The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-02-01
ADJOINING BLOCKS
ALSO CAUGHT FIRE
Several People Who Were
Caughtin the Upper Stories
OF the Rialto Block Had to
be Brought Down By
Means of Ladders.

Fire which broke out in the Ralto
building on State street, in Montpelier.
early this afternoon ruined that building
and contents, and it spread so rapidly
that the Union building on the east and
the Bowman building on the west side Of
it were threatened with entire destruc.
ton. The loss at 1:l5 o'clock was esti-
mated at $4,000, and the entire fire de.
partment of the city was fighting the
flames in the hopes Of averting a repeti.
tion Of the great loss sustained on the
same street in 1876.
The fire broke out apparently in the
millinery store of Mrs. w. NJ. Fraser at
SS State street, on the first floor OF the
Rialto building, the flames bursting
through the door at 1910 o'clock. Ben
iamin Gates rang the alarm from box
Is, and all the city's FIRE apparatus was
brought into use Mrs FraseF's mil
linery store was locked up, as Mrs Fra
ser is said to be in Plymouth, n. H. The
supposition is that someone went into
the store this forenoon to start fire
in the stove and then went off and left
1T, so that the stove became overheated
and the fire was communicated to the
fimsy materials which were nearby.
The nature Of this material caused
the flames to spread with great rapid.
ity, and the fremen found themselves
at once confronted by very difficult
task In an incredibly short time the
flames shot through to the second and
third stories, and it was soon apparent
that there was little or no chance to
save the Rialto block
The outbreak Of the fire was so sudden
that some occupants Of the upper stories
Of the building were caught and had
to be rescued by ladders. Mrs. Stells
Morse and her daughter, Mabel, We're
engaged in working in the upper stories
Of the building, and when the flames
burst forth and the smoke rolled up,
their escape by the stairway was cue
off, and they rushed to the third story.
Their predicament was then seen, ana
fremen brought them safely to the
ground Or. w. L. Goodale, who has an
Office in the building was also caught
by the rush of flames and he, too, was
rescued by means of ladder.
The first floor of the Rialto building
was occupied by the millinery store OF
Jennie A. Morse. besides that of Mrs
Fraser; also by the barber shop of O.
Jangraw, the cigar manufacturing place
OF Allen brothers and the cigar store Of
+. A. Standish The upper stories OF the
building We're used for tenements aud
Office purposes.
The Rialto was wooden structure,
built on tTusses over the North branch
and facing the curved wooden bridge on
State street which spanncd the brancn.
At 80 the fire had made so much prog.
ress through the structure that tho
trusses were beginning to sag, and there
were evidences then that The building
would collapse entirely and drop into
the river. 1t was in part owned by the
Union Block company, the owner OF the
large brick building immediately on the
east, and by the Wing estate The Bow
man building, which adjoined the Rialto
on the west, setting on the west bank OF
the river. was on fire at 1880. and the
fremen We're working like trojens to stop
the spread of the flames
Shortly after / 80 the ruins of the
Rialto building collapsed and dropped
into the stream underneath BY that
time the fire had attacked the heavv
wooden bridge, and the fremen directed
several streams of water on that Plenty
Of water was back OF them, and there
was the feeling that the progress OF
the flames would be checked. although
the Bowman building was on fire Six
streams. OF water were being poured on
the endangered property.
The fremen expected TO check the
eastern progress of the flames, because
the Union block was protected by 4
heavy brick WALL which resisted the
of the fiery elemev
fire officials expressed co.
idence that they would be able to core
with the fire without calling for outside
assistance.
At ? o'clock the fire seemed to be well
under control and it was thought that
further damage could be averted.
The social committee Of the Christian