Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-06-18
The FIRE
0. 4. Aa|e's Buildings
and the Laundry
ENTIRELY DESTROYED
Nine Buildings Were on Fire
at One Time

Az l2.4o last night the hre alarm
awakened the citizens of Barre from a
sound sleep, In few moments every
merchant who does business on the
easterly side of Main St, between
City Square and Depot Square was
racing along the streets half wild
thinking that he was the victim of
the lire fiend.
$. Fl. Forsythe and DR.. Hayes Of
Graniteville were visiting in DR..
Deziel's office. Forsythe heard a Pc
culiar sou I'D, and on Investigating
found that section of the city as light
as day from flames leaping 80 feet in
to the air from O. H. Hale's pavilion
and auction rooms, and the old armory
building at the rear of the Wheelock
residence. He sounded the alarm and
the fire department. responded nobly,
soon having seven streams playing upon
fercest fire Barre has ever known.
The struggle was short but sharp.
At one time nine different buildings
were on fire. Within half an hour Of
the sounding Of the alarm the flames
were under control, and the immense
crowd Of spectators began to go home.
The whole fire department remained
until morning and the ruins are being
watched by the tiremen today. u ~
No one seems to really know where
or how the fire started. At about
1890 Officers Perry and Gauthier
walked up Main street to police head
quarters and everything Was all right.
At a quarter Of O'Clock Hales
auction rooms and the old arm
ory building were roaring fur
mace. Some Of those first on the scene
say it appears to have started in
Hale's and some think it started in
the armory building. H. B. Hough.
ton was in the laundry at about $50
last night and everything was all
right then..
If the night had not been perfectly
still large number of the wooden
houses and blocks in that vicinity
would have been destroyed and as it
was the tiremen had to work like tro-
iaus to contne the flames. AS near
as could be learned the individual loss
es are as follows:
O. H. Hale's pavilion and auction
rooms and stock OF goods on hand total
loss. insured for $7450. o. II. Hale S
tenement house at rear OF Sheplee block
upper part gutt-d, and lower part
flo. ded, insured for $500. O. H.
Hale's residence and block, rear part
of annex badly scorched and flooded,
we'll insured. The old armory tuild-
ing formerly owned by the Wheelocks,
a total loss, not insured. The machin.
cry Of the Granite City Laundry, not
insured, was also total loss. Tue
building and laundry machinery was
probably worth from $1,000 to $500.
b. w. Hooker's carpet cleaning ma.
chine, worth $500 and not insured,
was a total loss.
The Sheplee block, occupied by B.
w. Hooker & Co., was badly scorched
and blistered, but the flames did not
break out except in one place. The
rear of Mrs. Wheelock's residence
was badly scorched, and the roof Of a
barn off Pearl street, belonging to G.
l.. Currier, was damaged Slightly.
Morse & Jackson's woodpile was dam.
aged considerably.
The total loss is between $4,000
and $l5 1000, most Of it covered by in
surance. All Of Hale'S insurance is
placed by W. A. Drew.
w. J. Mitchell and family lived ir
the easterly end Of Hales tenement
at the rear Of the Sheplee block anc
their household goods were damaged
some $3.50 or 5000 by wafer. Frank
Covey and family lived in the othel
end of the house and they were damag
ed about 5000. Neither Mitchell OF
Covey had any insurance. The Rev
Brian G. Roberts who roomed in the
rear of o. IL. Hale's residence, lost
5000 by damage to pictures and brio
a.brac. He had small insurance.
1t seems that Mrs. Mitchell wa
about the first person to discove
the fire. She aroused Mr.. Covey wh'
went and aroused Mr.. Hale just abou
the time the alarm was rung in.
Mr.. Covey came out of the hous
about 20 minutes Of one O. oclock and h.
says the fire was then raging in th
rear end Of Hale's pavilion, but sprea'
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