The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-02-21
FIRE AT THE COURT HOUSE

For a time on Saturday evening it seemed
certain that history was to repeat itself in
the Washington county court house be-
ing again destroyed by fire after lapse Of
twenty years.
The attention of passers on the street was
attracted about five o'clock by smoke issu-
ing from the windows in the rear part Of
the building. An attempt was made to
ring in an alarm but the system would not
work and so a general alarm was finally
sounded from the Bethany church bell at
$40.
The fire department, however, reached
the burning building just as the clock in
the tower was striking five and soon had
hose laid in and around the building.
1t was at first supposed the fire was con.
fined to the basement but upon investga-
ton it was found that the grand jury room
on the first floor and the lawyers and
judges rooms on the second floor were
burning. Windows were smashed and hose
carried through them by means of laddesr
while another line OF hose was run up
through the court room by way OF the main
entrance. Soon that part Of the building
in which the fire was at work, and event.
ually confined was flooded with water.
The firemen did quick and effective work,
the blaze being entirely extinguished by
545. When the fact is considered that
many of the men were forced to fight smoke
as we'll as fire, smoke so dense and peue-
trating that for time it was feared the
tower was burning because of the vast
amount of smoke pouring out of and around
it, the men stuck to their task with COM
mendable grit and tenacity.
The fire did not spread TO the front part
of the building. This is no doubt due to
the fact that the partition separating the
old from the new part Of the building is a
solid brick wall aud thus formed a fire.
proof barrier
The most generally accepted theory in re.
81 q 81 10 hat tl,a
woodwork caught from hot air conductor
which connects the furnace in the base
ment with the lawyers room on the second
floor. There was another theory advanced
that the cold air box which supplies the
furnace was clogged with ice and debris
and so shut off the supply of cold air.
County Clerk Smile in detailing the work
of the day as regards the furnace, explodes
this last theory. He says a fire was built
In the furnace Saturday morning for the
first time since the flood. The water in the
basement had lowered so that only depth
of some sixteen inches remained He had
employed an experienced workman TO go
over and examine and adjust the apparatus
in the basement before d fire was started
and among other things attended TO was
the cold air conduit, which was not only
cleaned out thoroughly but the top section
Of it removed so that 1t could not possibly
become clogged. During the forenoon a
hot fire was run but al noon II was checked
and Mr.. Smile believes the fire caught dur
ing the forenoon and smouldered along dur
ing the day until it had gathered the head
way which caused its discovery.
The damage from fire, smoke and water
is estimated from $500 to $500. The build
ing is valued at $50 600 and the only insur-
ance upon il Is carried by the Vermont Mu.
tidal Fire Insurance Company to the
amount of 81 800. 1t is thought the set of
Vermont Reports in the judges room will
be ruined They are valued at some $500
and some of the older reports cannot be du-
woodwork, carpets and windows.
During the fire the building and adjoin-
ing grounds were black with people ami The
firemen many times found IL difficult TO lay
hose, but some Of the hosemen accidentally
let the stream get away from trem and IL
went into the crowd which m ,ute later
transferred itself In more or less drench-