Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-03-03
BIG FIRE AT HOLYOKE
The Windsor Hotel Block in
Ruins.

The Total Loss is s278,OOO---severaI
Mercantile Concerns Burned QUITE
Opera House Saved After Hard Fight.
The most disastrous fire in the history
OF Holyoke, Mass, destroyed the Windsor
hotel block Tuesday night, causing loss
OF S2l0,OOO. The fire was discovered in
the basement at 8 o'clock. 1t spread rap
IDLY and was not under control until 1.80.
III II had not been for a strong fire wall
between the Windsor hotel block and the
adJacent block, one or two other blocks
would have been destroyed also. The
Holyoke opera house, which was Just back
OF the Windsor hotel block, was saved by
hard work on the part of the firemen, with
llttle damage. Help was summoned from
Springfield about IL o'clock, one engine
ana IOOO feet of hose being sent up on the
trolley truck, followed by a second engine
ana more hose half an hour later. The
nre was difficult to fight. The construc
tlon OF the building was such that it bafIled
all efforts of the fremen to check its
course The building has been the dread
Oh the Hoyoke firemen for years, and
tuesday nights fire proved that their
fears were we'll grounded.
The block was owned by the Whiting
Iaper company and was valued at $17j,-
OOO. The building was situated on the
corner of Dwight and Front streets, ex-
tending up the hill on Dwight street. The
llrst story was occupied by Besse, Mills g.
Co., clothiers, who had the conner store !;
between them and the store of G.. T. Fay,
the shoe dealer, was the hotel and opera
mousse corridor, and beyond the store of
ray there were basement stores, occupie
0y the Manufacturers trust company and
McAuslan Wakelin, dry goods dealers.
The upper stories of the building were oc-
cupled by the Windsor hotel, managed for
the Writings by b. l.. Potter. The hotel
had been refitted and refurnished in large
part the past season and the rooms were
nearly all taken.
The loss on everything in the Whiting
block will be total. The insurance on the
Whiting block was sufficient to cover the
loss. Besse, Mills & Co., clothiers, car
ried stock worth from $50, 900 to SAC, 900,
with insurance of $4,000. G. I. Fay
carried stock of between S15, 1000 and
$4,000, with insurance of $4,000. Nc
Auslan IL Wakelin, dry goods dealers, car
ried stock valued at from $50, 900 to So
OOO, insurance of $4,000.
The hotel was full of guests, and very
lew OF them saved their personal effects.
One drummer, who was travelling for a
diamond and jewelry firm, shouldered his
trunk and escaped from the building with
that George II. England, the ieweler,
dragged his trunk down the front stairs
and moved it to safe place. A few 9TH
ers moved their trunks and goods down
the fire escapes and continued their work
even when warned by the police and fire.
men.
Soon after the alarm sounded the peo-
pie who were attending the concert of the
National band of Springfield in the opera
house heard the sound of the doors being
broken in. Manager Potter stepped out
on the stage and announced TO the audi
ence that there was very little danger, and
that those who desired to leave could do
so without trouble at the Front street en-
trance. The audience was small and peo-
pie went out without any panic. Had the
opera house been crowded and no meas.
ures of the kind taken there might have
been serious trouble.