Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-05-23
DAMAGE BY WATER|
ADDS TO THAT BY FIRE.
Entire South Wing of "Old
Milw Thoroughly Soaked
Walls as Good as Ever and No
Changes Likely In Process of
Rebuilding

the "Old Mill OF the University or YER
mont between the thumb and forehnger.
sometime during Monday afternoon, and
taken Il down to Lake Champlain and
submerged 1t for couple OF hours. 1t
would not have sustained much more
damage from water than 1t did from the
deluge which was poured on 1t to ex-
tinguish the flames Of Monday evening.
In fact It Is not improbable that the
damage from water to the entire south
wing Of the structure will match that
caused by the fire itself. Water has
literally saturated every corner, nook
and crevice from the RACED roof to the
cellar. Tuesday the greater part of
the time was spent in pumping out water
from the cellar which ran from all the
floors. The floors on the second and first
stories are badly warped and in some
places have sunk almost foot.
AS soon as the insurance adjusters
have visited the ruins, work will be
started on the repairs of the historic
building. It is probable that the inside
will be torn up, that is. what remains
on the three floors, and the interior
rebuilt. The walls are apparently as
good as ever and 1t is probable that no
change will be made in them.
The routine Of the drafted mems
mechanics school has not been hampered
In the least by the fre and Tuesday
went on as usual. A squad was put to
work assisting the janitors in removing
some Of the water and doing various odd
duties about the ruins.
For the time being. the 40 odd men
from the mechanics school, whose bar
racks were on the second and third floors
Of the burned structure, have been
placed in the north wing Of the building.
They are quartered on the first floor.
The Free Press Is able to give to its
readers to-day some new light on the
origin of the FIRE. Following the first
fire In the base Of the tower shortly
after seven O'Clock, two men from the
mechanics school were stationed there
to watch for any signs Of the return of
the fire. They remained there until $3.50
o'clock. About five minutes before ten
O'Clock. Janitor George Ravelin, who
was one of the first to arrive on the
scene at the first fire. went into the
south wing and up to the top Of the
tower and closed a door leading to the
spire. On coming down he walked about
the base OF the tower, where the first
fire had been. and thoroughly investi-
gated all hooks and crannes that could
be seen.
Owing to the flames which burned the
electric wires that were laid from beam
to beam in the base Of the tower and
from there extending through a wall into
the attic, 1t would be impossible ia
determine whether the blaze was caused
by the lightning ripping Off the insula-
| ton, but from all appearances 1t would
| seem highly probable that that was just
what started the second and disastrous
| fire. II such had been the case the
blaze might not have occurred for hour.
or even days until the charged wire
struck something Of an inhammable
nature.
During his investigation Ravelir
neither smelled smoke nor saw the SLIGHT
est resemblance OF a spark. 30 he wen,
down the three flights of stairs to the
ground. 1t was not ten minutes aftsl
that the flames were discovered JUS
south OF the tower, a distance Of abou
70 feet. Even II the attic had been or
fire at the time he made his inspection
a few moments before It would not hav,
been possible to detect any flames Q
feet away from the base Of the towe
owing to an intervening wall.
Directly over the room where at leas
Is Of the draftees from the mechanics
school were sleeping was where the hot
test and largest blaze was found. It wa
only about Is minutes after the fire wa
discovered that the roof caved in o,
to the attic floor which In turn crashe,
down on to the floor Of the third story
just where the mon had been.
In the rooms below. on the second floor
little or no fire touched. but the room
and contents were saturated with waite
from the torrents that were poured Il
from above. On the second floor in
number Of rooms about 20 from tn
mechanics school were quartered.
From the third and also the secon
floors the individual iron beds, bed sack
and bed clothing. all government prop
erty. were saved by the men. with tn
exception Of about six cots.