Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-05-21
NO. 35.
FIRE IN ST. ALBANS.
Probably the Most Disastrous Fire
Ever Known in the State.

TOTALLY DEsTROYED-BURLIN
FIREMEN TO THE REsCUE-SEvENTY
FIVE ACRES OF DEsoLATE RUINS.
The greatest fire in the history of st.
Albans, if not in the State, Sunday after
noon destroyed 81, 100000 worth of prop
erty, rendering 52 families homeless and
deprived 40 business men of their stores
and offices. The exact cause of the fire
is now unknown. 1t started in Fonda's
big lumber yards, in Stebbins street,
which soon communicated the flames to
the piles of seasoned lumber and in five
minutes 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 which blew a gale, carried the
flaming shingles and sparks over Lake
street, and into the nest of wooden build
ings, which fills the square from FOun-
dly 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 ev-
erything on Main street from LOCke'S
block to the Schofield house on the cor
ner of HOyt and Main streets, excepting
the blocks occupied by II. NJ. Stevens d5
Co., Clark d Hatch, Macleod &J Co., A.
S. Hyde q Co., A. f. Lane, 5. G. Greene
and r. BraineId. Every building on the
west side of Foundry street, from the ST.
Albans Foundry cOmpany's main shop to
Deal streets entirely wiped out With
in half an hour the most of the buildings
covering the acres of territory between
StebblnS, Lake, Kingman, Centre, Pearl,
Hoyt, Deal, Main and Foundry streets
were mass of roaring flames utterly be-
yOnd the control of the local fire COM
panies and the hundreds of volunteers.
Every piece of apparatus in the place
was at work, but it was impossible to
hold the fire as 1T had assumed such pro-
portions. 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 marvellous
rapidity and at 4o'clock all the build
ings on the east side of Kingman street
were a solid bank of flames which soon
stretched across to the opposite side, and
in a few minutes, the magnificent new
government building which was just
nearing completion, the st. Albans Mes
senger building, Hills block and the
Curtis-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 high wind knocked aside
all calculations and spread terror and
diSmay to all hearts. The crashing walls
dynamite, kerosene, powder and gas ex-
ploslons followed upon each other in
quick succession. and made the work of
the firemen doublv danrerous. The
Swanton and Burlington fire depart-
ments now arrived and did Gallant and
heroic work in subduing the flames. but
not until half past six c0uld the fire he
said to be under control and n most des.
olate scene presented itself Fullv half
the business places of the town law in
smoulderino rnins and scores of moor
people who had lost their little all wan
dered the streets with no nlace to Law
Among the heaviest losers are the
United States government, new public
buildinr. w Z Fonda iumbar vards
and BUILDINGS: the ST. Albans MessenaeT
company. bniidinr and nlant. NJ I Hills
block: " s BaiIev block containing
drv. Goods store and Owl Clnb rooms. II
p Sevmonr estate fonr huildings. DT
s. w PAIGE two blocks. r A Morton
fnrnitnre store. Folsom e. Morton hard.
ware store. Fuller's livery. w Fl Ellis
grocer: +. r. Woodward restaurant. n
h. Lewis. woodward and nine ho1ses:
Collins Bros meat market. PeIkev a.
Charnon's wood ward. A. +, Weeks Shoe
store: A. i LANG clothier. G. Fl Uar-
vev fIrnitnre. Caino Roker music store.
F, b, Morton. clothing. Vincent's shoe
store. s s Redard carriaces. DR. John
Sheerar dentist. Wallace PRINTING com
nanv. NortLrnn a. Lombard Gpocers
lanes Sbeehv bottling works. I W
RYAN Grocer. Wrv Rr0s Cr0cers. T
Ganvreau tailor. Frater & Prvor,s res.
taurant. I r. Noore,s Cronite yorIrs.
ForrinGton 6 post Iawvers. OwI CInb
rooms. H Daechenes hoots and shoes,
Dr A A CIaHin.P I CnnninTbon, rro,
Ger. r A Delisie 'barness sbrn. Samuel
Grown f,rDitmro, NJ RTcI, 'ioP, Iopver. yr'li 7
Milo taiIor. Mo L II DonTbcrt,, nil
iinery. Parronis Iivarv. w r Dean gro.
car. I IT IGnntfnro h1ocI- amJ foor
bonses. Woods G. Favrn baIyerv. Geo T
ArcbamheauIt corfecti6narv. II II