The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-09-22
Destroys Hotel and Two
Dwelling Houses
EARLY THIS MORNING.
Total Loss Estimated at ss,oo0-Ineeu-
diarism Suspected Nearly Fifty
People IN Burned Buildings
Make Hasty Exits.

South Ryegate, Sept. 22.-This village
was visited BY disastrous fire early
this morning which burned the hotel,
livery stable two dwelling houses and
barn, aud it was only by the greatest
labor that the new houses recently built
By Geol1e Roben and Fred Tewksbury,
were SAVED.
The loss Is estimated at fully $4,000.
A party Of young men who were re-
turning from a coon hunt about one
O'Clock this morning were passing the
house very recently vacated ~ Iheo-
dore Gray and family, when one of them,
Fred Iewksbury, noticed thin column
Of smoke coming out OF the cellar win
dow. They gave the alarm, but before
a bucket brigade could be formed from
the river across the railroad, the build
ing was in flames. This house, which is
owned BY Archibald Park, is attached
to the hotel BY a wood shed and barn,
and since both buildings are old, the
fire spread rapidly. Help was obtained
from Groton and Boltonville, nearby
places, and an effective bucket brigade
kept the new houses just above the
hotel soaked with water, and kept the
roofs OF all the nearby buildings COW
cred with wet carpets, etc.
The livery stable connected with the
hotel was d new building (the old one
being burned seven years ago) and was
full Of hay, but at the time there We're
no horses in It. The stable was not
attached to the hotel, but was within
few feet Of it and caught almost as
soon as did the rear part Of the hotel
The burning hay and sparks from the
buildings were blown farther down the
street, and ii was impossible to keep
the house occupied by r. Rabioli and
owned by Mrs Park Of Newbury, from
catching FIRE. This house is directly
1 opposite the store Of William Terry
and dwelling house of Mrs. j. B. Oar
ling Much Of the contents Of these
buildings were removed to places of
safety, but BY dint OF hard work the
| fire was confined to the buildings all
ready burning. BY four o'clock there
was nothing left Of them but smoking
embers
There are many evidences that the
! fire was Of incendiary origin, as there
was q strong odor Of kerosene when the
fire was first discovered. and the rapid
way in which it jumped from place to
place about tie buildings would look
as ii kerosene had been poured about
the rooms.
The building in which the fire was
| first discovered was empty except for
load Of furniture belonging to Frank
Rosa, which had been put into the
house late yesterday afternoon BY Mr.
Robie, preparatory to bringing his fam
| iy there to live. The house occupied
| biz Mr.. Rabioli il a boarding house and
at the time 0f the fire there were about
twenty people asleep IN the building
In the hotel there we're. besides the
family Of Mr. Grey who had recently
moved there about twenty dodgers.
Most Of the effects Of the latter were
saved as was part of the furniture be-
was saved from the RabioL house
| The hotel and livery stable were own
ed BY Martin Gibson Of Ryegate, and
the loss is entirely covered BY insur-
ance. There was $500 insurance on each
of the other two dwellings.
Seven years ago the buildings on this
same street down to the hotel were burn.
ed and have but recently been built up.
Mr.. Gibson has had an unfortunate ex-
perienre with fires. About eight years
ago his granite plant at what is known
as Carter's Island, short distance be-
low here, was burned to the ground
along with large boarding house and
several dwellings owned by Mr.. Gibson.
A large part Of the property burned the
next year in this village was also owned
\ by him. In addition to his South Rye
gate fires he has lost saw mill AZ
East Ryegate within q year