St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-05-20
VERY DISASTROUS FIRE SWEEPS
THROUGH THE BEAUTIFUL
VERMONT CITY.
LOSS OVER HALF A MILLION
FROM DESTRUCTION OF A SCORE
OR MORE OF BUSINESS BLOCKS
AND DWELLINGS.
GOVERNMENT BUILDING BURNED
Firemen From Burlington and
Other Cities Arrive in Time
to Check the Flames.

ST. ALBANS, VT, May ia dis
astrous fire swept st. Albans this aft
ernoon, destroying dwellings, business
blocks, public buildings and large
amount of other property. The loss
will exceed half million dollars. The
fire broke out shortly after o'clock
in the lumber yard of w. B. Fonda,
and in a short time several large piles
of lumber and business offices had
been ignited. There was heavy wind
blowing at the time, and the fire
spread rapidly. 1t destroyed Chisholm
Brothers store, and the tenement
house and drug store owned and oc-
cupied by F. Eldred. The fire next
spread to the big building occupied
by the Crown Furniture company and
Collins meat market. The blocks of
Wood and Favro, J. N. Montfere and
w. E. Dean adjoining were also de-
stroyed in a short space of time. AT
this point the wind had increased to a
MINIATURE HURRICANE,
and burning embers were carried in
every direction. Swanton and Burling-
ton were called on for help, and soon
responded. 1t was found impossible
to prevent the Main street blocks from
burning, and dozen buildings were
soon on fire. The first Main street
structures that ignited were the stores
of w. S. Bailey and F. B. Morton,
the Wallace Printing company's build
ing, the store of Lombard & Winthrop,
Marceau & Vincent and Fuller's livery
stables were soon in ashes.
The government building on King
man street caught fire a few minutes
after l o'clock and was soon gutted.
Most of the papers; furniture, ETC.,
were saved. The Hill block, occupied
by j. r. Welch and w. N. Adams, was
leveled to the ground. At $50 the Mes
senger. building caught fire and burned
fiercely for half an hour, the fire ex-
tending to the block occupied by w. III.
Ellis and w. H. Woodward's stores.
Moore's marble. works on Foundry
street, Ryan's grocery, and
TWELVE TENEMENT. HOUSES
in the vicinity, on the same street
were destroyed. Shortly before
o'clock the entire Burlington fire de-
partment arrived and all companies
Joined in an attempt to stop the fire
on Main street. The attempt was
partially successful and the fire was
checked about $50, in time to save the
more valuable blocks.
Control of the fire was obtained on
Foundry street, six blocks north of
Moore's marble works. The fire made
almost a clean sweep from Stebbins
street to Hoyt, turning many people
out of their homes. The st. Adams
house was saved with great difficulty.
The fire after leaving Fonda's lumber
yard pursued a northerly course along
the Catharine street, eating up many
WOODEN buildings near by, then going
along Kingman street. From Center
street on one side to Hoy street on the
other, a wall Of fire swept through the
entire district, to and across Main
street, which for several blocks was
laid waste, including unmber of tene-
ment houses. Fully thirty families
are homeless tonight. The hotels are
using kerosene and candles tonight, as
the gas and electric light service are
cut off. No serious accidents are re-
ported 1t is impossible to give the
insurance on the burned property to-
night. The underwriters are unable to
ascertain what the figures are. The
total loss, as near as can be figured, is
about $4,000