Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1904-04-08
EASTER FIRE.
The Middlebury Graded School Building
n Destroyed. NJ

ated about half way between the college
and the bridge, was burned nearly to the
ground. The fire was discovered about
3 o'clock by A. B. Smith, well-known
blacksmith of this town. Mr.. Smith
was driving. by the school building, and
noticed smoke coming from the CHM
ney on the northwest corner of the
building, but supposing that it came
from the furnace, thought nothing of it
until he noticed smoke coming from the
windows of Miss Barry's room, located
on the north side of the second floor.
He succeeded in arousing Melvin Da-
mon, who lives near the school building,
and directing him to give the alarm,
drove across the bridge after Mr.. Gulley,
the ianitor. The hose companies re-
sponded promptly, the volunteers arriv-
ing before the alarm was sounded. The
fire first broke out through the labora
tory windows, and worked directly
upward to the belfry which was located
over the middle of the building. This
soon tipped over and the rest of the
building was quickly enveloped in flames,
despite the efforts of the firemen.
Nothing remains standing except the
bare walls. The cause of the fire is
mystery. Mr.. Gulley says that he had
not been in the building since the Tues
day preceding the fire. There was a
small fire built to warm one room for
the school meeting. When Mr.. Gulley
left, there was very little fire in the
furnace, only about a peck of coal being
under the boiler, and he had not been
into the school house since that time.
1t was thought by many that the fire
was started by chemicals in the labora-
tory, but there were no chemicals
there that could have possibly caused
the fire by spontaneous combustion.
Others think that it was started by an
incendiary, either purposely or acci-
dentally, but Mr.. Gulley said that during
the winter term he put fasteners on all
the windows and that it was impossible
to enter the building except by breaking
open the windows, and what incendary
would set fire in broad daylight? The
most practicable and probable theory
seems to be this: The pipe running from
the furnace to the chimney, a galvanized
iron structure about 1S inches in dame
ter, was full OF SCOT and fire, shoulder
ng either here or in the furnace, was re-
vived by the strong north wind which
blew that day, and caused the SCOT to
burn out, heating it to such an ex.
tent that the floor in Miss Barry's room
was set on fire. This theory is supported
by the fact that smoke came from the
chimney some two hours before the fire
was discovered and as Mr.. Gulley had
not yet started the fires in the furnace
it can be accounted for in no othel
: way.
The school has an interesting history
! The Addison county grammar schoo
association was founded in 1897 and il
1898 the old academy. which stood OF
the spot now occupied by the walls of th
.graded school was built. Rev. Jeremial
: Atwater was the first preceptor of thi
institution In 1866 school district No :.
and the Addison county grammar schoo
l. by an enabling act, were authorized t.
is unite their resources for the establish
a ment and support of the graded school
On Nov. 3d. of that year the following
prudential committee was elected
- George c. Adams, Edison Comstock
David Piper, Jason Davenport, and l
f, Knapp with James Slade as auditor
An executive committee consisting o
John w. Stewart, William II. Parker
E. Vallette, Calvin Hill and James NJ
Slade was elected to decide upon a loca
tion for the new school house. TIL
academy building was purchased by I
b. Parker for S335, the district retainin
u the bell, stone and brick. The ground
were extensively graded and prepared
and the erection of the graded school wa
9 begun in either 1867 or 1868 and CON
III pleted in 1869 At this time the pru
! dental committee consisted of l.. L
Eldridge, Justus Cobb, Jason Davenport
"a Dugald Stewart, John W. Stewart an
70 Edwin Valette was the committee t
erect the school house, j. J. r. Randa
'e of Rutland was the architect, and Georg
w. Dorm of Shoreham had charge of tn
work, Orrin Abbey laid the foundation
which are as solid as the hills. Th
! school house was built on the site of tn
old academy and east college buildin
erected in 1898. The cost of the build
ing, exclusive of the heating apparatu
. was $4,000. The first principal wa
Charles Stone, following him cam
Principals, Sanborne, Mead, Wheeler
+ James, Bullock, Hoyt, and Howes VIII
commenced teaching here in 1897.
= 1897 the schoolhouse hall, situated o
\ the third floor was remodeIed on til
Y south side into high school room costin
3 Sl032, and during the next year th