Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-12-29
AS SEEN FROM COLLEGE STREET.
How the Flames Licked mp Lumber Piles
aud Finally Destroyed the nil.

As soon as a person could reach the
scene of the fire after the alarm was
sounded about two acres of lumber, all
south OF Main street, were on fire and it
was travelling north at n rapid rate. II
he stopped on the west side of Lake street
until College street was reached. on the
east side there was a possibility that il
could be stopped at Main street but this
later proved a false hope. on the tracks
were several cars, some of them loaded,
and in an incredibly short time the flames
had eaten their way through the lumber
piles To a point opposite the College street
dock and the cars were the next thing in
their path. AS soon az the men could be
made TO remove the hose which crossed
the tracks an engine was run down and
II care We're drawn out. one Of these was
on fire and IL was necessary to draw the
whole lot out through the tunnel north
of the city, where their burning condition
could do but little harm. Station Agent
Greene and his employees were at the de-
pot watching the railroad property. Mr..
A G. Whittemorc with other men went
to the club house to watch the property
of the Lake ~Champlain Yacht club. Soon
Express Agent Henderson with his full
force Of teams was taking the express
stored in the lower station to the upper
station where it would be safe.
All this time the Shepard d Morse mill
NAS E'flA NtA viii NdNtl III StN ~ II lilti
were out throwing streams over an old
shed which probably seemed the best
thing TO them to do but as soon as the
flames could reach il they rendered fur
Their service at that point unnecessary
This was by all means the most hazard
Gus position occupied by anybody fol
every few minutes a tremendous whirl.
wind with a regular vortex of sparks
swept through there. picking up hundreds
OF feet of boards and tossing them about
as though they were feathers. At one
time n man was completely surrounded
by flying boards but succeeded in lodging
them.
Some of the timbers in the College street
dock under the cold storage building
caught hre but after a few minutes fight
wiki pals this was extinguished. Early
during the fire sparks in some way car
ried tho blaze into the brick shaving shed
over the boiler room and for at least 3
minutes before the main fire reached Their.
the shavirgs had been burning but being
enclosed with brick walls they were nc
menace to surrounding property. About
40 the Winooski steamer arrived and go
ing out on the dock began 10 throw Lake
Champlain over surrounding property in :
very energetic manner.
The burning of the old mill was one OF
the most imposing sights of the whole ca
lamity. The fire caught At the south enc
ana LOT several fillluNtS TAU IA lANl'
Roadway: then suddenly n great sheet o
Name hurst through the whole building
|. Sheet after sheet of fire seemed to sweet
5 from the south to the north end like d;
/ huge wave and a tremendous volume o
black smoke poured out OF the north end
/ making il so dark that n person stand
!, ing on College street could see nothing O
. the cold storage building or OF the clu'
4 house, even the railroad station being al
e most invisible.
a Ten minutes later the blaze had cate
4 its way into the dry house and piles o
e lumber there. This was the only spo
= where there was much danger that III
fire would be swept across College stree
s and after perceivinE the utter futility c
4 pouring water on the main fire the tireme
e pulled two lines Of hose into that plac
Il and made the most stubborn fight Of III
c whole night. At no point did the fire bur
e ncrCer and until the roof fell in thei
y was hut little chance to control the hams
n in anyway. Yet the firemen never fiinci
e ed and although the flames burned near
.e and nearer the men did not retreat a ste
$. Here IL was that, the fre was mai
d brought under control.
A The value of "A iirc-proot roof was new
more evident han az the Central We
mont depot. This building was direct
in line OF the wind and shower aft
shower of huge cinders We're swept
lwhirlwinds over the roof. Backward al
and forward the wind carried them uni
r they looked as though they were seekir
d some weak spot where they might beg
an attack but IL stood the test and a
though one of the cornices got TO BLAIR
e- quite lively at enc time the building w
M never in serious danger.