Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-02-28
A BAD FIRE IN NEWFANB.
HISTORIC BUILDINGS BURNED.

AD AAel LIN Nh w hIh
HISTORIC BUILDINGS BURNED.
The Old BIrch0rd store and Birchard
| Homestead Devoured by MidniRhi
Flames.
| Last Friday night was distinguished for
the most destructive fire Newfane has ever
known At about l:30 A. V. MAY, pro.
prietor of the corner store. who slept in
room at the head of the stairs opening
from the store, was aroused by a smell Of
dense, suiiocating smoke, hastily gave fire
alarm TO the Smith family in the tenement
over the store, and then, finding escape
cut off by the stairs, Immediately jumped
from the second story window, giving gen
eral alarm as best he could in his partly
asphy xiated and dazed condition The fire
was under such Roadway that the Smiths
had also to escape from the windows. The
sons got a ladder and helped their mother
down. The family could barely dress them
selves and seize few Of their best articles
of clothing and bedding Their goods were
mostly burned. Nothing could be saved
from the front store aud little from the
back room. j ID. Pierce had caskets in the
old bank room Of the building TO the amount
of $500, and the loss was total The Smiths
were uninsured. Men assembled M soon as
possible, hut with no public protection
against lire except such as nature has al
ways provided, it soon became apparent
that the Brchard house must 20, separated
as it was, 10y only drive way. Most Of
the furniture, etc, was saved though in
the excitement il was damaged cousidera
bly,, and at half.past one all had fallen.
Mrs. Orchard walked over to the County
House, and there she. her daughter, Mrs
Dewitt and Rollin and Frank Dewitt, are
now boarding. The Parsons family, who
occupied Mrs. Orchards tenement, saved
all their goods and have settled in their own
house at the upper end Of the village. A.
I. Edwards owned the store building, val
ued at $4,000 aud insured for $1,000
The origin Of the fire is unknown. The
first person, one Of the Smith boys, who
looked in through the store windoN after
the alarm and after he had escaped from
the building, said the fire appeared to be in
one corner and creeping along the shelves
near where large lamp hung. One theory
is that the lamp may not have been fully
eXtinguished, and that the flame, ilickering
low in the burner for two or three hours
may have in some way caused the fire, by
an explosion Of the gas generated by the
lamp, but Mr.. May does not think this
| possible. The lamp, a Rochester, had been
thoroughly cleaned on Wednesday and the
wick was pushed down in the usual way of
extnguishing il. II there had been an ex-
| plosion he thinks he should have heard it,
| A fire was left in the usual way with the
hampers all closed Mr. Mays first thought
ON awaking was that the stove was smok
ing and he partially dressed himself to go
down and open the damper in the pipe but
on opening the door he found the smoke so
dense that he could only alarm the Smiths
and then escape, as already stated.
Mr.. May was somewhat injured by his
leap and lay at first partially benumbed in
the snow Afterward he was pulled away
| by his friends when trying TO get at the
large stock Of kerosene oil in the shed and
roll it away Since the fire Mr. May has
been i'll from the effects Of his Jump, the
excitement aud the smoke in his lungs
Mr.. l.. 5. Hayes Of Bellows Falls, repre-
senting the Vermont Mutual fire insurance
| company, in which Mr. Edwards and Mrs
Orchard were insured was in town on
/ Tuesday to adjust the loss. The loss on the
| buildings was total aud was 50 adjusted
| The damage to Mrs. Orchards furniture,
most Of which consists Of rare pieces Of
Old time designs, was adj usted at 500 60.
Mr.. Mays stock was insured for $1,000 in
the Niagara, and $1,000 in the Insurance
company of North America, carried by Cud-
| worth x Childs, and $1,000 in the New Eng
land with sherman x JENNIE. This loss is
total, or substantially ~. 1t would proba
| bly, be nearly correct 10 say that the total
| loss 10y the fire was $40 00O, with insurance
Of $4,000.
An inventory was in progress at the time
Of the fire aud had already footed up 10
! $1,000 The estimate Of Mr. May and his
| clerk is that at least 1900 remained max
ing IA total Of $500. In the small list Of
| goOds save,l dozen barrels of flour and Il
case of ruhbers represent the greater part
Of value OF the old furnishings the plat
form scales remain On prying open the
| safe the contents we're discovered some
what scorched and curled on their surface
only, though the tray Of watches aud jew
elry was more damaged
Perhaps the slated roof was means of
saving further conhagration, as it must
have confined the heat 10 certain extent.
As it WAS. hcweves. Mrs Worster's plants
were scorched in the hotel dining room.
| NJ q. Howe, the census supervisor for
Vermont, hal engaged the old bank room
for his office
The favOrite dog must not he left un
mentioned Hero's collar was found under
the spot where he slept Hence it is sup
posed he was quickly smothered to death
Mrs. Orchard, who is now in her SStl
year, had spent 81 years Of her life in the
house that was burned With the courage
and determination of younger woman
she is talking Of building new house on
the site, she says no other place would
| seem like home to her