The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-12-29


had the respect and confidence of his
townsmen, having been repeatedly elect
ed to responsible offices.
The firms who were burned out in our
recent disastrous fire have nearly all
started again in other situations. The
bank is preparing to carry on their bust
ness in Spellman's store. II. W. Matti-
son & Son have their barber shop in the
rooms recently occupied by Miss Smiths
millinery store. E. A. Fisher has his
stock of tinware and stoves in the "hide
room" of the tannery, j. I. Bentley has
removed to the Depot and w. II. Bundy
has opened his market in the small house
just north of DR.. Wyman's residence.
These situations are only temporary and
it is to be hoped that the burned district
will soon be covered with a good sub
stantial brick block, which will afford
all the needed room for the present bust
ness purposes of the village. Should
this be the case the calamity which now
seems so disastrous may prove to be a
blessing in disguise to the village as o
whole if not to individuals.
The journal gives the following:
'The amount of insurance carried by the
parties burned out is as follows: @. j.
Wait on buildings, furniture and stock
in drug store $4,750; Graves and Col
burn on Howe block, 5000; EstabroOk
on Opera House and contents $500; Fac
tory Point National Bank on furniture
safes, etc., 800; A. E. Hamilton on goods,
5000; Masonic Lodge $50; Masonic
Chapter, 300; II. w. Madison on house,
furniture, ETC., 1 400; E. A. Fisher on
stock, 750; Myron Morse on meat market
building 1850; j. L. Bentley ON stock
500; E. R. Carpenter on blacksmith
shop, house, etc., 1900: j. G. Martin on
law library 400. Fisher and Bentley re-
moved most of their stock and G. j.
Waits brick building did not burn,
though that and the stock was badly
damaged. In all other cases the loss
will exceed the Insurance. The safes
recovered from the ruins are all in good
condition with contents in good order
The bank has already commenced bust
ness in BurtOn's & Co.'S store. Mattison
and Carpenter are the worst sufferers,
losing their homes and everything with
light insurance"
In addition to what we said last week,
the following from the Rutland Herald
gives an account in detail of our late
fire calamity: When the fire was dis
covered, il had gained considerable head
way. The alarm called out the Pacific
engine, but it was some little time be-
fore it worked properly, and by this
time there was no hope of saving the
building, which is of wood and which
burned like finder. Nothing whatever
was taken out of this building, which
was occupied by Hamilton's clothing
store and the Battenkill National bank.
The bank safes appear to be in good
condition, but can not be opened until
an expert arrives. Above Hamilton's
store was Martin & Archibald's law Of
flee. They lose their books and papers,
except what were in their safe, and that
has not yet been opened. Over the bank
were the rooms of the Ondawa Game
club, who lose their furniture, etc. In
The upper story are the rooms of the
Masonic bodies, who lose everything.
Next east of this building was the dwell
ling house and barber shop of II. w.
Mattison, which were burned, though
some things were saved from the build
ing. Next came Estabrooks opera
house, wooden building, which was
soon in flames. The heat from the two
burning buildings was intense, so the
limbs of trees on the opposite side of the
street took fire. The Central Cash store
which is directly opposite, was in immi-
nent danger, and is badly scorched. and
its plate-glass windows were broken, but
by the exertions of the firemen, the fire
was prevented from crossing the street.
The opera house building was occupied
on the lower floor by James Z. Bentley,
harness store, and y. A. Fisher, stoves
and tinware. The greater part of their
stock was removed. The furniture,
piano, ETC., in the hall were burned.
The next building was Bundy's meat
market, which was destroyed with some
of the stock. The next buildings were
Z. Il. Carpenters dwelling and black
smith shop, which were burned with
most of their contents. This ended the
fire in that direction, though the next
dwelling beyond was about half burned
before the fire was extinguished. Next
south of the Howe block was a small
wooden building, at present unoccupied,
which was burned. The next building
is G. J. Waits dwelling and drug store
and is of brick. This was on fire several
was only by hard and persistent work
on the part of the firemen that it was
saved and the fire stopped in this di
lOCblOh' HO ldi 30 OdhuCly OuiiuiuBo VI
NJ. S. Colburn, across the river, also
took fire, but the flames were extih-
guished without doing much damage.
There were no steam whistles to give a
general alarm, and messengers were sent
TO Manchester village for help. They re-
sponded as soon as possible with the
Undine engine and did very effective
work in staying the progress of the
flames. Without them Waits drug
store, Burton & Co. S store, the Central
Cash store and many more buildings
would probably have burned. The heat
was so great that one engine could cover
but part of the exposed territory. 1t
is fortunate that there was little wind at
the time and plenty of water, The
Howe block is owned by Colburn &
Graves, valued at $4,000; insured for
5000. Mattison is insured for 81, 800,
which will not cover his loss by several
hundred dollars. Estabrook is insured
for $1,000 on the opera house building.
The loss will be considerably greater,
The other lossers were mostly and per-
haps all insured. The aggregate loss
will be $4,000 to $25, 900, probably two
thirds covered by insurance. @. j. Wait
was sick and helpless in his house, but
was removed to the Colburn House.
Landlord Shaffner of the Colburn House
furnished hot coffee and free lunch to
many of the firemen, and others fur
nished coffee. etc. The origin of the
fire is not known. Persons passing the
store half hour before the fire saw no.
thing wrong One man saws he looked