Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-12-25

Another DisastrousNIey. in
TOwnshend'Yus -

Still another disastrous t1re swept THIS
village in the early hours of Tuesday
morning, destroying the store building
owned by S. II. Sherman of Brattleboro
and occupied by b. M. Adams; the store
and dwelling house of f. II. ODER; the
dwelling house of II. W. Sanders; and the
Gray block, occupied as a tenement house.
The fire started at $3.50 in a pile of kind
ling wood Just outside the shed of the
ODER building. 1t was first seen by F. l..
Lowe, clerk for b. NJ. Adams, who had
room In the tenement over the store.
Lowe was awakened by the cracking
sound of the fire. His first thought was
that wagon was passing, and that 1t was
time for him TO get up to open the store.
He went into room back of his sleeping
room, where he saw the fire, and at once
gave the alarm. He shouted first to the
Adams family, and then to the Ober fam
lily, then ran out to still further arouse the
Obers, and to find key to have the church
bell rung. Some 10 or 20 minutes elapsed
before a general alarm could be given, and
by that time the fire had gained such head
way that ii could not be stopped with the
appliances at hand. When first seen a few
men with pals of water could have put IL
out. 1t burned so rapidly that when three
young women, students of Leland and
Gray seminary, who had rooms and board
ed themselves in the third story of the
ODER house, were aroused, the fire had
burst into the room used as a kitchen, and
they hurried down the stairway leaving
most of their effects. These students
we're Misses hobbs of Jamaica, White of
Brooklne, and Cheney of Newfane.
From the Ober house the fire spread
west to the Sanders house, and thence to
the Gray block. Al the same time 1t went
east to the Adams store. The photograph
studio of II. w. Bailey, standing between
Nelson Winslow's barn and the Stoddard
house, was torn down TO stop the spread OF
the fire in that direction. f. II. ObeT's
barn was burned. Nelson Winslow's barn,
where the fire was stopped on that side,
was scorched, but was saved by It's iron
roof. At the other side of the burned dis
trict the small building erected for G. G.
Taft since his buildings were burned few
weeks ago, was damaged somewhat.
The Sherman building was occupied by
b. NJ. Adams as a store on the lower floor,
and the two tenements on the upper floor
were occupied by the Adams family. This
building was erected on the site of the
"old corner store by +. J. Knapp after
the great fire of Nov. Il, 1886. The Ober
building was occupied by Mr.. Ober on the
lower floor as a tinshop and hardware
store, and by Miss Ada f. Barber as a
drug store. The upper part was the dwell
ing of the Ober family. The Sanders
house was occupied by II. w. Sanders
down stairs, and by j. NJ. Campbell up
stairs. The Gray block was owned by
Nelson Winslow and ID. +. BouteIl. 1t
was occupied by the families of Nelson
Winslow, L. w. Phillips, K d. Phillips
and II. o. Sweat.
II plenty Of water had been available the
Gray block could have been saved. The
fire was under control at $3.50, all this
property being destroyed in just bout the
same length OF time that IL took TO burn
down the c. c. Taft building only five
weeks ago. The night was still, fortu-
nately, but the flames created strong but
steady draught. The total loss is estimat-
ed at $50, 900, with insurance Of $ll, $50.
The loss of H. w. Sanders is estimated
at $4,000, insurance $500; b. NJ. Adams,
loss $500, insurance $2450; S. II. Sher-
man, loss $1,000, insurance $500; +. II.
ODER, loss $500, insurance $500; Miss
Ada +. Barber, loss $1,000, insurance
S1l00; J. NJ. Campbell. loss $500, insur-
ance 5000; N Winsiow, loss $500, insur-
ance $ll00; d. f. Boutell, loss $500, in
surance $500; X. ID. Phillips, loss $780, in
surance 5000; +. W. Phillips, loss $50,
Insurance $500; II. o. Sweat, loss S7j, no
insurance; F. l.. Lowe, clerk for Mr. AID
ans, lost all his clothing, and some money.
! II. w. Sanders lost all of his carpenters
tools, valued at 500.
This insurance was placed as follows
BY l.. S. Walker Of Bellows Falls, $500;
| A. w. Childs & Co. of Brattleboro, $40j0;
! Af n.
! II. +. Taylor d Son of Brattleboro. 5000.
The origin of the fire is uncertain, and
! 1t seems almost impossible that it should
have started where it did unless by the act
of an incendary.
Mrs. Anna Townsend, who lives in a
tenement under the Masonic hall, ran to
Una Cobb's in Harmonyville, half or three
quarters of mile away, and aroused him,
and he gave the alarm TO the other resi-
| dents there.
&. G. Taft cleared his temporary build
ing and also removed the live stock, etc,
! from his barn.
Notwithstanding the disastrous way In
which this village has suffered from fires
in the past ten years 1t has no public fire
apparatus. The only means of fighting the
fire are pals of water from domestic
sources and a few hand pumps. The
movement started two years ago TO estab-
lsh a public system of water works was
never carried out.
A report gained circulation, in Towns
bend and elsewhere, that the pipe which
conveys water TO large tank at c. C.
Tafrs had been plugged, stopping the flow
of water-this tank being one of the main
sources of supply for those fighting the
fire. This was not true. IL was found
that the water had stopped running
through the pipe, but Mr.. Taft thinks
there was no malicious action to cause It,
In the end of the pipe, at the tank, was a
plug with nstch o. groove put in II TO
graduate the flow Of water. This plug
had been pulled out, but it was probably
done by some one who thought TO get more
water by the move. The removal of the
plug probably let air into the pipe and
stopped the water.
The greater portion of the goods was
removed from the Adams, Barber and Ober
stores, nut they are so mixed up that their
value can hardly be told. Adams removed
his goods to the town hall. Ober carried
his to his fathers. Miss Barber's are at +.
b. Reads.
The families burned out found shelter as
follows: B. NJ. Adams's family at DIR. A.
d. Nash's; F. Il. Ober's family at o. o,
Ober's; II. W. Sanders's family at H. 7,
and g. II. Evans's; j. M. Campbell at F,
ID. Reads; Nelson Winslow at Miss Ross's
K. w. Phillips at Reuben Phillips's; r d,
Phillips at M. M. Martins; Il. o. Sweat
at Mrs. Underwood's.
Several people heard team during the
night come down from the north and 9th