
that could be done was to helplessly
watch the heroic efforts of the tiremeu.
As soon a. the department had gained
fOOthold their progress was rapid and 10y
$50 O'Clock the fire was entirely eXtin-
guished but not before it had completely
ruined the building.
The theory first announced as to the
origin of the fire was that 1t caught in the
laundry in the basement, but investigation
after the flames were eXtinguished show.
room. The appearances Indicate that the
fire caught from II lamp in the rear stair
awy leading to the basement. The lamp
was suspended from the wall in the angle
made by the sharp turn of the stairs To the
left, aud perOusly near the ceiling over
head Whether the lamp exploded, or
whether it got to burning high, cannot be
known, although the lack of traces of oil
on the:tloOr would favor the latter theory
BE tins as 1t may that is the only point in
the basement where there are MARKS of
fire, and from There the flames plainly eX-
panded as they rose until the roof was
reached, when the fire made its way down
ward again. The third floor was totally
burned; the second is badly Quilted, the
woodwork in most of the rooms being bad
ly charred, while the first floor ana the
basement, with the exception OF the STAR
case, are but slightly damaged by fire, al
though thoroughly Hooded and injured by
water.
The building was owned by Dolan
Brothers and had just been leased for
three years to the former lessees D..
laney * Mckauna. 1t was intended to
eXpend Sl5OO on repairs and the work WAS
to have begun INN diatcly. The total
loss is estimated at about $4,000. Do
Ian BrOtncrS place their loss ut 5000
the managers loss Is placed at $1,000
There was an insurance ON the building OF
$1,000 placed through T. :. Peck's agency
as follows: Royal OF England, $1,000 ;
London Lancashire of England, $500 ;
Phoenix of Hartford, $1,000 Delaney *
Mckanna had $2lOO insurance ON their
furniture and personal effects $1,000 beng
in +. :. Peck's agency and Sl1O0 in that of
G.. p. Frissel. Chief Engineer Gran; had
$1,000 insurance through T. ). Peck's
agency ON his furniture and personal
effects, of which nothing WAS removed
from the building unframed except his
piano. G. ;. kinslcy who had rooms ON
the first floor was fortunate III removing
all of his effects without damage except
slight injury by water
The fire was managed in excellent shape
by Chief Engineer Grant, and all of the
fremen did themselves great credit Con
siderlng the nature of the building and
the start the lire had gained when the
alarm was sounded the wonder is that
the department saved as much of the
building as they did