Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1909-11-05
NINE LIVES LOST.
Others Badly Burned in ST. Johns
bury Fire.

bury Fire.
Fire which started early last Saturday
morning in the basement of the Citizens
Savings Bank block at st. Johnsbury,
caused the death of nine persons and
several were badly burned. The dead
are:
Charles T. Ranlett, aged 38, proprietor
of the Ranlett Press.
L. E. Darling, aged 4S, carpenter.
Herbert B. Tanner, painter, aged DO.
Mrs. Herbert B. Tanner, aged 40.
S. ID. Cushman, mason, aged 5O
Mrs. S. d. Cushman, aged 80.
Berenice Cushman, their daughter,
aged 10.
Miss Rose Massey, aged IS, waitress.
Mrs. Mary Sleeper, aged 2S. domestic.
The seriously injured are:
William Pope, burned about body,
face and hands.
Leonard Pope, his son, probably fatally
burned.
Roy Smith, burned about face and
hands.
Mrs. jeanette Davie, aged 76, badly
burned about face and hands, perhaps
fatally.
Roy Cheney, Scott Gochee and Mr..
and Mrs. G. NJ. Howe also were burned,
but not seriously.
They are at the Brightlook hospital.
The fire was discovered about four
o'clock in the morning by Arthur Rob-
inson, a railroad switchman, in the base
ment of Stollikers restaurant kitchen,
having started from some unknown
cause. Chief of Police Hall attempted
to put out the blaze with hand ex-
tinguishers and sent boy through the
building to arouse the occupants.
Owing to the fact that the flames
quickly reached the elevator shaft, near
which the fire escape was located, there
was little opportunity for the tenants to
up the shaft so rapidly that the people
were driven back to the front of the
structure.
Some, however, realized their danger
in time and hurried to the street in their
night clothes. Those who stopped to
dress were nearly all killed or injured.
There were many thrilling escapes and
rescues. Guy and Scott Gochee were
taken from the building on ladders.
Mrs. Jeanette Davie, aged rs years, was
taken down ladder, but was terribly
burned. Mrs. Charles Ranlett wss car
ried down after she had lowered herself
on rope from which her husband had
fallen to death on the sidewalk below.
She was reached by Daniel Ring, a vol
unteer
After the alarm was sounded the hook
and ladder company did not succeed in
reaching the scene of the fire for nearly
seven minutes, il is said. One of the
ladders was not long enough to reach
the upper floor of the burning block and
the tangle of telegraph and telephone
wires over the street interferred greatly
with the work of the tiremen. 1t was
some time before streams of water were
turned on the building, and then it was
too late to drown the flames. Owing to
the Quickness with which the catas-
trophe came, great confusion resulted,
and, although there was plenty of help,
it was not organized and the panicky
conditions hampered the rescuers.
The cries of the imprisoned people,
as they begged for ladders. Charles
Ranlett and his wife were on the top
floor and he had often said that in case
of fire they would probably have to es-
cape by means of a rope. He started
down the rope, but fell after going
short distance, striking on his head and
meeting instant death.
l.. E. Darling tried to escape by clam
bering over the window castings and
brickwork from the upper floor, but fell
to the street. He died in about two
hours.
Nearly all the injured ones were
burned in trying to escape by the front
entrance through tn flames. The bodies
of Mr.. and Mrs. Herbert Tanner and Mr..
and Mrs. S. d. Cushman and child were
found in a room opening onto the fire
escape on the third floor, and that of
Rose Massey was in a front room ON the
same floor The body of Mrs. Sleeper
was taken from the ruins in the after
noon. Her pet dog lay dead across the
body. Mrs. Sleeper and Rose Massey
were employed in Stolliker's restaurant.
The property loss is estimated at $50, 900.
The building was a brick structure.
three stories high on the front and four
stories on the back. 1t was one of the
finest business blocks in st. Johnsbury,
built about z wears ago and was sun.