Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1904-04-22
BRATTLEB0R0 LOCAL NEWS.
LOSS $4,000 TO $4,000
Fire Broke Out in DonneII &
Davis's Millinery Store
Started In the Basement Near a Hot
Water Heater and the Chimney-Five
Lines of Hose in Use.

started in the Basement Near a Hot
Water Heater and the chimney-Five
Lines of Hose in Use.
a fire which threatened to acquire Sc
iious proportions started in the basement
of Donncll q DaVis's millinery store in
Union building on Main street about 80
O'Clock Wednesday afternoon, but by the
prompt ana efficient service of the fire
department the flames were confined to
the basement and to small section of
the millinery store, although there was
heavy loss, caused principally by smoke
and water. The total loss will be be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000. Miss Mary Don
/ nell and Mrs. S. w. Edgett owners of
| the millinery store sustained the heaV-
lest loss. Only about three weeks ago
they increased their stock materially for
| the spring trade At that time they put
on extra insurance of $1,000 making their
| total insurance $4,000, of which $500 was
on fixtures. Their loss will exceed their
| assurance, as their stock was practically
! ruined, the goods not burned being either
/ soaked with water or spoiled by dirty
+ black smoke The building, owned by the
Wyman and Herrck estates, was dam
aged to the amount of perhaps $500. Boito
Marcini, the Italian shoemaker lost stock
valued at $50, IN which there was no in
Surance. Large quantities of smoke es-
taped into the Easements of Greenes
drug store on the north and Hollender d
| Ieaw's bakery on the south. No dam
age was done in the drug store, but there
may be loss in the bakery where there
was $3.50 worth of -four and about 5000
| worth of lard. The lard probably is not
/ damaged, but the -four may prove to be.
| The insurance on the millinery goods and
the building were in the G. F. II. JENNIE
and Taylor & Son agencies.
The fire was discovered by Miss EliZ-
| abeth Newcomb. one of Donnell & Davis
!nillners. She was going past a stairway
! leading to the basement, when she saw a
| reflection as of gas jet. She started
down stairs thinking to turn of the gas
! but on opening the door at the foot of the
stairs was driven back by smoke Then
she made another attempt to get into
4 the basement to see If anything could be
done to put out the fire. but the fire and
| smoke drove her back. burning her face
| slightly and singing her hair Mrs Ed
| gett also tried to get into the basement
| but without success. and her hair was
! badly singed. An alarm then was given
| from box 80 at the steamer house and a
crowd quickly gathered. The employees
| in the store. IL in all, went out quickly
taking the books from the safe. and the
! door was shut to prevent a draft.
The fire department was on hand as
, soon as possible, the first apparatus to
! arrive being the chemical engine. c. r.
| Crosby and others went into the basement
! from the street entrance with hand ex-
| lllb ulSHtIS, experiencing nuCn dlfnCultS
| because of the dense smoke, but the fire
| had progressed too far to be put out by
| the eXtinguishers. The chemical engine
then was used. but without materially
changing the situation. Meanwhile hose
wagons had arrived and steamers Nos. 3
and had been stationed at the Main
! street reservoir Five lines Of hose were
laid. three being taReu into the basement
| by the front entrance and two being car
! ricd through Hollender X Yeaws store
and put through rear windows
For half an hour smoke rolled out in
| large volume and also filled the millinery
store. At last n tongue of flame was
seen in the store. making ii necessary to
! open the store door, and two lines of hose
! was carried into the store, one from the
! front and one from the rear. \ few min
utes later. at about 2.10 o'clock the recall
was sounded. announcing that the ire
| was under control. BY another half hour
the water in tha cellar had run off and
| the smoke largely had disappeared, 50 an
| investigation could be made.
The rear end OF the basement was used
| by Donnell x Davis as a Storcroom. The
| front end was occupied by the shoemaker
Between the two rooms was a room con-
| tanning a hot water heater. from which
a stovepipe ran across the room into "A
, chimney. In the room was more or less
! intlammable material. The fire started
| in this middle room. but whether it
! caught around the chimney or the heater
| is not known.
Donnell Il Davis have leased the va
cant store in Retting building and will
! begin business there with an entirely new
| stock tomorrow Later they will have a
| fire sale.