Bennington banner and reformer. (Bennington, Vt.) 1903-19??, 1903-04-23
DANGEROUS
NIGHT FIRE
~
Big DrysdaIe Dry Goods Store
Has Narrow Escape.
THREE BUILDINGS BURN
Fire Started in the Putnam Hose House and
the Company and Village Lose
Nearly $4,000.

Fire destroyed three buildings and
their contents on River-st about 3
O'Clock Tuesday morning inaicting a
loss Of about 1000, nearly two-thirds
Of which was covered by insurance.
The buildings burned we're the Put
nam hose company building, the
house Just west OF it occupied by
Thomas Delude and the grocery store
and tenement adjoining occupied by
Herbert Hines. The buildings we're
all owned by II. W. Putnam.
The fire started in the upper south
west corner of the hose building and
the structure was all in flames when
discovered. An alarm was pulled
from 30 and the Stark and Putnam
hose companies responded. The Put
mans were too late, however, to save
their apparatus. leaving task of cop
ing with the flames wholly to the
Starks.
An attempt was made to ring a
second alarm to call the Tiffanys and
Eagles from the upper part of the viii
lage but the melting of the wires in the
Putnam building had broken the cir
cult and the fire alarm was out of
commission. Messengers were sent
for the uptown companies but the1de-
Law made the situation a critical one
for some minutes.
The Starks had two streams on the
fire In less than five minutes from the
alarm but were none too soon. The
flames we're just breaking through the
windows of the Drysdale store and in
another minute nothing could have
saved the big establishment, but by
cool, quick work, the Starks fought
back the fire and held it from further
advance in that direction.
To the west the fire was stopped at
the Hines house which was only par
TALLY destroyed. The hose building
and the Delude place were completely
destroyed. The heat was intense and
the iremen suffered severely.
In the hose building was the cart
and 900 feet of new hose and other
fire fighting apparatus down stairs,
while in the oompany's rooms on the
second floor was lot of fine parlor
furniture, uniforms, ETC., which alto
gether have probably cost fully 81, 800.
The hose, cart and other apparatus
were worth some 81, 200.
The goods in the Delude house we're
destroyed and also the goods in the
Hines grocery and tenement upstairs.
Mr. Hines estimates his loss at nearly
81, 900 and had no insurance. Mr. De-
lude lost about $500, without insur-
ance. George Schwab's shoe shop
was damaged somewhat by water,
Some of the stock in the Drysdale
store was injured by water and there
was also damage from smoke which |
blew in through the windows that we're
burned out. II was very fortunate for
Mr. Drysdale that the fire occurred
when IL did instead of one of the
nights last week when the wind blew so
fercely from the west and north.
The origin of the fire is mystery.
A new hard wood floor had been re-
Gently laid in the club room and a
number of articles were piled in one
corner and the theory is that lighted
cigar stub was dropped there and the
fire smouldered for hours before it
broke out
There have been rumors ahoat to
the effect that the fire was the outcome
of frolic there Monday night, but
there appears to be absolutely no
foundation for the story. There we're
few members of the company in the
rooms in the evening but they left |
early and there were no lights in the
club room as far as seen by passers
by until the breaking out of the fire.
The company had the rooms fitted |
up in first class shape and on their
81, 500 worth of furniture, uniforms,
etc., had only $500 of insurance.
The Putnam hose company has Sc
cured temporary quarters over }. H.
Cranston & Sons store. They have
the old Stark hose reel in shed there
and are ready to answer calls as
usual.
r. S. Drysdale has presented each /
of the fire companies with S25 in re-
cognition of the good work of the de.
partment in saving his store.
TO CURE A COLD IN ONE DAY
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