The San Francisco call., 1895-05-20
WIND AIDS THE FLAMES.
Property Valued at Upwards
of Half Million Dollars
Wiped Out.
ROBBED OF THEIR HOMES,
The Conflagration Makes a Clean
Sweep Through Blocks
Of Residences.

ST. ALBANS, W., May ia disas-
trous fire swept st. Albans to-day, destroy
ing dwellings, business blocks, public
buildings and a large amount of other
property. The loss will amount to at
least half million dollars.
The 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 a heavy wind blowing at the
time and the fire spread rapidly. 1t de-
stroyed Chisholm Bros store and the
tenement-house and drugstore owned and
occupied by f. Eldred.
The blaze next spread to the big building
occupied by the Crown Furniture Com
pany and Collins meat market. The
blocks of Wood & Favro, J. II. Montfere
and W. E. Dean, adjoining, were also de-
stroyed in short space of time.
AT this point the wind had increased to
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 fire. The first
Main-street structures that ignited were
the stores of w. s. Bailey and F. B. Nor
ton. The Wallace Printing Company's s
building, the stores of Lombard & Win
throp and Marceau & Vincent and Fuller's
livery stables were soon in ashes.
The Government building on Kingman
street caught fire few minutes after 1
o'clock, and was soon gutted. Most of the
papers, furniture, ETC., were saved. The
Hill block, occupied by J. E. Welch and
w. n. Adams, was levelled to the ground
At $50 the Messenger building caught
fire and burned tiercely for half an hour,
the fire extending to the block occupied by
w. H. Ellis and w. II. Woodwards store.
Most of the buildings were of wood and
burned like tinder, many occupants not
having time to rescue their effects
Moores marble works on Foundry street
Ryan's grocery store and twelve tenement
houses in the vicinity on the same street
were destroyed.
Shortly before o'clock the entire Bur-
lington Fire Department arrived and all
companies joined forces in an attempt to
stop the fire on Main street. The attempt
was partially successful and the fire was
checked about 6; 80 o'clock. in time to save
the more valuable docks on Main street.
The stores of A. L. Weeks, A. ]. Lang and
G. III. Harvey, however, were burned, and
at this point the progress of the fire was
stayed.
Control of the fire was obtained on Foun-
dry street, six blocks north of Moore's
marble works. The confagration made
almost clean sweep from Stebbins street
to Hoyt, turning maay people out Of their
| homes. st. Albans Hotel was saved with
great difficulty.
The fire, after leaving Fonda's lumber.
yard, passed in northerly course along
st. Catherine street, eating up many
wooden buildings near by, then going
along Kingman street. From Center
street along one side to Hoy street on the
other, the blaze swept through the entire
district to and across the street, which fol
several blocks was laid waste, including 6
mum ber of tenement houses.
Fully thirty families are homeless to-
night. The hotels are using kerosene and
candles tonight, as the gas and electric
| light service are cut off. 1t is impossible
to give the insurance on the burned prop
erty, as the underwriters are unable to
ascertain what the figures are.