Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1893-09-21
RandoIph's Great Fire.
Forty-five Thousand DOL
lars Worth of Property
Destroyed.

At s a. N. Friday, the whistles blew the
arm for fire at the Center, where the
1mmer hotel, the Maplewood, was rapid
lv burning and the flames, with a strong
wind TO the north, were threatening to de-
vour that entire side of the street. In less
than half an hour, the fire company had
7 tied the engine to pair OF front wheels
E AIKEN from lumber wagon and had start
4 ed tor the scene of action. The hook and
/ ladder company followed soon after, and BIZ
cycles and teams innumerable went tear
ing up the two long hills. In spite of the
general feeling of depression, two cheers
went up while the fire was raging ,one was
when the engine appeared over the brow
of the hill and the other, when,by the ex-
ertions of the hook and ladder company,
the walls of the Normal building were
made 10 fall toward the south instead of
toward the north, and the progress OF the
fire was stayed.
"Crazy Mary" who, it has been noticed
is always making one of her periodical vis-
its in this section whenever a mysterious
fire occurs, was suspected of having caused
the confiagration, and was accordingly ar
rested and placed in the lookup here; but
not in solitary confinement exactly, iudg-
ing by the crowds which gathered out
side her prison window during the course
OF the day. Saturday morning, she was
brought before Hon. VIM. Nichols, judge
of probate, and States Attorney Stow of
Chelsea appeared in the interests of the
State. Though. after investigating the
matter, no proof of her having set the fire
could be obtained, she was adjudged in
sane and taken TO the asylum in Brattle-
boro that afternoon as a State paupeT. She
may find the grounds of the asylum rath-
er limited after having had the run of the
State of Vermont, but can hardly fail of
being more comforta BILE during the winter
months than she could possibly be, lead
ing her former vagrant fife. ais
The fire started at the hotel in the hay
NOV and was soon under great headway,
spreading from the barn to the shed and
main building, which were entirely con-
sumed, the annex. bowling alley and bill
lard rooms alone escaping the flames.
The Randolph State Normal school-once
the Orange County Grammar school and
one OF the oldest buildings at the Cen
caught from the Maplewood and was
soon in ashes. The fremen, seeing the
uselessness of trying to save these two
buildings with the amount of water at
their disposal, turned their attention 10
preserving the adjacent houses, and by
skilliully causing the walls of the Normal
TO fall toward the wind, they prevented
the further spread of the flames.
The Maplewood furniture was, for the
most part, saved, but the loss on the hotel
amounted to S30, 600 OF which nearly SIS
900 is covered by insurance. The proprie-
tor, Mr.Thacher Stone, is reported to have
also had some $500 in money, which he
had concealed about the premises. burned I
with the hotel. The furniture taken from
the burning building was arranged in the I
annex, and as soon as possible the Maple
woods guests were once more comforta-
bly, housed. Mr.. Stone has decided to re-
build. and the Center will not lose her
prosperous summer hotel.
Quite extensive repairs were made on
l.a I.r urartf f,slsa
men had not finished putting in the new
steam heating apparatus, by which the
schoolhouse was to have been warmed this 7
coming winter. The building was insured
in he Vermont Mutual for 81 500 but the /
loss was not far from $1,000.
The Normals kept their heads and work
ed like beavers. The Libraries were saved, 4
and much of the furniture and apparatus,
the slate black boards the bell and the bell 4
rope, the bulletin board, the pumps, many I
of the new radiators and the boiler. Two
young ladies carried the skeleton to the \
Congl church and deposited it tenderly (
in a we'll cushioned pew. IT had been car I
ried over that road before, and the dried .
man was made a little drier on top, but /
was not injured.
The rafters and the tower of the old Or \
ange County Grammar scnool stood in .
place for some minutes after all the res. of 4
/ he roof had fallen. The flagstaff was one
OF the last Inlhss 70 90 uoWh ana IL leli 4
s owly and gracefully when it did fall.
The Gag was saved and will wave again.
The school did not meet Friday but Mon
day ii met in the COng'l church and Tues
day, in the townhall, where it viii stay
until it gathers in the new building next
fall.
James 7. Sabin, secretary OF the Ner-
mont Mutual, and Mr. Brainard, who adj
usts the losses, were down from Montpe-
ier Saturday. This company pays 81 800
20 the trustees of the Normal, $500 to
Mr.. Stone, 800 10 Mr.. Fargo ana $50 to
Mrs Carter, the last two named having
sustained property damages though their
houses were not burned.