The record-union., 1895-05-20
A Disastrous Fire Sweeps Over St.
Albans, Vermont.
THE LOSS PLACED AT BALF A MILL
ION DOLLARS
Whole Block of Property at Gate CITY,
Alabama, Wiped Out by Fire-l ne
Charred Remains of One Man round
in the Debris and Two Strangers
Missing. While Another Man Had q
Leg Burned Of.
Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.


ST. ALBANs (Vt.). May ia disas-
trous fire swept St Albans to-day, de-
stroying dwellings. business blocks,
public buildings and large amount OF
other property. The loss will amount to
hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Fire broke out shortly after o'clock
in the lumber yard of w. b. Fonda. and
in short time several large piles of
lumber and business offices had been
ignited. There was heavy wind blow
ing at the time, and the fire spread
rapidly. 1t destroyed Chisholm Brothers
store and the tenement house and drug
store owned and occupied by f. Eldred.
The fire next spread to the big building
occupied by the Crown Furniture Com
pany and Collins Meat Market. The
blocks of Wood 81 Favro, j. Montfre and
J. Dean, adjoining. were also destroyed
in short space of time.
At this point the wind had increased to
q miniature hurricane, and the burning
embers were carried in every direction.
Swanton and Burlington 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 tire. The first
Main-street structures that ignited were
the stores of w. S. Bailey and +. B. Nor
ton. These and the Wallace Printing
Compauy's building. the store of Lom-
bard Il Winthrop, Marceau u Vincent
and Fuller's livery stables were soon in
ashes.
The Government building on Kingman
street caught fire few minutes after l
o'clock, and was soon gutred. Most of
the papers. furniture, etc., were saved.
The hill block, occupied by j. h. Welch
and w. n. Adams was leveled to the
ground.
At $50 o'clock the messenger building
caught fire and burned fiercely for half
an hour, the fire extending to the block
occupied by w. II. Ellis and w. II.
Woodward's store. Most of the build
ings were OF wood, and burned like tin
der, many occupants not having time to
rescue their effects, until Moore's marble
works on Foundry street, Ryan's gro
Gerry store and twelve tenement houses in
the vicinity on the same street were de-
stroyed.
Shortly before O'Clock the entire Bur-
lington fire department arrived, and all
companies joined forces in an attempt to
save the more valuable blocks on Main
street. The stores of A. l.. Weeks, j.
Lang and u. II. Harvey, however. were
burned, and at this point the progress of
the fire was stayed. The 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, burning
many people out of their homes. The
st. Albans Hotel was saved with great
difficulty.
The loss will reach half million dol
lars.
FIRE AT GATE CITY, ALABAMA.
ST. LOUIS, May ia special to the
Republic from Birmingham, Ala, says:
At o'clock this morning tire broke out
in George Mitchell's grocery store at
Gate City and burned an entire block be-
tore it could be checked, destroying
MitchelPs store, j. G. tanrs boarding
house, j. G. Wise's residence, Persons
meat marker, Mrs. Horsefrse's residence.
the Gate City High School and two other
buildings. In Fant's bOarding-house
were fifteen rolling-m mill men. They had
been drinking the night before and it
was with great difficulty that any OF them
were saved. Rescuers dragged some
from ther beds, while others jumped
from the windows clad only in their
night garments. James Smithson's
charred corpse has been recovered from
the debris. Two strangers are missing.
Rich Long had a leg burned of, and 9TH
srs received slight injuries.
RAILWAY PROPERTY BURNED.
HALIFAX (N. s.. May 19.-This city
was visited by q Sl00,000 fire this morn
ing. and there was not cents worth OF
insurance on the property destroyed.
The flames started on the International
Railways long wharves in the cattle
sheds. Both wharves and sheds, in
which were sixty head of cattle, were
soon consumed, as well as the freight and
immigration sheds. The fire was sup
posed to be the work of an incendiary.
The other Government terminus was de-
strOyed by fire, and the loss of this one
means great Inconvenience to shipping
aud commercial circles.