Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-10-01
WORK OFTHE FLAMES
HAS TWO LIVELY FIRES
IN ONE NIGHT.

a Big Warehouse and IL Dwelling Fur
nish an Exciting Fight for the Fire
Laddies-Fires Both at One Time
Owners and Loosers.
The big warehouse near the depot and
the dwelling house next the Methodist
church on North Pleasant street fur
nished a record for fires Saturday night
wholly unexpected in town of Middle
bury's size. The alarm was sounded
shortly after midnight and both hose
companies responded to the call for the
warehouse fire. 1t had gained too much
headway to be successfully fought and
the teams turned their attention to saw
ing adjoining property. The huge "pOr-
table building facing the railway was
within a couple of rods of the ware
house, and the companies had hard
work to keep it from following up the
first fire. They succeeded, although the
whole rear of the building was charred
and blackened. While engaged in this
work the roof of the old Batchelder mill
north of the warehouse caught the fiery
infection and the Battell company was
sent to play stream thereon and soon
had 1t soaked.
At this point the attention of the fire.
men was called to a blaze in another
quarter of the town. Fire was seen
issuing from the roof of the frame house
next to the Methodist church, occupied
by l.. O. Allen as dwelling. Mr.. AL
len and his family were among the
spectators at the first fire and the build
ing was alone at the time. The acting
fire chief f. X. Stoue. ordered the Bat
tell company, together with part of
the Volunteers, to take care of the new
situation, and although the fire had
gained great headway so effective was
the work that the flames were soon under
control and finally completely subdued;
but not until after the building was a
fairly complete wreck and contents al
most wholly destroyed.
The origin of the fires is still a mys-
| terry. Rumors of incendiarism should be
given little credence, as no motive could
be presented to back them. A passing
train may have thrown sparks on the
warehouse, tramps may have slept there
"a dozen explanations preferable to that
of incendiarism offer themselves As to
the residence fire. the theory of an eX-
ploding lamp left burning while the
family was at the warehouse is accept
able.
The warehouse was the property of
Judge Dan'l Roberts of Burlington and
we understand was without insurance.
1t was formerly used hay baling barn,
later as a factory for portable buildings
and for year or more past as a storage
Warehouse 1t contained at the time of
the fire lot of ladders. the property OF
Allan Calhoun. on which the loss was
about $500, and property to the value of
500 of Calhoun & Stewart. w. L.
Wright had a quantity of farm machinery
and other goods in storage there. while
VIM. Latt:mer lost chest of tools-all
uninsured The machinery of the old
house-building company was, we are in
formed, under mortgage.
The residence property was owned by
the heirs of Eliza Leach and was insured
for 500. Mr.. Allen had $1,000 insurance
on his household goods.
An interesting factin connection with
the residence fire is supplied US by Mr.
Sheldon. our antiquarian. The house
was built about 1914 on the corner where
the Methodist church stands and was
occupied by Gen. Hastings Warren as d
cabinet shop. 1t was moved to the ad
Joining lot in 1897. when the former
church edilice was built
Assistant Chief Stone, who in the alb
sence of Chief Sargent was in charge
: wishes to correct a misstatement made
in the Burlington Free Press's eccoun
of the fire giving credit to few indi
viduals for the successful fight againS
the residence fire. He says that all the
credit belongs TO the hose. teams-Bat
! tell and Nolunteer-and he wants t
thank them for the prompt manner il
which they turned out at the alarm anC
the good work they did at each fire. -