Flames Destroy Ackert Building in Danby Village

Rutland and Other Places Send Apparatus to Help Fight Raging Fire.
Hotel, Fern Storehouse, Edward Kelly’s Home, Restaurant, Meat Market.
(Special to The Herald.)

DANBY, (Wednesday) May 23.—The Ackert hotel, a frame structure in the center of the village, a fern storehouse, a meat market, restaurant and the home of Eli Kelly were leveled by fire early this morning and for a time it was feared that other nearby homes would catch fire.

The three families that occupied the hotel fled to safety, as did the family of Edward Kelly, but all of them lost nearly all their furniture.

The families driven from their homes were Barney Rosen and his daughter, Betty, Merle Ackert, wife and two children, and Peter I. Ackert, jr., and his wife.

The fire was discovered shortly after 1 o’clock and bucket brigades were quickly formed to carry water from a nearby brook.

The flames, fanned by a stiff wind, raced through the hotel and the volunteers’ work was hopeless.

Emergency calls were sent to all he surrounding communities, and Manchester and Rutland firemen were sent to the scene.

By the time help arrived there was little of the hotel and other structures left.

When the fire was at its height a call for the Rutland fire department was refused because of an order against the sending of apparatus to out of town fires.

Later, when the flames threatened to spread to other buildings, an appeal was made to Mayor Arthur Perkins who lifted the ban and ordered the pumper to speed to Danby’s assistance.

The hotel was owned by P. I. Ackert, sr., but had not been used as such for some time.

The loss is estimated at $30,000.

The Ackert building was more than 100 years old.