The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-01-03

SaVeQ ana all CnaC is leIC
building are the smoking walls
chimneys and a part of the bell
tower.
The fire was discovered little
after l o'clock by Ernest Grant
and Clarence Hubbard who gave
the alarm. Help arrived at once
but the fire, which evidently start
cd in the top story of the build
ing, had already obtained such d
headway that it was past control.
The top story was a sheet of
flames and roof and bell and bell
tower were falling on the floor be-
low.
The origin of the fire cannot be
absolutely determined, but, as
there was no fire in any of the
upper portion of the sctructure Ill
is supposed that a short circuit
wire started the confagration.
With the thermometer registering
Rs or more degrees below zero II
was a rough time to fight fire. The
water froze as it flowed down the
outer walls, despite the raging
heat inside.
Fred Chapman the ianitor OF
the building, had charge of the
furnace fire in the basement. This
as the only fire known to have
been in the building at the tine.
Everything was in readiness for
the opening of the school SESSIONS
Thursday morning after the
Christmas holidays.
Thee was over 800 students reg
igtercd at the Institute at the
present time. A majority Of them
presented themselves Tuesday
morning only to Ind their school
home in ashes. Chapel exercise
were held in the Baptist church
nearby, after which Principal
Mathewson announced a ncccs-
sary recess until next Mnoday. 1t
is expected that in the meantime
some temporary arrangements can
be made for the meeting Of ella -
cS.
The building was insured fof
$4,000 and its contents for
$4,000, but these sums do not hall
cover the loss which was total. 1t
is recalled that the building
when it was erected in 1869 cost
in the ncighborhood of $50, 900,
and it is safe to say that double
that amount ould not begin to
replace it today. its contents, too,
would cost many thousand dol
lars to replace. When it was
built, the late Amasa o Harris
and Calvin d. Bigelow of Lyndon
Center were the building commit
tee and the careful attention
these hard-hearted business men
gave the enterprise resulted in one
of the best-built, best proportion
cd school buildings in large
area, and the success of their
efforts was alway,' a matter Of
much justificablc pride, both to
them and 20 all Of the many
friends of tho school.
William F. Stoddard, one of the
oldest members of the board OF
trustees, recalls the hard work and
sacrifices Of those days to provide
good school privileges for the
young people Of that section. Col.
II. Z Folsom, another warm
friend of the school, another mem
Der of the board of trustees said
he felt almost as badly as if his
home had been destroyed. 81 have
though Of the possibility of other
places / aing destroyed by fire but
| ncve. thought Of the Institute
being burned.
The trustees of the school took |
quick action in the emergency.
Eighteen members Of the board |
net at the Coblcigh library il
Lyndonville Tuesday forenoon to
,cc what it Was best to do. The
school has "a fairly large cndow-
mont, but this is not available Of !
.oursc for building purposes, hut |
)nly for maintenance. IL WAS thG
unanimous expression Of all pre-
mt that the school must continue
md that vigorous and immediate
lction was necessary to Surmount /
.hc unexpected obstacle this dis
lstrous loss has put in the way.
everyone expects the Institute 20
,e rebuilt as Soon as possible and
committee to have charge of the
aising OF the necessary funds was
,lcctcd, consisting of President
elmer A Darling, Principal o. l..
Mathcwson, G.. NJ. Campbell, II.
:. Folsom, w. c. Connor. !
Lyndon Institute was chartered
n 1867 and founded in 1869 when
he main building which was
,urned Tuesday morning as erect
fContinuC1 IN napn 81