The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-08-18
THE SIXTEENTH PYRoTECHNICS.

1t was not ION the bills" but the six
teenth closed with display of fireworks
that Illuminated the heavens. About
s. Is o'clock in the evening fire was dis
covered in the pottery sheds bordering
on the Walloomsac river, between Park
and School streets. Box 20, the proper
one, was rung, and soon afterward some
one stupidity pulled another box in the
southwest part of the village, mixing up
the alarm, but the fire department. had
heard the real box number and started
for the corner of School and Pleasant
streets. The pottery sheds are two in
number, about 120 feet long, running
parallel east and west with yard be-
tweed them. The yard ard south shed
were full of seasoned pine and spruce
slabs. The north shed was filled on the
west with the same material, but the
east half had been enclosed and was used
as a store house for crockery crates,
boxes, etc. On this occasion some $1,000
worth of crockery was stored therein in
the original packages, and it was in this,
about the midst of the east half that the
fire originated The flames spread with
great rapidity. Those who saw the fire
when few pals of water would have
extinguished the conhagration, say that
the flames ran along the shed and to
Capt. Albert Walkers barn as If train
of gunbowder had been laid. The north
shed and Walkers barn were totally de-
stroyed. About half of the roof OF the
parallel shed is burned off, but the wood
| in the yard and in that shed was saved.
Capt. Walkers barn contained two
horses, carriages, ETC., which were saved.
THE hay and grain are total loss. Inc
flames communicated to the brick dwell
ing with wooden ell, owned by Capt.
Walker, in rear of st. Peters church:
| The ell was burned, but tho brick front
was saved, The houses on School street
the rectory, a dwelling owned by DIR.
Goodall, and another by Mr.. Chase, and
even st. Peters church, was at one time
in danger, but the department stationed
the steamer at the School street bridge
and kept the flames at bay.
The fire was the hardest one to fight
the firemen have had in years. The
Starks got the first water on, and soon
afterward the Putnams and Titfanys also.
They commenced, however, at the east
end. north and south sides, but the
flames running rapidly west, as stated
above. soon led them to change thell
plan, and the control was finally gained
The full force worked until o'clock, the
steamer until a. m, and the Starks re
NAMED an hour or two later before they
also turned in-''fre out" Edward
Norton g. Co. are insured in the Vermont
Mutual. Capt. Walker loses about 81, 900
and individuals something more. Tit
total loss will aggregate $1,000.
We heard it said that some one haC
seen two men run out of the pottery yart
lust before the fire was discovered; also
that another had seen three boys do thu
same thing, but we have been unable t
verify these rumors. One thing seems t
us to be demanded by these recent fires
apparently of incendiary origin, and tina
is the necessity Of police patrol OF on
streets nightly. There is gang OF youIn
hoodlums growing up in town VIII
should be controlled, and proper polio
force now may have salutary effect