The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-01-31
The Journal and Knights Of
PythiaS Burned Out
SABIN BLOCK WAS GUTTED
While Fire Was in Progress Policeman
Discovered Another Brisk Blaze
in Progress Back Of Mayor
Corry's Store.

street IN Montpelier, occupied by the
plant Of the Montpelier Journal and the
Knights Of Pythias, was damaged BY
fire early this morning. The newspaper
is heavy loser and the lodge also
had considerable of its furnishings de-
stroyed. The total loss is set at sl2, 600.
It has been impossible to determine the
cause Of the fire, but it is thought to
have started about the furnace. The
whole row Of buildings on Main street
was threatened, and If there had been
any wind it Is probable that they could
not have been saved
The losses are as follows:
The Charles T. Sabin estate, owners
Of the building, So 1000, insured for 81,
500, Of which $1,000 is in the Vermont
Mutual and s2,5oO in the Providence
Mutual.
The Vermont Watchman company,
publishers of-the Daily Journal and the
Weekly Watchman, loss estimated at
from $4,000 to $1,000, with insurance
amounting 70 $1,000. OF the insurance,
$4,000 is in the Vermont Mutual, So. 500
on machinery, fixtures and supplies,
S425 on paper and SIS on Office furni-
turre; $1,000 in the Sun company of
London; Washburn's agencies had S2,-
900; the Union Mutual had So 400.
The knights Of Pythias $3.50. with
no insurance.
Charles A. Webb, the city editor, and
Fred Spencer, a reporter, were working
IN the editorial rooms Of the paper on
the second floor, when the fire was dis
covered. That was shortly after eleven
o'clock. Alr. Webb smelled smoke, and
asked the latter to look in his waste
| paper basket to see il blaze had been
started there. No signs Of fire could be
discovered They then looked about the
room and saw column OF smoke pour
| ing up the slide used to carry letters
from the business office to the editorial
rooms Bursting open the doors to the
composing room they were met bv a
dense volume of smoke An alarm was
then rung in.
| The flames worked their way up the
stairways, and up the dummy which
carries the forms from the composing
room to the press room, and when the
firemen arrived they had a most difficult
task to contend with. A large amount
Of water had to be poured into the burn
ing building, and as q result very great
damage was done by that The fire.
men thought they had the fire all out
at one time, but The flames broke
out near the roof of the building, and
they had to 20 at their task with re-
i dnf1Hfnd frHx, -
almost entirely TO the Sabin block. al
though a building adjoining was ON fire
AZ one time. The interior of the build
| ing presents a sorry appearance today.
Everything is thickly coated with ice,
the water freezing as soon as it was
poured onto the fire. In the basement
there was an especially large stock of
| paper and this is complete loss through
water, if not by fire. The presses are
surrounded with water, and it is imp0s-
sible to state just what the damage to
them will be- Two Unitype machines,
for setting type, are chunks of ice.
| Whether they are damaged beyond re-
| pair cannot be ascertained until the ice
is removed. All the type outside of the
! machines is a complete loss, and not
much viii be saved from the wreckage
Of the other mechanical parts Of the
/ plant.
/ In the business Office on the first floor
the contents of the safe are intact. The
files OF the paper are also safe, having
been carried out last night Everything
that was not burned up in the editorial
room Just above Is enerusted il ice
On the third floor front were the rooms
Of the knights of Pythias and they were
also gutted Their furnishings will be
practically a total loss, the amount ok
| ceeding $780,
At 1880 o'clock last evening there
was no sign Of FIRE in the business offict
as Walter Goss, one of the employees
left at that time. The last one Of the
employees in the basement where tbs
fire is supposed TO have originated, was
the foreman OF the composing room
| George Archer. He left at supper time
| The editor Of the paper, Arthur Ropes
is quite i'll at his home on State street.
| Mr.. Webb, the city editor, is getting
out an edition Of the paper today al
usual, although none Of the equipment
can be used, and the employees were
forced TO take temporary quarters else
where The compositors are at work
in the Buzzen Office, the editorial rooms
are at the city clerks office, and ths
paper will be printed from the press oi
Dean Edison. They will publish FIVE
column paper today.
A Second Fire.
| While the firemen were fighting tn,
fire in the Sabin block and after they
| had got 1t fairly under control, an alarm
was rang in for blaze 10 the rear ol
Mayor Cofroy's store on the same street
and about 300 yards away. This wal
easily extinguished MS it had Just got
started under q stairway outside th,
| building. There was every indication