Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1910-02-10
srussoRn SUNDAY Fla.
hanson Block Destroyed.--Three Au-
tos Damassd.--N insurance.


ing located at the corner Of Merchants
Row and Pleasant street next to the liv-
cry stable of A. B. Gay and owned by ].
II. Lamson was destroyed by Dire Sunday
forenoon. A portion OF the structure
still stands, but it is a total loss.
AS Mark Xix was passing the block on
his way up to the Brigham creamery at
5:l5 a. m, be saw smoke pouring out
from beneath the south end OF the piazza
fronting ON Merchants Row, evidently
issuing from the basement nearby. He
ran to the Emerson mill and had the
night watchman sound the alarm whistle.
Others soon noticed the fire, which
speedily famed out beneath the piazza.
The frst anxiety was for the horses in the
Gay stable, which closely adjoined the
/ burning building, and they were immedi-
ately led out and stabbed OF the A. I. Neff
livery. The buggies, sleighs and robes
4 followed, being lined up on Merchants
Row.
The fire department made quick re-
Spouse and from the hydrant on the OPP
posite corner and the one in Depot square
soon had streams on. 1t was a bitterly
cold morning, but fortunately without
much Wind, aud what there was blew
away from the other endangered proper
". At the outset it appeared as il the
! blaze could be quickly handled. BY the
use OF "Yis' in the hose lines, five separ
ate streams were soon playing, hat the
/ fire proved most obstinate. II had
worked up gradually through many parts
I OF the building between the partitions
and inside the outer walls and could not
be reached effectively. Despite the tons
of water poured in, it crept along inside,
ana while it at no time seemed formida-
BILE Il could not he subdued. One line of
hose was steadily directed for several
hours from the roof OF the Gay stable
against the nearby root and side vail OF
the burning block With good effect 10
saving the stable. The fire did not work
through that way. The hooks and lad
ders we're used to clear away the covered
stairway between the two buildings also
the front piazza, and later TO demolish
the south ell OF the block where the fire
gained the ascendancy. The brick chin
ney ct that end went down In the wreck.
The firemen fought until after ] p. m.
before they got complete control, finally
throwing the burning parts one By one
into the roadway and opening the in
terror to the hose which extinguished
" hat was left Of the fire.
The building included high base
ment, used only by j. III. Lamson, who
had quite an amount Of barbed wire fenc-
ing and other material stored there that is
probably not much damaged. A fight
OF stairs led up to the first door, occupied
by q. w. and Fredd c. Hayward as an
automobile garage. Besides this, and
fronting on Pleasant street we're rooms
practically unoccupied. One OF them bad
lately been vacated by W. w. Brown,
manufacturer OF the Brooks force pumps.
Another, in the rear, served formerly for
the manufacture OF the Wheeler Il Lam
son metallic tub fasteners, business that
has not been in operation for several
years. The Skating and part OF the
machinery from here were saved, some
what damaged, also lot OF the complet
ed fasteners.
As soon as possible, entrance was
gained at the rear TO the Hayward garage.
Here we're stored three automobiles-a
Ford touring car, new last season, and
Stevens-Duryea touring car, just over
hauled at a cost of nearly $175, both
owned by the Haywards, also G. A.
Blodgett's Buick touring car, used as the
I hbhku AanA
fail. These three cars we're run out by
hand and found to be in badly damaged
condition. No fife bad reached them,
but the intense heat had scorched and
shrivelled the paint and upholstering,
and the leather tops hung in shreds
Only one OF the tires seemed injured and
it is not thought the engines or running
parts of any of the cars are much dam
aged. Two nice top buegies also stored
in the garage, owned by G. W. Hayward
and DR.. II. II. Hayward, respectively,
lost their new paint and upholstering,
and their tops. A large empty gasoline
tank was taken out uniniured and proba-
bly, most of the tools and fittings used by
Fredd Hayward in his repair work will
be recovered eventually. The loss OF the
Haywards will total $500 at least. 1t will
be necessary to provide new wooden
bodies and tops for the three cars, proba-
bly,, which win mean $3.50 to 1900 each.
This is the second trial by fire OF the
Blodgett auto under its present owner
ship.
The second floor was occupied in front
by "The VOLT" q young mems club,
who had their rooms fitted up with pool
table and other accessories for sports and
games. In the midst Of the hre the boys
entered the room and made thrilling
rescue Of the pool table Some OF the
furniture was lost. The rear tenement In
the second floor had just been repapered
and painted for occupancy by tenant,
bot be had not moved in. In the gsrret
was stored the parts OF an old pipe organ,
taken from the Christian church years
ago when IT Was rebuilt. The organ will
never sound again.
The building was an old one and not in
good repair. It was worth perhaps f25OO !
as rentabIe property. The site is a nice
one for a new structure, and will doubt |
less be cleared and used for some purpose
soon. The owner, J. H. Lamson, is at
present in Florida, returning with Mrs.
Lamson from q pleasure trip to the West !
Indies. He has not been advised OF his /
loss as yet He purchased the building |
when driven out Of the Dubois Gay
block by fire many years ago and occu-
pied ii for Q time as a hardware store.
Later, the Buck Printing Co. was a ten
ant for q number of years.
None Of the property burned or dam