The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1895-05-24
BEYOND CONTROL
Confagration Too Great For
St. Adams Men to Handle.

overy @5O0,0OO WORTH of Properly DE.
stroycd-wooien Dwellings Houses and
Stores Furnish Ample Food For Flames
ST. ALBANs, VT, May 20.-The most dis.
Rstrous confagration which has ever visited
Vermont laid waste to a great portion OF
the business section of this town yesterday
afternoon. In five minutes the fire was
raging in a dozen different places and the
fire companies were powerlcss.
| 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 the business office had ignited A
high wind prevailed and all efforts to
check the fire We're unavailing. From the
lumber yards it spread to adjoining build
ings, destroying the blacksmith shop of
Louis St. Cyr, Chisholm Bros store, and
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
company and Collins meat market. The
blocks of Wood & Favro, ]. H. Montifore
and W. K. Dean, adjoining, were also de-
stroyed.
Az bLlb pOlHb Une Wlntl Ildu luCrtibstu 10
miniature hurricane, and burning embers
were carried in every direction. The local
fire apparatus and large force of towns
men endeavored TO prevent the fro from
extending to Main street, where the large
business blocks were located, but their
Efforts Had but Little Effect.
Swanton and Burlington were called on
for help and at half-past four the first
piece of apparatus arrived. A steamer
from Burlington arrived at half-past five,
and all streams were directed 10 the build
ings on Main street, which had ignited.
1t was found impossible to prevent the
Main street blocks from burning and
dozen buildings were soon on fire at once.
The first Main street structures that ignited
were the stores of w. S. Bailey and +. B. |
Morton. The Wallace Printing Co.'s |
building, the stores of Lombard 81 Win |
throp, Marceau & Vincent, and Fuller's |
livery stable were laid in ashes soon after. |
Tho horses and most of the carriages, har-
nesses, etc, in the latter were saved.
The government building on Kingman
street caught fire a few minutes after
o'clock, and was gutted. Most of the
papers, furniture, ETC., were saved The
Hill block, occupied by J. K. Welch and
w N. audlnS, was lcNelieO 10 bIlc RrOunu.
AT $50 the Messenger building caught
fire and burned fiercely, the fire extending
to the block occupied by w. H. Ellis and
W. B. Woodward stores.
Most of the buildings were OF wood, and
burned like tinder before the strong gale
many occupants not having time TO save
their effects.
Moores marble works on Foundry
street, Ryan's grocery store and IL tene-
ment houses in the vicinity on the same
street were destroyed. Shortly before six
D clock the entire Burlington fire depart
ment arrived and all companies joined
forces in an attempt to check the IRE on
Main street.
Flames Checked.
The attempt was partially successful,
and the fire was checked in time to save
he best blocks on Main street The stores
1f A. L. Weeks, A. ]. Lang and g. H.
Harvey, however, were burned, and at
his point the progFss Of the fire was
itayed. The fire was gotten under control I