The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-02-18

Three families were rendered homeless
and damage to the amount of about
S25000 was done last night by a fire
which broke out soon after 10 O'Clock
which destroyed the Yinton building and
contents at the junction of Main. South
main and Canal streets.
The construction of the building. which
was a three-story wooden structure
erected many years ago. was such that
the fire offered stubborn resistance, while
temperature of 13 degrees below zero
caused much suffering on the part of the
fire-fghters.
All night long the men remained at
their posts, as it was not safe to leave
the scene of the fire until ) O'Clock this
morning, flames which had gotten into
the partitions breaking through in unex-
pected places.
Six lines of hose were laid, or more
than 1000 feet. two from the hytlrant at
the junction OF Main and Flat streets.
two from the hydrant opposite the rail-
road station on Vernon street and two
from the hydrant at the junction of Canal
and South Main street.
Only the she'll of the building remains.
the roofs Of the main part and the ell
part having fallen in. II is burned be-
yond Fedemption-a total loSs-and
today it resemb1ed an iceberg. both
exterior and interior being covered with
ice. 4 vast amount of water was poured
into the building. flooding the sidewalk
and street and freezing in the street rail-
road track SO that the railroad had 10
be onened with pickaxes this morning.
The NintOn building was owned By the
William Il. Nint0n estate. the prOprietorS
IL
Howard Vinton and Miss Beatrice Vim
ton, who also are proprietorS of the Vim
ton paper mill in the rear of the burned
building. The main part was two stories
high on Canal street with a basement
opening off Main street and the ell on
Main street was two stories high with
basement below the street.
In the basement Of the main part was
the Albany cafe, the proprietor of which
was G. v. Buckley, and the fire appar-
emily started in the cafe kitchen mt the
west end of the building The first floor of
the main part was occupied as tenement
by Samuel Wells On the second floor
were two tenements, one occupied by
James Donahue and wife and the other by
Mr.. and Mrs. Thomas Ryan, their son,
Henry Ryan, and their daughter-in-law,
Mrs Alfred RYAN Mr. Wells family
5daughters. Miss Hattie nj. Wells and Miss
Matte Wells. AIR Donahue and Henry
Ryan are employed in the Vinton paper
mill
The second floor of the ell was occupied
By Ernest NJ Goodenough as an electrical
shop On the first floor was located
Prudent Rates barber shop and Samuel
WellS'S grocery store Mr.. Wells also
occapied1the basement of the ell as a fish
market.
The owners Of the building and all thec
tenants carried insurance with the excep-
TTOn of Mr. RHffp Tho iatfpr'e h9pbpp
chairs We're removed but very little else
was taken ont of the building and most
all of the contents were 4 total loss.
Insurance on the property aggregates
S14200. The Ninton estate carried
$500, valuation $4,000: Mr. Goode-
nOugh carried 1,600, inventory $1,000:
Mr.. Wells carried 81 600 on stock and
fixtures and $500 on furniture, valuation
$500; Mr.. Buckley carried $2600 on
his restaurant. valuation $4,000; Nix
Donahue carried S700 and Mr.. Ryan $500
on furniture, and their property was
worth $1,000 to 81 500 each W F.
Wells of Southern Pines, S. c., carried
800 on household goods in Samuel
Weiss tenement.
H. f.. TayIor & Sons insurance agency
wrote the insurance Carried by w. r.
Wells and $500 of that carried by Mr.
Goodenough The balance $4,000, was
written by George NJ. Clay's agency. Mr..
Rates loss probably was $500.
The. fire was discovered by Harry
Locke. who has position with the Hol-
stein -FriesiaR association. He was pass
ing the building soon after 10 o'clock and
saw smoke and fire issuing from the vim
dow in the rear end of the Albany cafe
He rang in an alarm from box 36 at the
Main street bridge The bell at the fire
station on Elliot street rang correctly.
but the fire alarm gong did not blow twice
alike
Paul A. Chase and George Mcclure.
who were among the first to arrive. went
up to the Ryan tenement and carried
out Thomas Ryan on a cot. as the fire
had gained much headway before it was
discovered and smoke was filling the tene-
ments. Mr.. Ryan is former Western
Union lineman, well known in town, and
has been Ill for some time lie was taken
to Hotel Billings inCth Park building.