The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-05-11
Valuable Building Costing
$4,000 Ruthlessly Fired
By Vandals Early Yester-
day Morning, and Practi-
cally Ruined.
Alarm from Box l3 at 4.3O A.
NJ. Called Out the Whole Fire
Department Which Fought
Against Considerable Odds
Fire Set in Four Places.

The Tilden house on North Main street,
one Of the best finished Ia the city, which
has been unoccupied during the past two
months, was completely Quilted by fire ear
ly yesterday morning, the fire having been
set by some person or persons who gained
access to the house. Although the loss is
not total there is little left standing except
the walls Of the brick part. The insur-
ance is only 1900, which falls far short
Of covering the loss
The fire was discovered at $50 o'clock
in the morning and was burning tercely
at that time Those who discovered the
flames were Dwight Foster and his son-in-
law Mr. Foster ran to box IL, which Is
almost in front Of the house, but was I'M
able to unlock the box. He then ran down
the street TO box 13 In front 0f Whitcomh
Bros shop and succeeded in ringing in an
alarm from that.
Meanwhile his son-in-law had been
banging away on the door bell Of the burn
ing house thinking it was occupied. When
they saw the fire the two say that there
were no signs Of anybody about the build
ing.
All the fire companies responded
promptly, and soon had several streams Of
water playing On the burning building.
Those who were first on the spot say there
were evidences Of fire having been set in
four places, and the appearance Of the
house now seems to back up the assertion.
A pile Of bran sacks was blazing in the
front room. This pile was thrown out of
| the window
| In the library another deliberate at
tempt had been made to fire the house as
tier Of drawers had been pulled out, filed
with paper and fred This blaze, how
ever seems to have burned itself out as
the drawers were SIMPLY eharred
1 Again in the bath room and back Of
that, In tile shed, fires had been set These
were what burned the most furi0usly, and
! in short time the flames had been CONE
municated to the entire building. When
the fremen arrived there appeared to be
fire in all parts of the house.
The flames spread rapidly, and the fire.
men had a particularly difficult problem to
conquer them. In two hours time how
ever, they had gained control but the
building was practically wrecked. There
were no furnishings in the building ex-
cept the carpets and a few pictures In
the back part, in the ell, j All Lucas 0f
Montpelier had recently stored thirteen
sewing machines. These are a complete
loss.
During the progress OF the fire there was
hot air explosion, at least that is what
the firemen think it was. The explosion
was on the second floor. 1t was so power
full that it drove the outer wall more than
an inch toward the street. BY o'clock
the flames were entirely out The four
brick walls Of the main part Of the house
were standing but the ell was badly burn
ed and the entire roof had been burned
Off. 1t is not known whether the house
viii be rebuilt, but it Is probable that it
will not be by the present owner.
The house, which was OF three stories,
was erected twenty-five years ago by
George j 1ilden at cost Of SIS, 600, and
at that time it was one of the best finished
houses In this section Of the state. On the
death of Mr.. Tilden the property went to
his wife who has since owned it, Mrs
Tilden has not resided in Barre for several
years. She is now a resident Of Shirley,
Mass.
There is not the least doubt as to the
cause Of the fire, but at present no sus-
poets have been arrested. Ii may have
been set By boys or by drunken men. The
police are inclined to put aside the former
theory 1t is asserted that drunken men
have used the under part Of the barn as a
place to sober off In, and one was arrested
there last week After the man was ar
rested Chesser Il Bird, who rent the barn
had lock placed on the basement door.
When this was done the individuals
who have been in the habit Of using that
for resort, may have turned to the unoe-
euDied house as a convenient place. AS
to how entrance was gained 1t is hard To
say, whether q door was broken In or
whether one of the doors was unlocked as
some people assert, The house was In
charge of the d. A. Perry Real Estate
Agency The last occupant Of the build
ing was John Ryan, the Granite street
flagman, who used the rear part of the
building. He left about two months ago.
Milkman Kelley who was on Main street
near the place Of the fire reports that he
saw two men making tracks away from
the house as fast as possible. That was
before the alarm was rungin.