Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1922-04-26
NEWPORT
Buck Garage Building Burned

The fire which broke out in the
Buck garage IN the old Memphre-
magog stables about / AS Saturday
morning entirely destroyed the build
ing causing more than a $35, 600
loss of property and removing one of
Viewpoints oldest landmarks. The
heaviest losses fall upon Mr.. Buck,
Elton MCGOWAN and the Willard Ser
vice Station all being located in the
destroyed structure. Mr.. Buck, who
owned the property, places his loss
insurance. Since purchasing the
building and land upon which it
stood he has made many changes and
| Improvements costing several hundred
dollars. Rooms were finished for the
| tire repair business of Elton Meow
an and quarters for the Willard Ser
vice Station. The building is located
at the rear of the E. Lane & Son
store very near the G. P R. tracks,
and was formerly the old livery
stables connected with the Old Mem
phremagog house. 1t is one of New
ports oldest land marks having been
erected more than SO years ago. The
building was 120 by 40 feet, two sto-
ries, with an ell 40 by 40 and an
other addition 20 by 40 feet. ~ The
VI CIlS AIC 10 as yOO oAAhAAOW LIE
| When first discovered the fire was
raging about center of the structure
on the back side and had gained such
| Roadway that it was seen that the
building was doomed to obstruction
from the very first.
| Mr.. Buck was conducting a garage
and storage business and could handle
about so cars, 20 having been in stor-
age during the winter, although some
had recently been removed to garages
for repairs. Among the cars in the
structure when the fire started only
two were saved. One owned by
Homer Keller, Ford touring, with
which he conducted a public auto
business, and a new car owned by
DR.. E. L. Miller. AS near as can
be learned Is cars of various makes
were destroyed. The losses fall on
the following men: Theron Meader,
Buick runabout, insured; The Barton
Auto exchange, two half-ton Chevro-
| let trucks and one three-fourth-ton
Chevrolet truck, all new, also a sec
ond hand touring, total loss OF
about $4,000 covered by blanket in
surance, c.. M. Bailey, a new Ford
touring. total loss. Frank Burns, a
second hand Chevrolet, no insurance
John w. Barber of Greenfield, Mass,
| 1918 Buick roadster, left at the gar
ago last January, thought to have
been insured. Arthur Traver, Ford
Touring 1920 model. Louis Carter,
Maxwell; Bede Powers, second hand
Buick Four. The Richford Phono-
graph Co. of Richford, 1920 Chevrolet
truck. Edmond Pelkey, Studebaker,
and o. S, Searles. Ford touring IN
sured.
Other loses include household goods
in storage for different parties, three
danger lights of the state In storage
until they could be installed. Mr..
Bucks loss above the building in
Icludes stock of oil, greases and tools
value $500 with no insurance. The
international Harvester Co., lost
separator and side delivery rake. The
Graylawn Farms, Inc. had quantity
of knocked down shopping cases des-
troyed.
holder in the Willard Service Station
places their personal loss from four
to five thousand dollars with $1,000 in
surance. The loss falls on four par
ties, Mr.. Asselin being one. The COM
pany will continue to do business in
Newport and will for the present be
located with the Barton Auto EX-
change at the Willis garage. Their
loss included So new batteries. %
rental batteries and about ZOO bat
teries repaired and ready for de-
livery which adds loss of his entire
winters work of more than $4,000.
Elton McGowan's loss run as high
as $500 with $500 insurance. Mr..
MCGOWAN, who conducted his vulcan
izing business on Coventry street last
season had just recently located In
~ oIr hill h. &c
troyed property were about $4,000
worth of new tires. The fire loss
reaches out to large number of peo-
pie who lost tires and batteries.
DR.. E. L. Miller was also one of
the heavy loosers at the fire. While
his three horses and automobile were
saved, yet his loss of veterinary tools
and drugs, harnesses, sleigh and wa
CONS will reach $500.
The fire company responded in
short order and soon had four lines
of hose pouring tons of water on the
burning building. The fire spread
rapidly and an hour after the fire
! broke out the structure was laid low,
but fire continued burning in the de.
bris and required the attention of
firenen nearly all day Saturday
Monday morning about o'clock five
again broke out and the truck was
called out. brisk blaze being found
in the floors of that section of the
building occupied by Mr.. MCGOWAN.
The wind was most favorable for
the property that was in near danger
and the sparks were carried away
from the True & Blanchard store
house which was very close by. After
the fire had gained considerable head
way it was learned that there were
three horses in the DIR. Miller stables,
all were ,rescured with difficulty. The
work of the firemen was extremely
dangerous, caused by the falling of
the walls of the building and explc,
sions. There were several small ex-
tplosions of gas tanks in the autos
stored, and one of some force being a
partially filled tank of hydrogen.
Very fortunately three full tanks of
the same material failed to follow
suite. The 800 gallon underground
gasoline tank contained about $50
gallons of the liquid but was in no
danger as. it was several feet from the
building and protected on top by
earth as we'll.
Owing to the cold weather of Fri
day, Mr.. Buck was not at the ga
rage and Mr.. MCGOWAN was also abb