Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-06-26
FIRE SWEPT.
Five Buildings Burned at West
BrattlebOrO.

The Loss Is $4,000 with $4,000 In
surance--.BrattIebOrO Fire Department
saved Several Buildings.
The most destructive fire that las oc-
CURED in Brattleboro since the Fisk and
Ryther blocks were burned some IL years
ago, and the largest that the village of
West Bratteboro has ever known, broke
out in the latter village shortly before mid
night Saturday night, destroying five build
ings and entailing a loss of over S15, 900.
! The fire started in A. II. u L. +. STRAIT
| toms mcat-market and is supposed to have
caught from lard which had been tried out
that afternoon and evening.
1t was first discovered by Z. L. Wrsley
a young man employed on the farm of
Henry Briggs, who had attended the rally
and flag-raising in this village and was 60
ing home on his wheel about II 80 o'clock
when he noticed flames issuing from the
rear of the Stratton market. He gave the
alarm and the local department, which con-
sists of the old Western hand engine and
hose cart, was called out it being necessa-
ry to chop down the engine house door as
the key could not be found. message
was telephoned from w. D. & j. L. Stoc k
wells to Chief Engineer Turner of this
and sounded the special alarm for West
Brattleboro, which is five rings four times
in succession. Engine No. 3 and hose
cart No. started out and in Just % min
utes from the time the alarm was sounded
the Brattleboro department had stream of
water on the flames. The engine was set in
Knight & Walkers mill-yard and the water
taken from their pond. The hand engine
took water from the reservoir on the com
mon which was soon pumped dry.
The lard and grease in Stratton's market
being highly intlammable caused an intense
fire which spread rapidly and ignited L. II.
Knapp's building across the brook, at the
same time catching the large wooden block
owned by DR.. Charles S. Clark and con-
tanning the post-oflice and the grocery
store of NJ. l. Mather, known as the Farm
er's Market. From there the fire spread
TO the old hotel barn also owned by DR..
Clark, and by the time of the arrival of
the fire department the flames were under
such Roadway that all of these buildings
were beyond saving.
When the alarm was sounded President
Crosby of the electric road had the power
at the electric light station transferred to
the railroad generator and started a car
toward the scene. Another engine was
needed but Engineer Turner, not wishing
to leave this village without protection,
would not take out the other village engine,
but having obtained the consent of Gen.
Estey, he sent the car back after coal and
the Estey Organ company's steamer
There was some delay in getting the Estey
steamer as the Estey company had dis
banded after waiting a reasonable time
without receiving orders. A fire was start
ed in the steamer at the top of High street
so that it was ready for use at its arrival
at West Brattleboro, but by that time the
fire was under control so that the steamer
was not needed and it was brought back to
this village. Meanwhile the department
had been getting in some lively work, their
energies being devoted chiefly to keep the
fire from spreading further, but for all that
it was a close call for John Sargent's
house, the barn and L of which we're
burned.
The Buildings Burned.
The first building to 90 down was the
one where the fire started. This building
contained besides the meat-market, a fish
market down stairs, a new refrigerator, and
was well stocked with pork and lard.
Nothing but set of scales was saved. The
building was valued at $1,000. The STRAIT
tons carried insurance policies of $500
with A. w. Childs Il Co., of which about
50 per cent was loss. The building on the
west owned by l.. H. Knapp was occupied
by the meat-market of Horace Prefoun-
tain, the barber shop of Louis Galucie,
Henry Stearns, crayon artist, and
the family of Eugene Estey who recently
moved there The barn contained wagons,
sleighs, harness, ETC., owned by Henry,
Stockwell. Mr.. Knapp's loss was $1,000
on which there was an insurance of $500
with A. w. Chids Il Co. Prefontaine lost
$500 on which there was no insurance.
Stearns lost portraits valued atS200. He had
no insurance. Eugene Estey lost all of his
household goods valued at $500. He carried
$500 insurance withSherman& Jenne.
Galucie's loss was slight, about S75, the
tools being owned by Mr.. Knapp and W.
D. and j. L. Stockwell.
Henry Stock we'll had $500 insurance
with Sherman & Jenne on property
valued at $500. The building was the
old Melrose academy about so years ago.
1t was of an historic interest in that some
of the foremost men of the Universalist
denomination had been pupils. The first
structure east of the Stratton market was
DR.. Clark's large three-story wooden block.
In this building was the post-office, from
which nearly all the contents were saved;
the dry goods, grocery, meal and feed and
general merchandise store of NJ. l. Mather,
and four tenements occupied by A. H.
Stratton and Henry Stockwell on the low
er floor, and E. o. Weatherhead and Mrs.
John w. Cook and Mrs. Walker on the
second floor. The building was valued at
5000. 1t was insured for $500 with
Sherman IL JENNIE. Mr.. Mather's store
was stocked with goods to the value of
$500. Mr.. Mather had an insurance pol
icy of $1,000 with A. w. Childs & Co., and
one of $500 with Sherman & Jenne.
None of his goods of value were saved.
The larger part of the household goods of
the several tenants were carried out, but
it was so recklessly handled that much of
it was destroyed. Mrs. Cooks property
was insured for $500 with A. w. Chiids &
Co. At the northeast corner of the Clark
block stood the old hotel barn which was
left standing when the hotel burned some
Is years ago. 1t was owned by Dr. Clark
and contained five horses, some cattle, II
fat hogs and number of pigs all of which
belonged to the STATIONS. The horses
and cattle were saved but the hogs and