Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-04-15
Business Blocks and Dwellings in
Center Of the Town De-
stroyed.
SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION
Believed That Was Cause Of the Cat.
astrOphe-Loss OF Life Was in
Started-Escape Cut OF
before Discovered.

Lenox. Mass. April 1l-Six persons lost
burned and property loss Of between
s2oo.CC and 100000 was caused by a fire
in the heart Of the business section of
this town early 'Sday. Four business
blocks, two filings and two other
structures re destroyed IN section
bound oy Franklin. Main. Housatonic
and Church streets. The fire is believed
to have started in the Clifford building
from spontaneous combustion.
The dead:
Edward c. Ventres, aged A years. cleo
trcan.
Mrs. Edward c. Ventres. aged IS years.
Miss Leslie Ventres. aged - years.
| Miss Alice French. aged Al years book
keeper.
Miss Isabel Cook, aged 20 years. book
keeper.
Miss Mary Sparks. aged g years.
school teacher.
| A fortunate shift OF wind from the
| northwest to the southwest saved the
public library and the fashionable Cur
tbs Hotel. In the hotel there We're several
Faster parties from New York and Bos-
ton.
The loss OF life occurred in the Cliff
| ford building where the blaze started
Nenox has only small. unorganized
volunteer FIRE department and until aid
came from Pittsheld. Richmond and
Lee. the flames spread rapidly
| The fire was first discovered by George
Rootford. who lived with his mother and
brother in the upper story Of the Clifford
| block. a three story building. shortly after
three O'Clock this morning. Hastily call
| ing his brother and mother. they ran
down the front stairs in their night
! clothes shouting to the other occupants
OF the upper floors. They found the front
door In flames. but the men wrenched il
open and dashed through with their
mother between them All sustained bad
burns.
A TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.
| The Roots had barely crossed the street
before there was terrific explosion IN
the building behind them. This explosion
was heard in the surrounding territory
| for a distance Of six miles shattered win
dows within a wide radius and caused
the fire alarm to ring. In an instant the
| Clifford block was wrapped In flames.
Horace Perrill and his wife. other oc-
cupants of the top floor, got half way
down the front stairs when they saw the
flames leaping up to bar their exit.
| Three women were below trying to
escape through the front door. but Perrlll
| saw that the attempt was by that time
useless. He then rushed his wife through
a long corridor 10 the back stairs. where
he got out in safety. All the other &C.
curants OF the Clifford block lost their
lives.
| JUMPED TO HER DEATH.
The death OF Miss Alice French was
one OF the pitiful tragedies OF the morn
ing. While the fire in the Clifford block
was at its height woman was seen to
climb out of fame filed room on to a
veranda on the second story with her
night clothing and hair ablaze. StaRger-
ing to the railing she leaped to the side
walk landing in heap within Ave or six
:eet OF the blazing walls. Some OF the
Mortified onlookers attempted to rush In
to drag her out. but the intense hea,
drove them back. and not until several
hours later was the body recovered. The
| OuitS OF tne OtNeT NlCtlUls, pIVbdDly II
the cellar OF the block. cannot be reached
Until tomorrow.
Within 10 minutes OF the explosion the
flames were licking up the Eddy build
ing on the south. In this block the peo.
Pile had been almost hurled out OF theii
beds by the explosion and lost no time
IN making their way to the street ir
their night clothes. The night air was
cold the temperature being about Y
above aero
The fire Is believed to have been due
to spontaneous combustion. In the cellar
OF the Clifford block were several small
packages of dynamite and barrel OF
turpentine. which exploded.
While none OF the beautiful summer
summer residences that have made this
Berkshire town famous the country over
were threatened many prominent New
York and Boston society people were al
the Curtis hotel which was at one time
In danger. They were promptin theil
work of relief for the unfortunates.
A subscription, headed by Mrs. Lind
say Fairfax Of New York, was started
for the needy ones.