Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-05-24
ST. ALBANs' GREAT Loss.

ITS BUSINESS SECTION SWEPT BY \ sElu
Gus FIRE SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
Six hundred thousand dollars probably
represents the loss Of property by the fire
which swept through the business por
ton of st. Albans Sunday. The total in
surance will aggregate more than $780,
000 Fully 100 buildings were destroyed
i'm the conilagratiOn, covering 30 acres,
and embracing every building on both
sides of four streets and score of houses
and blocks on Main and Foundry streets.
The fire made clean sweep in space
1000 feet wide and onefOurth of Il mile
long. Within this area the work of de-
struction was accomplished in three short
hours. and 60 dwelling houses. 30 bust
ness blocks, the new United States post
office aud custom house. the fire depart
ment building. the public library, the ST..
Albans Messenger establishment. the old
iail building. a sash aud door factory, two
livery stables. three furniture stores the
Owl club rooms and other places were
destroyed. About - families were burned
out, most of whom lose all their house
hold goods and were uninsured.
There were many narrow escapes dur
ing the fire. and several people were Sc
verely burned in attempting to save their
effects.
The fire started in Fonda's lumber
yards aud was caused by a small bonfire
lindled by boys who were playing with
matches. Soon the flames got INTO the
piles of seasoned lumber and in five min
utes after the first alarm the whole yard,
office buildings, five dwelling houses and
barns and sheds were "a mass of Seethug
flames. which. aided hv the wind. which
blew gale carried the flaming shingles
ana sparks over Lake street, and into the
nest OF wooden buildings which filled
the square from Foundry to kingmal
streets. The fire worked directly north
from its starting poiEt. After jump
ing Lake street. which for some un-
accountable reason did not burn, the
flames took everything on Main street
from Locke's block to the Schofield house
on the corner of Hoyt and Main streets,
excepting the blocks occupied by II. NJ.
Stevens Il Co., Clark & Hatch. Macleod
& Co., \. 5. Hyde & Co, \. +. Lane ).
G. Greene and II. BraIncrd. Every build
ing on the west side of Foundry street.
from the st. Albans Foundry company's
main shop to Deal strect,iS entirely wiped
out. Within half an hour the most of the
buildings covering the acres of territory
between Stebbins, Lake, kingman, Cen
tire, Pearl, Hoyt, Deal, Main and Found
ry streets were IL mass of roaring flames
utterly beyond the control of the local
fire companies and the hundreds of vol
unteers. Stands were taken by the fire
men at various places. thinking that the
flames could be checked, but the high
wind destroyed all calculations and
spread terror and dismay to all hearts.
The crashing of walls and dynamite. ker-
osene, powder and gas explosions fol-
lowed upon each other in quick success
sion. and made the work of the tiremen
doubly dangerous. The Swanton and
Burlington fire departments arrived and
did gallant and heroic work in subduine
the flames, but not until half-past siN
could the fire he said to be under control
The work of clearing up the ruins ans
making preparations for rebuilding is al
ready well under way.