Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1906-02-22
RurLANo.s eREAT FIRE.
Half-Million Loss Sunday.--four
Acres OF Blocks Burnt.


Fire which started in the heart Of tn'
business section Of Rutland At $3.50 o,clocA
sunday morning totally destroyed siN [
brick blocks covering an area OF ioul
acres, with a loss that viii total over
$4,000. II was the worst conflagratlon
mat Vermont has ever known.
The entire stocks of twelve stores were
consumed and nearly fifty families, VINO
lived over tue stores were MADE homeless
losing every article Of furniture they haa
ID is almost a miracle that not q single
person WAS injured, as many we're merry
cut of from exits by he flames, aud
dozens Of tenants were obliged 10 run out
III the snow in their night clothes. The
Thermometer stood five degrees below
zero.
The origin OF the fire is unknown, other
than il started in the rooms OF The
Neshobe club in the Ripley building on
Merchants Row, occupied below by two
stores and above by law offices and about
So families. The iremen found the by
drants frozen. and before any water could
be obtained the building was doomed and
the adiOiniug structures on the north and
south were burning tlereely. 4 call was
sent to Whitehall, y. Y, for aid, and two
hose companies with a fire engine came
10 Rutland on special train, making the
run Of y miles i'm twenty minutes.
Nearly all the church services were sus-
pended Sunday and the people turned
their attentions TO caring for the home
less families, all OF whom are poor.
Fully ten Thousand people visited the
city during the day to look at the ruins.
Not until noon were the flames under
control, when they we're checked by two
frenrOof walls. Without nourishment OF
any kind the fremen toiled dynamiting
I he dangaFnUa walls until late SUNDAY
night. Streams were left on all night so
that the firms could dig out their safes.
During the worst OF the cOnilagration
the northern part Of the city was shoWered
with embers borne along on a light wind,
and only the fact that roofs were covered
with foot of snow saved many buildings
In the residential district. A pathetic
scene was witnessed in an apartment
house known as the Mead building, when
The fire was at ITS height. Three women
sick unto death were carried on mattresses
over the roofs OF adjoining buildings and
AIKEN to the city hospital.
One OF the biggest losers is the Combi-
nation Cash Store company, wholesale and
'etail dealers IN merchandise, buildings
md stock, 100000. DR.. John A. Mead,
president OF the Howe Scale Co., owner OF
he big apartment house, loses $4,000 /
The other firms whose stocks are a total I
oss are Ripley estate, apartme Mt house, 1
10000; John kissine q Co., dry goods, /
5000; Hopkins a How icy, clothing. $40 I
90; Wilson a Root, clothing, 5000; /
lueriroli & Co., fruit aud candy, 5000; 4,
ilarble Savings bank, loss OF fixtures,
] 900; l.. A. Miner, druggist, $1,000; A. /
!. Abraham, drugs and tobacco, $4,000; |
}. b. Twigg & Co, clothing, $1,000; the l
'uttle Co., printers and bookstore, build 4
lg and stock, $4,000; Michael Dugan,
quors, 5000; Gardner Baker, wooden
uilding, 10000; Lew Abraham, tobacco.
10000; y. M. Z. A., 5000; K. W. Water
ian, wall papers and crockery, damaged
y smoke and water. 5000; r. L. Blake.
$500.
Most OF the law firms and the State Mu-
nal Fire Insurance company, which were
urned out, saved their valuable papers.
he law firm OF Butler 4 Moloney got out
the Mead building nearly all OF a Ii
rary valued at $4,000. A livery stable
Rned by w. r. Barer was totally de-
ollshed by falling wall Twenty
Drses and some valuable vehicles had
zen removed.
Most of the merchants will at once seek
r temporary quarters to commence BUSH
'ss anew. It IS said that the total insur-
ice on the burned buildings and stocks
about s200,000.