The Portland daily press., 1866-06-18

FRE.-About half past seven o'clock Satur-
day eveningfir was discovered in the manu-
featuring shop OF Mr.. Walter Corey's extern
sive furniture establishment, in Fox's Court,
in the rear of Exchange street. The building
is of brick, four stories high, exclusive of the
basement The fire originated in the second
story, near the elevator The worlmen had
all retired from the establishment when the
fire was discovered, but steam was immedi-
ately let into the rooms which kept the fire
subdued until the arrival OF the engines.
The. fire crept up through the elevator to
the upper stories, which were filed with cords
of dry chair stuff. 1t was impossible to get at
it with the engine hose without going over
buildings, and, accordingly such disposition
was made so tina. the streams could be poured
directly into the upper stories from the, tops of
the adjoining buildings. 1t was a hard fight,
but the firemen eventually conquered; though
not until they had been at work more than
three hours was it subdued.
The building was owned by John Neal, Esq,
and was insured for $1,000, in the Etna office,
Hartford, at the Agency Of Messrs. Foye, Cof-
fin &. &.Swan. The insurance will fully cover
the damage. .-H
Mr.. Corey had three policies in the same
Office, upon his property in that building. One
for $1,000 on the engine, which will cover all
the loss sustained on it; another for $4,000 on
the tools and machinery, which will cover that
loss. The third policy was for $4,000, on the
f,rpt,,ra ayd cffoly u,I,;cb x,y;JI yarlIu o-,xar
the loss in that department, as there was
large quantity of furniture in process of COM
pletion--a portion of it intended for the Glen
House-in the building, which was either de-
,stroyed or badly injured. se4 e.
''l 1t was one of the hardest fires to fight that
we have seen in this city. 1t was impossible
to get at it, and the building on fire was sur
rounded with a cluster of wooden buildings,
which, if even one of them had caught fire,
would have caused immense destruction. But
our fremen worked with will. They were
prompt at the alarm, and in a few moments
the Falmouth had stream of. water upon the
fire, and the other steamers quickly followed.
Fortunately the adjoining building to the one
on fire had been bricked up on that side, and
the gallant and persistent efforts Of the de-
partnent prevented the flames from touching
the other buildings. The firemen deserve great
credit for their efforts on the occasion.
THE value of steam fire engines was never
before so apparent. Without them the whole
of the south side of Exchange street, from
Middle to Fore street, would have gone. The
volume of water they poured upon the build
ing on fire and those adjoining it was immense.
Four reservoirs were sucked dry, and the steam
ers were shifted To- others. Hand engines
could have done nothing towards preventing
the fire from spreading, for the power could
not be brought upon them to have thrown the
water the distance required.
So great faith had Mr.. Corey in our Fire De-
partment that not one article of furniture or
anything else, was removed from his sales
warehouse, which was in close proximity with
the manufacturing establishment. Neitherwas
anything removed from the other various
buildings connected with the establishment