Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-10-11
SPECTACULAR BLAZE
ON LOWER CHURCH ST.
DOES $4,000 DAMAGE

About 70 persons are thrown out Of en-
ployment and $4,000 damage was done by
a fire In the old skating rink building and
an annex at the corner Of Church and
King streets last night.
Before the last embers from the burning
building had been drowned out by the
fremen. the w. C. Hoag company, own
ers of the toy and novelty shop. had suf-
fered an estimated loss of $4,000. The Ma
tional Paper Tube g. Box company suf-
fered an estimated loss Of $4,000, James
j. G. John F. Whalen, owners of the build
ing. claim a loss of approximately 1000
on the building alone. besides several thou
sand dollars on cement. nails, wire fenc-
ing and plaster. and other hardware
that was stored In the building. In addi-
ton to these big LOSSES. the Ferguson
storehouse to the east of the building was
badly damaged by fire and s. II. Villas,
who conducts the Gadue flour sitter busi-
ness. suffered considerable loss.
Thomas Whalens double tenement house
at the corner of Maple and Church was
damaged by several streams of water that
were continually played on the north OF
the house to keep It from igniting. Ir
this house are the Coonrad and Winter.
bottom families. and nearly all theii
household goods were removed to the
street by soldiers from the Post, so i'm
minent was the danger of the house goins
up in flames AS it was the house caught
fire once or twice near the roof. but the
fire was quickly extinguished. The house
on the north of the toy shop, at the cor
ner of King and Church streets, was also
! in danger, and a garden hose was KEEP
playing upon 1t for over an hour.
The roof of John Collins blacksmith
shop across the street caught fire ono,
from the intense heat, and stream o.
water was kept busy here for some time
1t was also necessary to put a stream
of water on the J. w. Johnson home
stead south of Collins, and also on tn,
O'Brien. Riley. Herberg and Mozart,
homes. to the north of the blacksmith
shop All these places were damaged {,
some extend by the intense heat from tn,
fire, as we'll as from the volume Of wate
that was played on them to keep then
from igniting. A good idea of the intens,
heat can be CLEANED from the fact tina
clothes hanging on clothes lines crumplet
up similar to burnt paper and dropped Il
the ground in dust and several telephon,
poles along the street were on fire. AL
the buildings and industries are PARTIAL,
covered by insurance.
Had there been any wind from an,
direction the damage would have beer
very heavy. and there is no way Of tellini
where the fire would have stopped. Al
the conditions of the air were, the fir,
burned upward toward the sky. and tn,
danger to other buildings in the vicinit,
was eliminated when the walls fell
The skating rink building was 175x13
feet In size. 1t was built as skating rinl
back in the sos by John MacLaren, a
that time manager of the Champlaii
shops. 1t was sold few years ago to tn
Whalen Brothers.
Both the Hoag company and thu
paper box factory are hard hit as the,
were working overtime to fill orders
Especially is this true Of the paper DO,
factory. where an earnest endeavor wa.
being made to All a large order for tn,
Crystal Confectionery company and al
addition was In the process Of being con
structed to- do the work Of the new Yer
mont Milk Chocolate company. For thi
latter purpose two carloads of paper 70
boxes and much machinery had just ar
rived and been stored in the burne,
building. Mr.. Hoag. the manager of tn
toy works. was making inquiries las
night as to where he could get a plac
| to start business this morning. Mr.
Hoag carried insurance with the Howard
Insurance agency. Mr. Hoag told a Free
Press man last night that he went al
through the building at $50 o'clock an,
found everything apparently all right
He said he was the last man in tn
building. to his knowledge.
MAYOR TAKES A HAND.
The work Of Burlington's mayor. Dr.
j. Holmes Jackson. was highly praised
on every hand last night To many /
recalled the days Of the old voluntee
fire department. when all the city Off
Gals answered the call of the FIR
alarm.
Wet from spray, he stood within I
feet Of the burning building. hose II
hand, and in immediate danger of be