Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1903-09-19
CATHOLIC CHURCH
BURNED,

Indy Of the Shows" was DESTROYED
by fire Sunday night. The alarm
was given at 9.3o, and M hour later
the building was in ruins.
At the evening service in the
church Bishop ]. S. Michaud OF
Burlington confirmed class Of s6,
besides the nastor, Rev. +. c, Drou-
hin, Rev. FIR. Lonergan of White
River Junction being present.
About three.quarters of an hour
after the close Of the service smoke
was discovered issuing from the
vestry room at the left OF the altar
by ]. L. Bourbon, who hurried to
the Inn and secured tour extinguish.
ers. Night Waterman Mower turned
in the alarm.
From the vestry room a manhole
in the ceiling leads to the attic, where
a lot of bunting used in decorating
the church was stored. There WAS
fire on the floor Of the vestry room
q blaze could be seen above, and
burning bits of bunting dropped
down through the hole. A pail or
two of water put out all the blaze in
sight below, but apparently the fire
was burning in the partitions, wheth-
er or not It started above in the vi
Srni.y or the eIectric:wires OF on the
vestry-room floor below. Opinion
is divided as to where the trouble
began, but in few moments flames
burst from the ridgepole at the rea.
end of the building.
- The hook and ladder and hose
cast reached the church about the
same time, and after some delay
two lines were attached to the by
drant from the four-inch man on the
corner near the church. The streams
from these nozzles hardly reached
the roof, and there was a similar
lack of force from the one hose
attached to the hydrant at South and
Park streets. 1t was not until flames
had nearly run the length Of the roof
to the beltry that stream of any
force was playing on the flames.
The fire had then cot too much
Roadway, and Efforts were then di-
rected toward saving adjoining build
ings. 1t was hard, sharp work for
the hook and ladder and the hose
companies, but nothing beyond the
ruins of the church was more than
blistered by the heat. The parish
house stands not more than ten feet
away, and in the rear is building
still nearer, but the flames were
checked effectively.
The spire and belf'y fell into the
street an hour after the flames burst
out. The burning mass first toppIed
toward the parish house, then swung
toward the strickland dropped near
entrance to the church.
This practically put an end to all
danger, but, in the meantime, men,
ladders and buckets had been doing
good service on neigh,oring roofs.
There WAS a. little hr@eze toward the
east. and this showered J. c. Nut
ting's house with sparks and the
ample roofof Townsend's stable was
another point of danger for while.
1t was only hard and stubborn
work BY the firemen that prevented
4 much more serious disaster, and
they should have full credit for it,,
A couple Of men ON the parish
house play ed the hose unconcernedly
under the burning belfry and shouted
for help only when the heat got too
fierce and their retreat had been cut
off by the removal of q ladder.
Hal Fairbanks, with lawn hose
and ladder, was doing his best to
drench his premises and also sprinkle
the roof of Neighbor Nutting's resi-.
dence Hs got along pretty we'll,
with Horace Barr at the foot of the
ladder. Mr.. Barr was drench cd
but some of the water didn't reach
him.
One Of the hook and ladder men
was struck by blast from hose,
but he wasn't hurt, and there were
10 accidents during the progress of
the fire.
The contents of the church, with
the exception Of the sacred vessels
and few vestments, were destroyed.
The front, rear and north walls are
all that is left OF the building.
The building was completed about
seven years ago and cost about
$1,000.
The insurance on the building is
5000, and on the furniture 5000.
Rev. E. Z. Drouhin, the pastor,
believes that the parish will be able
to begin rebuilding soon, with the
cooperation Of his parishioners and
friends OF the church. He aPpreci-
ates the kindly offers Of the use OF
several churches, but will hold ser.