Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1907-08-16

Building Was a Landmark and Was DC.
oupled by slmonds, Hatch & Written,
Wrapper Manufacturers, and p. H..
eoble's Big Printing Plant.
The old Island House building, which
for over half a century has been n con-
fplcuous landmark OF the village, was
destroyed by fire at an early hour yester-
day morning, nothing but the blactkened
walls and portions of the first and second
stories remaining. 1t has not been used
for hotel purposes since late in the sos
aud at the time of the fire by Simons
Hatch q Written for manufacturing
wrappers, p. II. Gobie as a first-class
job printing establishment, and by va
rious manufacturing concerns for stor-
age. fire broke out suddenly Tuesday
afternoon about 3.45 around the mono
type machine of the Gobie Press, on the
second floor, evidently caused by ignitine
of vapor from kerosene with which the
metal Is melted. Instantly the room was
in blaze and the employees made hur-
lied exit. An alarm from box 13 quickly
brought the fire department and the blaze
was considered as confined to that room,
and the recall sounded about $50.
Chief-of Police Gateley mad watchmen
about the building until late in the even
ing and arranged with the night watch
man Of the Bellows Falls Machine COM
pany to go over the building at intervals
although every vestige of fire seemed ex-
tinguished. The Waterman was through
the building a little before ~ o'clock and
AN seemed right, while at 1915 he dis
covered the roof and the upper part of
the building all ablaze. An alarm. fol-
lowed quickly by still another called the
entire fire department to the scene and
it was one Of the most spectacular fires
ever seen here. In spite of hard work nv
all the hose companies, assisted by the
steamer in a very short time the stately
old building was a seething mass Of
flames, bursting from the windows of every
one Of the four stories and upon all
sides. The fire was not out until after
daybreak and there then remained only
the walls and portions of two floors. the
third and fourth floors having fallen upon
them.
The losses will aggregate about s35.
600, and that is the total of the insurance
involved. Some of the losers meet with
losses much above the insurance, while
some saved their property to such an ex-
t.nt that they will be fully protected.
From the wrapper factory the larger
part of the stock and machinery was re-
moved in a damaged condition, and, be-
ing on the first floor, the room was not
seriously burned, but thoroughly drenched.
The Gobte Press is a total loss The fire
of the afternoon seriously damaged all
the property, but the principal value of
>
Vermont Agricultural report, was saved
with but little damage only to be more
seriously damaged during the night This
was nearly ready for the bindery and
will be delayed Mr.. Gobie had one of the
best equipped printing establishments in
the state, including two monotype ma
chimes. He had contracts for state print
ing amounting to nearly $4,000 this year
The insurance commissioners report was
to have been printed by him but the copy
except few pages, had not been re-
ceived. The larger part of the
copy came by express yesterday, and so
was not in the fire.
large amount of work was in process
for the Vermont Farm Machine company,
and a directory for a Massachusetts, firm
was an important item Of the loss. His
heavy presses are buried under is feet
Of debris while most of the rooms oc-
cupied by him are entirely destroyed Mr.
Gobie had about 1000 worth Of prop
erty in the building. The Vermont Farm
Machine company used a portion of the
building for storage and their loss is
very large.
Tho building was owned by the Bellows
Falls Machine company, which firm sue
'eeded TO the ownership from G. w. Os-
good in April, 1899 1t came as a part of
the real estate connected with the ex-
tensive machine shop and foundry of o.
good & Barker being located upon that
replace a large frame hotel that was
burned September %, 1S49, standing in
The same location, just as it was ready
for occupancy. 1t had been built by Col
Roswell Shurtleff, who also erected the
structure now destroyed and managed the
hotel himself some years. It became one
OF the most noted hostelres in the Con-
necticut river valley and was patronized
largely by wealthy southerners VINO stop
ped mere on their way to and from the
White Mountains, until the civil war in
terfered and from that time It had a
checkered career, open portions of the
time until about 1887, when 1t was per-
manently closed as a hotel. The walls
are very solid and stand well. Portions
Of them may be utilized in some other
form of building, but the majestic old
structure with its immense columns upon
the two side extending up the four
stories, will be missed, as an old land
mark.