Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-05-04
Hose Companies Powcrless I'm
til the Engine Arrives.
n CHll- . r E:Rz
And Attendants Escape in Safety
Many Brought to Howard Relief
Building for The Night.- II ome
IL Total Loss-The Insurance.

At 1870 Monday evening an alarm was
rung in from box As and later from box 56.
Ii was soon learned that fire had broken out
In the Home for Destitute Children, two
miles from this city, and that 10 was already
blazing up from the roof. The fire compa-
nies responded promptly but the long dis
tanco and muddy roads prevented them
from reaching the place until ali hope Of
saving the building had gone There were
no hydrants near at hand and the hose
companies did not have hose enough to
reach the building, SO that no stream could
be used until the tthans' engine reached
the building, about three-quarters o. an
hour after tha alarm had beeu given. Mir.
Smith, the supertnte lent, was away and
oil of the inmates, Il children, whose ages
ranged from three months to l6 and 1S
years, with ~ or % attendants, were
asleep. The fire caught in the north
east corner of the building in the attic
supposed to have been generated from the
clothes OF tt boy named Lincojh Manley who
he'd been at work for several days oilug the
floors. Monday night he went into the attic
end taking off his clothes laid them into the
corner near a steam pipe. The oeamstress
Miss Minnie Laugdon, who was sleeping
directly under tle attic, was the first TO dis
cover the FIRE, which had already burned
through the upper floor so that large clnders
we're falling down the IRON stairway to the
bottom of tue building. She ran and
awakened the matrou, Mrs. Woodward, and
other attendants, VINO, without stopping for
dressing, began carrying out the chill
dren. They We're snatched from their
beds and carried, screamIng and
frightened from the builling to the barn
and houses Of the ncighbors
| All e%cep5 two We're rescued from the
burning apartment when Miss Della Prey,
ru attendant, entered a room, where
tae others warned her that it would be Ger
I death, and removed one, and Mr.. Fer
pu.uc went in AMI took out the last child,
whose screams were most pitiable TO
lear.
Great difficulty was experienced in tele-
phoning TO the city to give the alarm Mrs.
Woodward saying that it seemed like hours
before a reply could be obtained.
When the FREE PRESS representa- tive
! reached the home the fire had spread all
over the top Of the northern apartment
and in some portions had reached the base
ment. All through the rest OF the buildin e
people were busy removing the furni-
ture and clothing But in their
excitement much valuable property
was thrown from the windows and near
y ruined. Armful after armful OF
clean clothing were thrown out into
the mud nsi dragged away too wet to be of
any Use in protecting the naked children.
Although so mucn Of the clothing was saved
nil the childrcn's Sunday clothes were
burned.
TOUCHING SCENES.
About different parts of tho yard stood
the excited ladies in the driving rain holl
ing about them bedquilt or any place OF
,!othing at hand; striving to guard some OF
tho property and watching the slow destruc
tion Of what was more than homo to them
Miss Langdon said that it seemed terrible
that it must all burn, If rney could onl y
hove had one good stream when it was first
discovered the building could have beer
ensily saved.
In the barn near the door was arranged
| large pile of beiiing and from all parts o
this were seer the heads OF children sticking
put None Of these had found any clothing
they could wear, and some we're laughing
apparently enjoying the adventure, while
others were crying as if their hearts woulC
breok. Put kind hands were doing all tina
was possible for their comfort. In a shor
time large teams from several livery stable
came and the inmates were taken to the
| Howard Relief.
The managers we're repairing the building n
IN expense OF several hundred dollars, anC
had almost finished the work, which woulc
make it more pleasant than ever, only to SCI
II destroyed. One young child had JUS
arrived ut the homo Monday evening.
Tho place in which the fire started wa
most favorable. There were no chill
dren in the immediate vicinity and th
older children were the nearest the fire.
Hut too much credit cannot be give,
tho ladies who secured the remov.
al of all the children and an invalid lady
Mrs. Wooiward's mother without loss o
| life or limb.
Tho building and its contents were in
surod but the furniture and clothing of til
attendants will be almost total loss.
There was delay in getting the new
steam fire engine on tho way and /
was not until nearly 2 O'Clock that the ma
chine was started. About that time tn