The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-02-11
The Richmond Fire.

The fire at Richmond last week Tuesday
afternoon, to which brief reference was
made in last weeks issue, caused total
loss of about SO 600. 1t was a severe blow
to the place, as nearly the whole of the
business part of the village was destroyed.
The fire made the lack of fire apparatus
painfully evident The assistance of fire.
men from Waterbury and Burlington pre-
vented further spread of the flames. The
Waterbury company arrived soon after five
o'clock, but owing to the condition Of the
hose il did not get to work until nearly six,
by which time the Burlington engine and
fTemen had arrived and got to work.
Water was at first pumped from a sluce-
way beside the railroad track, and when
the supply gave out hole was cut in the
school-house pond. The fire started about
four o'clock in the store of j. b. Norton &
Co., dealers in hardware and oils. Mr..
Norton and man We're in the cellar draw
ing some kerosene oil. Returning to the
first floor, they found it in flames, and a
hurried exit by back door became neces
sary. The fire had got so good a start that
none of the books of the firm, except the
day book, could be secured. This was done
by breaking in one of the windows. From
the Norton store the flames spread to that
of f. w Powers, dealer in boots and shoes,
in the same block. Next came j. w. Whit.
combs grocery store and apartments in
which he lived. The Masonic block was
stores of 4. w. Freeman, dealer in drugs
and ewelry, Solomon Green, grocer, and
Fay q. Nichols, clothing dealer. The Office
of DR.. G. w. Jacobs, in this block, was also
burned out. The North Star lodge of
Masons saved a portion of its furniture.
Next in the path of the fire was the build
ing occupied by Patrick Henley shoe-shop,
Miss Gleason's millinery store and the
Grand Army post. Nothing was saved
from the Grand Army hall. The house and
barn of Jed Barber were the next victims,
bat some furniture was taken from the
house. The extent of the fire can be
summed up by saying that the burned
property included the large Masonic block,
corner of Bridge and Front streets, made
up of three stores and a physicians Office
two blocks on Bridge street containing
three stores AMI tenements, single block
and dwelling on Front street. Some
smaller buildings also, as barns and sheds,
were burned, and several houses We're
scorched. In Mr.. Norton's barn were
several kegs of powder, which might have
been removed before the fire reached them,
but no one seemed TO think of them. Mr..
Norton's family had barely time to get out
of the burning building. His four-year-old
boy tainted away on reaching the open air.
The safe of the firm of Norton Il Co. was
pulled out of the ruins Tuesday evening.
IL had fallen face down, and, although the
door was open, little damage was done TO
L
tain, some saying that it originated from an
explosion of gas in coal stove, and others
attributing il to spontaneous combustion.
The losses and insurance We're as follows;
Norton & Co., stock $1,000; insured for
$4,000 in the Continental New York,
Phoenix, London and Orient. Store, $500;
insured for $1,000 in the Insurance Com
pany of North America and Orient. House
hold furniture, 5000: insured for $3.50 in
the New England of Rutland. Il. w. Pow
ers, stock, $1,000; insured for 81 800. j.
w. Whitcomb, building, $1,000; insured for
81, 100 in the Niagara and Phoenix of Lon
don. North Star lodge, building, $1,000
insured for $4,000 in the Phoenix of Hart
ford and Phoenix of London. Furniture,
nearly all saved insured for $500 Fay G.
Nichols, stock, 5000, partly saved in.
sured for $500 in the Orient, Liberty and
Niagara. Il. w. Freeman, stock, $500; in
sured for 81, 900 in the Insurance Company
of North America. Solomon Green, stock
81 800, saved in damaged condition; no in
surance. Patrick Henley, building, 81 800;
insured for $500 in the Vermont Mutual
Stock also damaged. Miss Gleason, stock,
81 600, partly saved no insurance. Grand
Army post, furniture, $780, no insurance.
Jed Barber, house and furniture, 81 800;
insured for 81 300 in the Vermont Mutual.
Two hundred dollars will pay for the dam
age to houses on the south side of Bridge
street. The total insurance amounted to
about $30.OOO