Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-01-27
SHlPYARD IN FLAMES
Champlain transportation Com
pany Loses It's Harbor Plant.
Shop Burned Yesterday Morning.
Steamers Were Saved-I.oss
SI2.0OO, $4,000 Insurance.

The greater part Of tho Champlaln
transportation companys plant at
eneiburne Harbor was destroyed early
yesterday morning by fire. Tho esti-
mated loss is $1,000. only about one
quarter OF which is covered by insur-
ance The three boats. the Vermont. the
llconderoga and the Chateaugay which
were locked for the winter, were saved.
but the three largest and most i'm
portant Of the buildings. the machine
shop, the sawmill and the paint shop.
were completely burned.
The fire was discovered shortly after
four O'Clock In the engine room at tho
rear Of the machine shop. il wa. burn
ing briskly and though the 2s employees
of tho company tumbled out of the near
by boarding house at once they were
too late to prevent the spread OF the
blaze.
The machine shop. an old stone build
Ing erected In 1877, was soon filled with
flames and tho frame boiler shop, nd
Joining tho lake side OF the stone build
Ing caught almost at once. The men.
under the able direction OF their fore
men, formed q bucket line and did every
thing possible. without apparatus to
stop the spread OF tho FIRE
The steam fire pump was located in
tho machine shop, where the fire origi-
mated. and OF course could not DO used
The Vermont was tied UP at what is
known as the south yard and was out
OF danger. but the Ticonderoga and the
Chateaugay were at the "old yard and
| the first work OF the volunteer fire.
| men was to save the boats The chains
| which moored them to the docks were
cast off and they We're allowed to swing
| out into the bay held only by ropes at
| tached to a couple of piers 10 or 100 feet
/ from the shore. The Ice had fortunate
~ been broken up by the south winds
OF Saturday and Sunday.
| The sawnlll. west OF the machine shop
and tho paint shop, south. were the
last buildings to catch fire. Though they
were OF wood and burned freely, there
was time to save much OF the material
contained in the paintshop. There was
very little repair work under way in
tho machine shop.
Many old articles. which had to do
| with the lake steamers of by-gone days,
were burned. These had little value ex-
| cept OF a sentimental character but this
feeling was so strong with some of the
of these relics was to these men the
| saddest feature of the fire.
One OF the principal items Of loss is
about 5000 worth of white pine deck
plank which was intended for the new
Lake George steamer. This came to the
yards from surrounding towns and
across the lake in the form Of logs and
had been through the saw mill. Many
! IT
DE worked UP until new saw mill is
built To replace the planks which ware
burned yesterday. the lumber dealers
| will be called on.
BY 1890 or 500 o'clock the fire was
practically out. j. A. LOOMS. general
manager OF the company was told OF
the fire about 43O but owing to the diff
fculty of getting to the harhor did
not arrive there until after seven
o'clock.
l.. f. Barrett. the master carpenter
and Allen Peria. the master mechanic
directed the men in their efforts &c
uuerch tho fire. From Shelburne Farms
every available man was sent to the
assistance Of the employees of the Trans
portation company.
Manager LOOMS said yesterday that
the loss was annoying but not likely t.
he SO disastrous in its consequences a.
might no expected There Is little re-
pair work to be done which cannot be
completed this winter. Plans for rebuild
ing the shops are as yet entirely lack
, ing. Some decision, however. Will prob
ably be reached soon
There is no theory as to the oriFir
of the fire. Incondiarism Is APPARENT!
out of the question. The timber shed
=, and the boarding house were untouched
j, by the Are, as were the sheds in which
small boats were stored. The hauling
GU. ways were not injured.