Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-12-22
Meets With its Third Recent
Disaster in the Form Of
Disastrous Fire
SEVEN BUSINESS PLACES
Destroyed and Seven Fa antilles Left II ONE
Iess-Narrow Escape From Loss of Life
Tho Damage to Property
Amounts to s45, 900 Suspected
Gang of Couu erfeiters Caught.

bennington, Dec. 1S.-The most serious
connagrAtion that has visited the village
in years and the third disaster that has
taken place IN less than three months
visited here last night and In the space or
two hours destroyed property to the value
of $45. 900, cleaned out seven places of busi-
ness, threw seven families out of Il home
and laid waste a tract In the centre or the
business portion of the village over one
hundred feet in frontage.
The fire broke out in the shoe store or
j Molloy K Son, just opositc the Mctho-
dist church. 1t was caused by throwing u
lighted match to the floor which went
throw n crack and lodged in pie OF
khavingS. etc. that was under 1t. Mr
Molloy jr., who had not closed the store
did not notice 1t until the flames were
making their way through the noor ana
up the walls. There was some delay In
giving the alarm and when tho fire de-
partment arrived it was soon that the
block of buildings which belongs to w. r.
Hawkes. was doomed. 1t was of WOOD
not very strongly built and good food for
the flames. Moloy saved but very little
OF his stock which was large and design
ed for the holiday season.
To the west was three story building
the lower floor being occupied by III. NJ
Ramsdell as u variety store and George
II. Charand groceries and provisions
Both stores were filed to their utmost ana
hardly thing was saved in either. the
second story was occupied by Petersen
and Jensen tailors shop and their resi-
denCes But little OF their stuff was got
ten out. In the third story was the pho
tograph studio Of Il. Gokay, comparative
~ all being destroyed
East of where the fire started was a
building occupied as a store ana dwelling
house by n. Novcck. His stock of dry
goods and furnishings was large. por-
ton of it was saved, but all his house
bold goods and clothing were burned.
These buildings were all joined together.
Two feet from the Noveck store was a
building owned by Albert Walker. A. f.
LOOMS occupied the lower front part as
a shoe store and lived upstaira The rear
part was occupied as dwelling by Geo.
Hamblett. Both saved their furniture but
the stock of shoes was ruined by IRE and
water. Others who resided in some OF the
upper tcnements were Edward Dlwell,
Miss Mcdonald, John Fox and George
Porter. They saved but little. Next to
the store of Charland was the fish store or
VI. n. Allen The building was saved but
in badly damaged condition. The Are
men saved the new block OF II. |. Norton
but most of the contents including the
furniture etc. OF the Knights of Column
bus. was moved out.
For Il while ii was thought the block
occupied by Burt Bros. as clothing
was doomed. There were several families
in the second story and they moved out
everything and the stores were prepared
TO vacate in short time. Fortunately thcre
was no wind or nearly all or Main street
from the postofficc to Ritchie's block
would have gone. The entire fire depart
mcnt was out and six streams of water
were playing upon the fire at one time.
1t was not cold so the liremen did not Suf-
fer. The supply of water was ample and
II was we'll used up.
The people who were burned out were
cared for by neghbors and others as well
as possible. 1t is impossible to-day to
learn the insurance but it Is understood
that all have some
Mrs. George IIamblett, who had given
birth to a son only few hours before
the fire broke out, together with the babe
was taken to nearby neghbors, Miss
Mary Mcdonald, who was asleep in the
upper story Of one OF the buildings, was
brought down ladder by one Of the fire.
men She saved only the night clothing
that she had on. Mrs Elwel lost a $500
piano nearly new.
It's the second tmc that Peterson &
Jensen have lost all they had by fire with
in two years, Dr. A. G. Dana, recently
located here also lost everything that he
had; no insurance.