The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-04-18
VILLAGE OF HYDE
PARK SWEPT BY
S15O,OOO FIRE
About rs Buildings Burned Max
ing a Hundred Homeless
STARTED IN COUNTY JAIL
Congregational Church, One Store
and II Dwellings Burned to the
Ground

Hyde Park, April 1S.-Driven by
strong wind, a fire which started in
the county jail here about IL o'clock
yesterday morning, spread until the
jail, court house, town hall, Con-
gregational church, one store and II
residences, about % buildings in all,
had been laid in ashes. 1t Is esti-
mated that from rs to 100 people are
homeless. The property loss is esti-
mated at $4,000.
Originating, presumably from de-
fectiye stove pipe between the first
and second stories of the county jail,
the fire gained Roadway so rapidly
that efforts to save the building were
soon seen to be useless. Only two
prisoners, both minor offenses, were
confined in the Jail and these were
liberated and helped to fight the
flames. The fire fighters attempted
to tear down a wooden structure in
the rear Of the jail in the hope of pre-
venting the fire from spreading but
their efforts were useless owing TO
the gale which was blowing.
For nearly two hours the men were
handicapped by lack of water. The
reservoir is filed by the use OF a
pumping station, power for which is
furnished by the electric light plant
and as the latter Is closed Sundays
considerable time was lost before
anyone could be found to operate il.
AS soon as It was seen that the fire
was beyond the control OF the local
fremen help was summoned from
Johnson and Morrisville both OF
which places sent their entire fire
fighting apparatus TO the aid OF Hyde
Park. which is the county seat OF La
noble county. II was o'clock be
fore the fire was finally under con,
troll.
The wind was in the east and
drove the flames away from the bus
mess section OF the town into the res
I idential section. Owing to the veloc
lty Of the wind the fire jumped over
the Congregational church, burning .
brick block on the other side OF II be
fore the church itself was burned. In
some instances the flames jumped
two or three buildings The fire was
stopped just before II reached the
Catholic church after an area half Q
mile long had been swept clean.
The loss on the county jail anC
court house and on the Congregation
al church Is estimated at about s25,
600 each.
The records OF the county and o
the Probate court are In vault II
the court house and their condition
is unknown. 1t is believed. however
that they were unframed. The tow
records were at the home OF the tow
clerk, some distance away from tn
court house.
The residences OF County Clerl
Smith Waits. l.. r. Fairbanks, Georg
Parker. II. NJ. Mcfarland and MI
McFarland's four tenement houses
A. Lllley, J. T. Stevens, Probat
Judge T. c. White. George Eastman
Noyes G. Wood and Daniel Smith an
the store OF Ferdinand Gauthier wer
among the buildings burned. MI
McFarland's loss on his residenc
was about $4,000.
The Odd Fellows hall was locate
in the second story OF the town ha
building and the loss Of the Odd Fe
lows will be considerable.
Among the fire fighters were III
= members OF the congregation of III
Congregational church, the mornin
service being abandoned when IN
nre started The homeless are stol
ping at the hotels or with friends
, town.