Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1895-05-23
VERAoArs BIGGEST FIRE.
The Business Portion Of St. AIbans
Reduced to Ashes.

i what was probably tile most d.
structive fire in the history Of Yer
mont occurred at st. Adams. Sunday
afternoon, destroying $4,000 worth
OF. property, rendering 50 families
homeless and depriving40 business men
OF their stores and offices. The cause
OF the fire is supposed to be bonfire
built by boys in the lot adjoining
Fonda's big lumber yards, which soon
communicated the flames to 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 seething flames, which, aided
by the wind that blew gale, carried
the flaming shingles and sparks over
Lake strickland into the nest of wood
en- buildings, which fills the square
from Foundry to Kingman streets.
The fire worked directly north from
its starting point, sweeping path
900 feet wide and nearly a mile in
length. After jumping Lake street,
which for some unaccountable reason
did not burn, the flames took every-
thing on Main street from Locke's
block to the Schofield house on the
corner of Hoyt and Main streets, ex-
ceptipg the blocks occupied by Fl. M.
Stevens Il Co., Clark Il Hatch, Mac
Leod e. Co., A. S. Hyde & Co., A. +.
Lane, S. G. Greene and r. Brainerd.
Every building on the west side of
Foundry street, from the st. Adams
Foundry company's main shop to
Deal street is entirely wiped out.
Within half an hour the most of the
buildings covering the acres Of terri
tory between Stebbins, Lake, King
man, Center, Pearl, Hoyt, Deal and
Main streets were mass of roaring
flames utterly beyond the control Of
the local fire companies and the hum
dreds of volunteers. Every piece Of
apparatus in the place was at work,
but it was impossible to hold the fire
as it had assumed such proportions.
The northern part Of the town was
threatened with destruction as fire was
breaking out on every hand and Bur-
lington and Swanton were asked for
aid. The flames spread with marvel
Gus rapiditv and at 4 o'clock all the
buildings on the east side of Kingman
street were a solid bank of flames,
which soon stretched across to the OPP
posite side, and in few minutes the
magnificent new government building
which was just nearing completion, the
st. Adams Messenger building, Hills
block and the Curtis-P Pierce block, were
adding fuel to the flames and were
soon Quilted. Stands were taken by
the firemen at various places, thinking
that the flame could be checked, but
the high wind knocked aside all cal
culations and spread terror and dis
may to all hearts. The crashing walls,
dynamite, kerosene, powder and gas
explosions followed upon each other
in quick succession, and made the
work of the tiremen doubly danger
GUS. The Swanton and Burlington
fire departments now arrived and did
gallant and heroic work in subduing
the flames, but not until half past SIX
could the fire be said to be under con-
troll, and most desolate scene pre-
sented itself. Fully half the business
places in the town lay in smouldering
ruins and scores of poor people who
had lost their little all wandered the
streets with no place to lay their
heads.
Among the heaviest losers are the
United States government, new public
building; w. B. Fonda, lumber yards
buildings; the st. Adams Messenger
company, building and plant; M. j.
Hills block; w. S. Bailey, block con-
tanning dry goods store and Owl CLUB
rooms; H. p. Seymour estate, four
buildings; DR.. S. W. Paige, two blocks;
e. A. Morton, furniture store; Folsom
81 Morton, hardware store; Fullers
livery: W.H.Ellis, grocer; +. X. Wood
ward, restaurant; II. E. Lewis, wood
ward and nine houses; Collins Bros,
meat market; Pelkey q Chagnons
wood yard; A. L. Weeks, shoe store;
A. j. Lang, clothier; G. II. Harvey,
furniture; Calno Baker, music store;
+. B. Morton, clothing; Vincant's shoe
store; S. S. Bedard, carriages; Or John
Sheerar, dentist; Wallace printing
company; Northrup & Lombard, gro
GERS: James Sheehy, bottling works;
J. w. Ryan, grocer; Wry Bross gro
GERS; f. Granvreau, tailor; Frater "
Pryor's restaurant; J.G.Moore's gran
lte works; Harrington " Post, lawyers;
Owl club rooms; E. Deschenes, boots
and shoes; DR.. A. A. Clatlin; Z. =.
Cunningham, grocer; i. A. Dellsle,
harness shop, Samuel Crown, furni-
ture: NJ. Buck, lawyer; j. J.Milo, tall
or: Miss X. r. Dougherty, millinery;
Perron's livery; w. E. Dean, grocer;J.
#. Montifiore, block and four houses;
Woods q Favro, bakery; Geo. L.Arch-
ambeault, confectionery; II. H.Farns-
insurance; f. A. Ashland, law
YER: Eldred's drug store; W. n. Ad-
ans. clothing; J. E. Welch, drug store;
M Adams Gas company's office; ~.
Brough, ieweler; Chisholm Bros news
agency. i. Y. Stewart, news store. Inc