The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-12-17
Mrs. COOnrods Body Beneath
Fire Ruins
FIRE DAMAGE OF $4,000
American House Block Burned and the
Hotel Guests Flee in Night Clothes
Women Rescued from the
Windows.

Burlington, Dec. 17-A fire which de-
stroyed $4,000 worth OF property in
the business section Of this city and the
life of one woman, Mrs. Frank Coon
rad, occurred early yesterday morning.
The property burned is the American
house block. corner of st. Paul and Main
streets, the upper stories Of the blocks
/ Of w. b. AicC arthy and j. i. Southwick,
| adjoining, and the roof Of the block
owned M NJ. B. Gates.
The fire was discovered at $40 O'Clock
| bY Samuel Brown. night operator of
the Western Union Telegraph company,
who rang in the alarm Ii ii supposed
to have originated from ashes placed in
barrel at the rear of tenement in
tho American house block.
In part Of the block was conducted
the American house, from which 35
guests escaped, while in part of the re-
mainder were seven tenements.
The fire made rapid headway, so that
upon the arrival of the fire department
the rescue work was at first undertaken.
Prompt service saved large death list
for some Of the women IN the house
were already hanging from the windows.
! When the rescue work was accomplished
all were safe, save Mrs. Coonrad.
Beniamin Prosser, d travelling man
from Ticonderoga. NJ III, who was reg
istered at the hotel, came ont III his
might clothes and went to the apartment
iOf Mrs. CoonFad and seized hold Of her
She vas very hysterical, and said she
did not wish to 20 out uncad.
| Pfosser conducted her from the third
I ttGae q, t4a,a -.
OF his clothes, he attempted to pick them
lup, Mrs. CoonTad released herself from
his grasp and fled back up stairs. Mean
while her husband, a train expressman,
was telephoned for at tie railroad sta
ton
He was promptly at the hotel, enter
ing from the Main street side, only to
be driven back by the smoke Mr. Coon
rad then went around to the st Paul
strct entrance, but after ascending two
flights Of stairs was driven back by the
! femes He said that he and his wife
had $500 in a purse in their room. and
that his wife might have gone back TO
get IT,
The search for Mrs. coonrad's body
Twas carried on without results until 5
O'Clock yesterday afternoon, when it was
abandoned until today.
The fire spread with great rapidity,
so that in three hours the American
House block was a ruin. At 7.15 o'clock
a terrific explosion occurred IN that part
of the building occupied By the BurIing-
ton Wine & Liquor company. The
shock of the explosion felled almost the
entire north wall of the block and aided
the fremen greatly IN their work, as
they were then able to play stream
whhere the flames were raging most vig-
orously.
The losses are az follows: j. r.. Hoo
gan, owner Of the American house block,
S15,70o; w. B. Mccarthy, $4,000; Bur
lington Wine & Liquor company. stock
valued at between Sg,015 and $1,000
III. L. Southwick, $4,000; w b. Gates,
$2,0O0 Abraham Lipman, taller, ST.
600; Hermides Curtin. harness maker,
$4,000.
The losses of the seven families who
occupied apartments in the hotel block
cannot be estimated, but all lost prae-
ticaly everything in the way Of house
hold effects and personal belongings
Mr.. Hogan had Insurance Of $4,000;
Mr.. Mccarthy So $500. while all the other
losses were practically covered, with the
exception Of the Burlington Wine &
Liquor company, whose insurance was
about $4,000.
n The American House block was erect
ca in 1908. In 1926 Lafayette was en-
lteTtained there. Presidents Monroe and
Van BuTen were later its guests. For
over 60 years, in earlier days, It was The
leading local hotel.