Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-06-20
EARLY MORNING FIRE.
MeIrose Hotel in West Brattle-
boro Destroyed Monday.
Aid Summoned from This Village
Cause OF Fire Not Definitely Known
Hotel Will Not Be Rebuilt.

Aid Summoned from Ihis village
Cause Of Fire Not Definitely Known
Hotel viii Not Be Rebuilt.
Melrose House the West Brattle-
boro hotel, owned by John p. Sargent
was destroyed with nearly all Of its
contents by fire between and g.
o'clock Monday morning 1t will not
be rebuilt. The cause of the fire is
not definitely known. The fire start
ed on the second floor. in the north
west corner, over the kitchen. There
was a chimney in that corner, also
electric wires by means of which the
stage in the hall on the next floor
above was lighted.
The flames were discovered a few
minutes past o'clock by Mrs. San
ford Morse, who lives a short distance
north of the hotel. Mrs. Morse gave
the alarm. In the hotel at the time
was Mrs. Will Haywood. whose room
was on the second floor, and Mr.. Sar-
gent, who occupied room on the
third floor. Mr.. Sargent says 'he
heard some one say: Mrs. Haywood.
the house is on fire" and Immediately
he got up, put on his trousers, seized
his coat and rushed into the corridor.
The dense smoke drove him back. but
he made a second attempt and reached
the stairs. Mrs. Haywood also got
out safely. No other persons were
in the hotel, the employees staying at
their homes in the village, with the eX-
ception Of Mrs. DOYLE, the cook. who
had gone to her home in Ludlow to
spend Sunday.
Chief Engineer Sanders of this vii
lage was notified of the fire by tele-
phone. and he at once telephoned
steamer company No. and hose com
pany No to start for the fire. He
/ also gave an order to have an alarm
sounded, but 1t was some time before
the order was carried out. When the
creamery in Centreville was reached
Chief Engineer Sanders telephoned
back for hose company No. 10 This,
as will be seen later was a wise move
As soon as the alarm was given in
West Brattleboro the hand engine
company in that village got out their
apparatus and did all that was pos
sibe. The steamer arrived about
4:30 o'clock and was stationed at
Knight & Walkers mill pond. No.
/ 3 hose, 1000 feet. was unreeled but
it fell 300 feet short of the fire No
needed was used. The fire had made
such Roadway that it was impossible
( to stop ii with two streams, so all
; that could be done was to protect ad-
/ jacent property. Shortly after
: O'Clock the flames were eXtingushed
, but all of the building that remained
! standing was the south and east sides
of the first story. and the wood was so
e. To Il
worthless.
The efforts to save furniture availed
+ little. \ few pieces were taken ont.
but most of the furnishings were
burned. Some of Mrs. Haywood $
personal effects were saved. 4
! piano. owned by G. X Jones and for
merly used in Brookside park. was
burned. also several settees owned by
the street railroad company These
were uninsured Otherwise the loss
falls entirely or Mr. Sargent The
hotel and furnishings were insured for
$4,000, one half through the agency of
II. +. Taylor, & Son and one half
through the agency of c. F. r. Jen-
ne.
The hotel was built during the sum.
mer and autumn of 1900 by Mr.. Sar-
SfiAA anu - ~ JOHtS. superintendent
of the Brattleboro street railroad. and
was opened in January. 1901. 1t
was four stories high, so by 40 feet
in size. and contained over 40 rooms.
all attractively furnished and connect
ed with the Office by electric bells
The billiard and pool rooms were on
the first floor. The second floor was
arranged as tenement On the
third floor was a hall "a by 20 feet
with a stage and a seating capacity of
700 to 500. The fourth floor was de-
voted to sleeping rooms Mr.. Jones
sold his half interest to Mr. Sargent
last December. Mr.. Sargent had
made arrangements for from ; to "a
guests, who We're to arrive between
now and July Is.
The hotel was the third building ia
be burned on the same site. A gro
Gerry store owned by C. X. Jones was
burned there in 1881 and a three
story business building owned by DR.
C. S. Clark was burned in June. 1896