Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-04-10
A $4,000 FIRE
The Destruction Of the Hildreth Carriage
Factory on Elm Street

The Destruction Of the Hildreth Carriage
Factory on Elm Street.
The most severe visitation 10y fire in
Brattlel.oro for several wears was that
which broke out Sunday morning. about
half an hour after midnight, and which
destroyed j. 1. Hildreth * Co. 5 carriage
factory on Elm street. involving a loss Of
from $50, 900 10 $2j, OOO. The fire was dis
covered by Henry Pratt, the Waterman in
>. A. smith q COT factory near by, who
gave the alarm by sounding the whistle in
that shop The alarm was Immediately
taken up by the blowing Of the Estey gong
and the sounding Of other whistles
The fire started on the second floor Of the
main building, aud when first seen by Mr..
Pratt was confined 10 small space. 1t
was, however, in the paint room, and when
Mr. Hlldreth, Mr. Fowler. one Of his EN-
plOyes, and others arrived at the shop il
was under full Roadway and spreading with
great rapidity. In fact the building burned
almost like powder mill, and it was i'm
possible 20 save much of the contents. on
~ three vehicles, a tool chest and a few
other articles being taken out The fire
department responded quickly, and consid-
ering the bad condition of the roads were
at work in a remarkably short time, water
being thrown from the hydrants in ten
minutes after the first alarm. Three
streams were used from the hydrants, and
effective service was also done with steam
er No. and the Estey steamer. Steamer
No. was sent back 70 the engine house.
as all the streams necessary were being
used. The building was doomed, however,
and It would have been impossible TO have
saved it with a hundred steamers. The
fire was intensely hot. and great streams
of flame shot into the heavens for many
fest. The danger 10 the lumber and wood
sheds Of Smith & Co, which adioined the
building, seemed imminent, and several
times they we're on fire, but the right kind
Of work prevented serious damage But
little wind was blowing at the time, and
that being from the north had no Apprecia.
BILE effect
After a reasonable time the fire was un
der control, but it was not in condition to
leave for several hours, and the firemen
made a night Of it. working until Il
o'clock, and some Of them not retiring IN
I'll o'clock. The blacksmith shop, occu-
pied by N. w. l>Oomis. was only partially
destroyed
Hildreth ~ Co. s main shop was two sto-
ries high, with basement, and its size was
90 feet by %. The addition, which was in
the form Of an l., was three stories high.
aud 80 feet long 10y - wide. The main
shop was built in 1873, but the addition was
put on only three years ago The building
was heated by steam and there was not a
stove in it. All the rags had been picked
up SATURDAY. afternoon and thrown under
the boiler Nobody can account for the or.
igin of the tire unless il was from some form
of combustion. Ten men were employed
in the shop. large stock was carried.
and at the time Of the fire there we're in
the building upw ards Of 200 carriages,
either constructed or in process Of con
struction Mr. Hidreth estimates the val
ne OF the stock at $1,000 The building
cost SiTm, and there we're in the building
for repairs % carriages belonging IN other
persons. or these none we're insured ca cept
the hack, top carriage aud sarry owned by
j, l. Ray, for $1,000; aud G. K. Simonds's
coupe for 500. Among others who had
vehicles destroyed were j, f. Townsend
Of West Dummerston, Daniel button. Ret
ting Bros. f. A Whitney, b. A. Clark, J .
f. Jacobs, W +. Walton s. H. Sherman.
X Frost, Welcome Allen, j. II. Chamber
lain, Chas Henkel, Lemue Smith of the
West village, Henry Squires, Henry Brown.
4. ii. Prescott. IheO. Turner Hildreth *
Co. carried $1,000 insurance, which only
covers the value Of the building, 50 that
their loss will be something like $l5, 900.
Mr.. hildreth, however, bears the misfor.
tune bravely, and will rebuild as soon as
the insurance is adjusted Mr.. LOOMS
loss was not large, hut he carried no insur-
ance