Connecticut western news., 1909-04-15
TRAGIC DEATH OF
 EDWARD VENTRES
IN THE TERRIBLE FIRE AT LENOx
Younq Man Who Had Worked in Ca naan and Who Made Many Friends Here Met Awful Fate, Together With His Wife and Daughter.

HIS Wl1e anu UduYIteI'
 Edward c. Ventres, who was burned to death with his wife and daughter in Lenox Sunday, had spent several months in Canaan and vicinity doing electric wiring last summer and he had host of friends here, all of whom were inexpressibly shocked when news of the tragedy was received here. MT. Ventres was Al years old and was an electrician by trade. He was native or Paris, Me-, but had been in business Ill Lenox for twelve years, several ot which had been as member of the electrical contracting firm of Ventres & Jones. In Canaan he wired Pilgrim Church and large number of business places and private residences. He was good worker and was of an amiable disposition which made him many friends. His wife was 35 years old and his daughter, Leslie, was 12.
 Six people lost their lives, three were badly burned and property loss of be- tween $2OO, ,OOO and $500, ,O0O was caused by the fire. Four business blocks, two dwellings and two other structures were destroyed III a section bounded by Frank lin, Main. Housatonic and Church streets. The fire is believed to have started in the Clifford building from spontaneous combustion
 Some or the principal losses were:
 
 Mahanna. $25, ,000; F. P. Dumbardi & Co.,, of New York, oriental shop, 5000; B. H. Rogers 6 Co.,, electricians, $4,0OO; William B. Bull building, $36 6,U00; Cliff ford building, $25, GOO; James Clifford 6 Sons, hardware, $20,000; Murray A. Brown, grocer, $1O,O0O; Eddy building, Charles Eddy estate, $15, ,000; John Cut wood, plumber, $10,000; Frank Morrier, department store, $12,OO0: James Cas- sidy, druggist, $1O,OO0.
 The loss of life occurred in the Clifford building, where the blaze started, and resulted primarily from a series of explosions among the turpen tine, paints, oils and dynamite stored in the cellar of the James Clifford 6 Sons Company, hardware dealers. Lenox has only small, unorganized volunteer department, and until aid came from Pittsfeld, Richmond and Lee, the flames spread rapidly.
 Monday morning the dense mass of smoke from the burning ruins on which the fremen were still pouring torrents of water drifted aside for moment, dis closing the charred trunks of three bodies lying side by side, two apparently much larger than the other.
 These charred remains were indenti- fled later as those of MT. and Mrs. Ed ward 0. Ventrss and their daughter.
 The position of the bodies indicates that they staid and died together. The arms and legs of all three had been burned off and there was scarcely any thing left but the skeletons
 The remains of MT. Ventres were unidentified by peculiar suspender and garter buckle he wore and which were found near him. It appears he had sought to carry away with him little clothing.
 Mrs. Ventres' body was identified by her teeth, while the body of the little girl was proven to be hers by seal ring and chip diamond found beside her.
 The heads had become separated from the bodies and the sight of removing them from the Clifford cellar was one of the most grewsome ever seen in Lenox.
 The discovery of the Ventres bodies was made by Henry Jones, MT. Ventres's partner in the electrical business. He was out in the cellar Investigating at ' o'clock that morning.
 The torso of MT. Ventres was under the big safe of the Clifford Building Co., and the other two were close beside it Their position indicates that the little family of three had sought to make their exit out through the rear of the1r apart ments. They had apparently gone through their dining room and kitchen and had probably looked for a little roof garden between their apartment and the shop used by the firm of Ventres 6 Jones.
 Sues For $Io.OOO