Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-01-29
A DESTRUCTIVE FIRE,
WHEELER'S BLOCK IN THIS CITY
LAID IN RUINS.
rho rotul Loss over $50, OOO--Iieroic
Fight by the Firemen-The Penalty
of shabby NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
of the Fire.


ings more or less damaged by fire and |
water. The flames were discovered about |
2:l5 o'clock in the southwest part of the
block, but there Is Il conflict of testimony |
as to the floor on which the fire originated. |
some claiming that it broke out ON the
fourth floor in the paint shop ct u. a.
Halls furniture rooms, while Others IN
sst that they noticed the flames nrsu Ill
the rear part of the hall ON the thlrd hoor'
There are therefore two theories as 10 nne
manner in which the fire caught: ne
one which is the most plduSlole Is InaU
some of those attending me dance which
closed about an hour before the IRE was
discovered, threw n natch or Il llHhteu
cigar on the floor in the dressing room, |
which slowly isnited. The other theory |
is that some cloths saturated with paint |
oil took fire in the paint room. When the |
fire companies reached the scene the flames |
were bursting through the roof, and the
building being SO high streams thrown |
from the ground were of comparatively /
tile efficacy a nun Der of iiremen |
reed their way to the roof, but owing to
e peculiar arrangement of the building |
was almost impossible to fight the fire
ON that point with hose.
In the meantime II large crowd had !
Gathered and the work of reSCuing goo :
from the stores in the block was carried
on i'll an energetic manner, the furniture
being taken to the park and other goods
being removed to the hotels and other
buildings at Il distance. The efforts OF
those engaged in this work proved most
effective and the number OF goods and ar
tcles saved resulted in materially reduc-
ing the loss. Shortly before o'clock
section of the roof gave way and the IRE
men were compelled to seek safety outside.
Hardly had they reached Il safe distance
when large section of the front
xrlll
was now intense and it was impossible
to approach very near the front of
the building. The spectacle ut this
point was unusual, The portion
of the wall falling IN 'front.'
of.the flames carried with it that part of
the.wall in front of Good Templars' hall to
which the fire had not yet penetrated eN-
cept in one corner. With the exception
that the front wall was out, the room was
in perfect order and the stove, the piano
andthe pictures on the walls were PLAINLY
visible to those without, this single spot OF
beauty and quiet forming striking con
trast to the scene of havoc and destruction
about it. The flames which worked down
through the various floors as they were
driven from the southwest, soon pentrated
to the north portion OF the block and the nre
department seeing that it would require
strong effort to save adjoining buildings a
portion of the force bent their energies in
this direction. Notwithstanding their
heroic efforts the flames continued to
spread, threatening the Evarts house on
the south, the business block ON the north
and the residences at the rear. About
8 O'Clock the fire was got under control,
but not until it had burned the north por-
ton of the block almost to the ground so
that the rear portion fell into the cellar
A number of streams of water We're kept
playing on the ruins, however until nearly
noon when the last perceptible flame was
eXtinguiShed.
The building burned in peculiar man
ner that portion of it which was not de
stroyed slopnE from the store of Stafford
Wetherby * Co., the goods in which
were damaged mostly by water and
smoke, to the restaurant of f. II. Shat
tuck which was almost entirely burned.
The domestic bakery building on the
north was damaged slightly by the fire
owing to its solid brick walls, but it was
completely flooded with water, A por-
ton of the Evarts House, next to the
burned block was also thoroughly
drenched with water The residence of
&. l.. Marcelais at the rear of the block
was slightly damaged by water.
As to the amount of the losses suffered
by occupants Of the building nothing but
rough estimates can be made until the
goods in the store of Stafford, Wetherby
n Co. are rescued and those rescued from
the other stores are collected together
The loss ON the building is estimated at
of SIP 900, 5000 Of it being with L. > Peck
and $1,000 each with +. \. Fuller and c. p.
FrisSell. SAT- prd, Wetherby Il Co. report
their stock rs heving been considerably
depleted previous to stocking up for the
spring trade, and even should the entire
stock he los, rs 1t probably Is, it will be
fully covered by the insurance which is
S25, 800. George a. Hall, who occupied, as
furniture'd .aler, the old stand of c. CAllen
& Son, wa not 50 fortunate. He had on
hand stock valued at about $1,000, on which
there was $4,000 insurance divided equally
between H. :. Peck and +. A. Fuller, and
he thinks the value of the furniture saved
will reacI some $1,000. This makes his
loss, as near as can at present be approx
mated, abont $1,000, exclusive of
$500 he had expended on repairs.
The other losses are as follows II. y.
Coon, restaurant, $500, insured c. +.
Brown undertaken $1,000, insured Good
Temp RS hall, $500 insurance 300 h. II,
Shattuck, restaurant equipment $500, no
insurance. The Good Templars lost IA
library of Of 800 volumes with their char
ter and papers, the only thing saved being
heir records for the last % years, found in
partially burned desk a. w. Powers
lost /, piano, II. II. Davis an organ and &.
w, jIayis books and music valued nj $3.50,
all OF which were in Good Templars' hall.
9th r damages from water in adj Joining
Du dlngs have not been estimated The
damage 50 far as can be estimated, will
amount TO over $50, 900
During the entire day large crowds Of
people occupied the park in front of the
building while the work of eXtinguishing
the last embers and cleaning up the debris
was m progress and they held their
ground until darkness forced them to
leave. Just before dark a spark was
famed INTO life but single line of hose
was sufficient to eXtinguish the flames
The removal of the fallen brick which was
begun 10y the street department Yesterday.
Will be completed to-day it is expected,
and the street put in its normal condition
Doubt Is expressed as to the probability
of the block being rebuilt by the heirs. ali
of whom are scattered through the coun-
try the one nearest here residing in New
Jersey q. w Wales, who Is their local
agent was ont of town, but it is under
stood mat there are others ready to pur-
chase tle site and that n structure of some
sort viii soon he put up in its place. OF
those WHO were burned out G.. II. Brown
has already located and he will occupy
the west store in the block next to the