Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-12-03
LYNDONVTLLE FIRE. from page 5.

big blaze. The wind apparently in
creased, switched to the west and
from the Nichols block carried the
flames to tG. Fl. Weeks post office
block and from there swept every
thing on that side of the street, TAX
ing in its course the Robinson barber
shop, Cooks block, in which were the
stores of Pool, Mrs. Young and S.
Eastman, and then Mrs. Parker's mil
inery store, where the flames were
stopped, saving the old Jenness board
ing house on the corner, owned by
T. E. Parker, one of the first erected
on the street and the least desira BILE
to save.
On Church street the flames swept
north from the Weeks block and lick
ed up the Weeks barn and from there
communicated to the beautiful resi-
dence built by F. w. Silsby, owned by
DIR. Cheney and occupied by M L.
Stearns.
On the east side of Church street,
opposite the Cheney house, flames
IrOIu UIlO N1ClIO1S OlOCh
to the II. F. Woodland double tene
ment house, which was soon in ashes.
Among the last to go was the Ide
block.
While these buildings were going
the wind which was strongest from
the south would occasionally take
whirl around to the north, east and
west, or wherever it could find COM
bustible material. From Eaton's block
fire jumped to the Stern block, and to
the long shed on the south, and from
there to the four tenement Twombly
house, south of the Stern's block and
owned by Mr.. Stern.
Back of the hotel, the hotel barn
burned and communicated the flames
to w. @. Howe's residence on Elm
street which was destroyed. West Of
the hotel and across Elm street was
the Hoyt block, occupied by Hutch
ms grocery, Graves meat market
and three families, this caught fire
and communicated the flames to the
big livery stable on the corner owned
by D. NJ. Silsby which was soon in
ashes, and completed the work Of de-
struction, leaving nothing on the
street except the old Parker boarding
house.
At 500 it was plain that the fire de-
partment could not stay the flames
and the alarm was sent to S.. Johns
bury for help, and an extra train was
sent down returning soon after I
O'Clock with the hose company and
Torrent engine. At this time both
sides OF the street We're in q blaze and
destruction was threatened. IN every
direction The ST. Johrsbtry boys
set their machine at the hydrant near
the Pettigrew block on Main street,
but unable TIC chop into the hydrant,
put the hose into the big water trough,
pumping water from that and pre-
venting the flames from licking up
the Parker block at tire west end OF
the street. Had this building gone
with the wind in the south DR.. Cope
lands house and ali the others on the
east side of Main street must have
followed. But thanks to the Johns
bury boys and the snow ball brigade,
the fire was squelched at this point.
TWAS by fine fighting that the flames
were driven from Eaton's tenement
house, south of his big block. But for
the help from St.Johnsbury this would
have gone, and other buildings on
Center street.
Considering the scarcity of water
and the obstinacy of the hydrants it
seems remarkable that the flames
were stayed anywhere in the thickly
part of the village.
1t was a most desperate fight at
every point, and the snowbalt brigade
should be credited in several instances
with remarkable success in saving
buildings.
The home engine was at no time
able to fire stream above the tops
of windows in the second story, and
in a variety of instances snow balls
did good work where the engine
stream failed TO reach.
The Stern block stood first, on the
south side and east of the street. This
block was built by G. H. & j. NJ.
Weeks in the first days of the village.
Aaron Twombly owned it many years
till a year or more ago it was sold to
S. Stern, who recently spent SO, 800 on
it and converted it into one Of the fin
est cry goods stores il the country
A L -,
was occupied by Mr. Storms store, who