The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-02-05
But Berlin, N. H., Loss Is Half
a Million
MAINE CITIES SENT AID
Otherwise the Whole Place Would Have
Gone Up--Flarnes Were Still Burn
ing at 10 O'clock To-day, But
Were Under Control.

Berlin, Feb. 5.--The fire which broke
out at nine o'clock last night was still
burning at 10 this morning but was nm
der control. The damage amounts t.
100000. Only the arrival Of aid from
Portland and Lewiston, Me-, saved the
whole town from destruction, and up 10
| z o'clock it was believed tnat nothing
could save the business district.
The buildings destroyed are the Green
block, four story building. where the
fire originated, the Berlin National bank,
the Gerrish block, two business blocks on
Main street. ]. Al Mariers Snoe com
pany's building and the iewelry store of
/ G.. G. Bradbury, the post Office and thu
telephone exchange. The firemen suffer.
ed terribly from cold. the temperature
being ~ below zero. The water froze AZ
soon as It struck and the streets in the
vicinity Of the fire soon became 40 filed
With ice that II was very difficult to
move around
The Berlin department was utterly I'M.
able to cope with the conilagration. The
only steamer Of the department broke
down at the very outset Of the fire,
and until help came from Portland and
Lewiston, Me-, the only streams played
upon the fast increasing condaeration
were two feeble hydrant streams that
drihlcd on the fire at distance Of fifty
feet with force not sufficient to break
a pane Of glass.
Until help from outside cities arrived
the citizens were forced to stand Idly
by and watch their property burn. until
the spread of the flames forced them TO
aid in taking out furnishings from strrc-
lures in the path 81 the blaze
Among the business firms burned out
ere.
J. G. Marier. boots and shoes.
p. z. Beaudain, boots and shoes.
Napoleon LaRochelle, dry goods and
clothing.
a. Brown 4 Co., fruit.
T. III Sampson, groceries.
r. Colombo.
A. Bramsone 4 Gaynor.
J. J, Sheridan
Berlin National bank.
J A. Hod2don, variety.
J. @. Bradbury, ieweiry
r. A. Burgank, furniture.
The fire was bounded on the north BY
Gerrish block, and on the south hy the
Sutton block. The same section OF Bef-
lin was swept by a fire which burned
all night beginning at 3 O'clock on the
evening Of January 4, 1905, causing a
loss Of s200,00n Many Of the buiII-
irsgs burned today were comparatively
new, having been erected following the
fire Of 1905.
While the first hrc was marching
steadily through tile heart Of the city
the ] G; Marier block. II two tory
wooden structure, 500 yards from the
Green block, caiight on fire This build
ing was located III The midst Of several
wooden blocks and spread rapidly, work
ing towards the other blaze. The tele-
phone exchange, situated in two-story
wooden structure. in the path Of the
flames, soon caught fire, but the opera
tors stuck TO their posts as long as pos.
sible, sending ont the city's cali for help
from outside places.
The flames spread 70 quickly that the
tenants had muen difficulty in escap-
ing. Among them were some sick peo.
pie, and it was only with the greatest
heroism on the part of ohter occupants
Of the block tnat the invalids were tax
en- out in safety It il believed that all
escaped. Mrs. Marshall Ball, who was
confined to her bed on one of the upper
floors with g serious illness, was carried
down the smokeiilled stairways hardly
in time