The Vermont Tribune, Ludlow, Friday, November 23, 1888 East Wallingford 11/23/1888 Saturday night, the 17th, the hotel and residence of Elias STEWART with nearly everything in them were entirely consumed by fire. Mr. EGGLESTON, Jr., was out at the barn and hitched up a team, about half past eleven, went in through the shed, where everything was all right, and went to bed. About 1 o'clock the hired girl awoke nearly suffocated by smoke, and aroused the rest of the inmates of the hotel by her screams. The upper part of the house was so full of smoke they only secured such articles of clothing as they could grab, and rushed down stairs to dress. Some could not muster a full suit of clothes; the rest was all burned. the fire seems to have started in the shed under the large hall, where the carriages and wood was kept. They succeeded in getting the horses out of the barn, but the harness and carriages were all lost. Of the furniture there was saved that in the front parlor, some things in the dining-room, and one chamber set. There is $1,600 insurance on the building, that will go to J. W. GATES; also $400 on other property, to Mr. EGGLESTON, $1,800 insurance having expired Sept. 15th. This is the second time Mr. EGGLESTON has been burned out within a year, and his loss is heavy this time. Elias STEWART had just put in about 7 tons of best hay and 30 cords of stove-wood, and that day had taken in over $30 worth of poultry; also loses a 400-pound hog, 140 bushel of potatoes, 10 barrels of apples, 1 barrel of pork, about 100 can of fruit, and a good stock of provisions. They succeeded in saving some of the furniture out of the front of the house. Mr. STEWART had about $1,000 insurance, but would give another thousand to have his property replaced. W. R. SPAULDING's store had a narrow escape. They moved all the furniture out of the upper story, and many of the goods out of the store, some damaged being done with water. The Baptist church, on the other side, is well blistered; but by hard work with pails these buildings were saved. It was very still, the flames and cinders going straight up, and the other buildings were protected by a light snow. It seems the fire fiend is let loose in East Wallingford. There being no hotel in the place now, Dr. CHASE will open his house to accommodate travelers, giving them the best entertainment possible with the conveniences at hand. Another old soldier mustered out--Wm. H. H. WARDWELL, who died at his home here, the 15th instant, of chronic diarrhoea and some bronchial trouble. The remains were interred at Rutland. Mr. WARDWELL was a member of Co. D, 7th Vt., enlisting Dec. 18th, 1861, at the age of 21 years, and being mustered out March 14th, 1866. Transcribed by Ruth Barton -- Ruth Barton [email protected] Dummerston, VT