The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-12-04
Fire nj Lewiston and Loss Of Life.

Our Lewiston correspondent writes to us
that fire broke out Friday morning about
half past one o'clock, on Lisbon street, in the
two story frame building owned by Mr.. T. d
Wright, and occupied by I. M. Varney, as a
stationer, in the first story, and by NJ. d. Chap
lin & Co., attorneys at law, in the second story.
The building and nearly all the contents were
entirely destroyed. Mr.. Varney's stock was
valued at $4,000, on which there is an insur-
ance of $4,000 at Portland offices. There was
no insurance on the building. The fire then
spread to one story building occupied by R.
S. Ambrose, as dry goods store, and although
the building was totally destroyed, most of the
goods were saved in damaged condition In
surance unknown. G. S.Newell's boot and
shoe store was considerably damaged. Fully
insured. The brick block owned and occu-
pied by j. Y. Scruton, was slightly damaged.
No insurance.
The saddest part of the calamity was the
burning to death of Mr.. M. D. Chaplin, an at
torney at law who occupied an office over Mr..
Varney's store, where he usually slept, taking
his meals at hotel. While the fire was in
progress some of the bystanders spoke of Mr..
in the building; indeed it was positively said
that he had been seen and was SAFE But in
the morning it was ascertained that he had not
appeared at the hotel; and the sequel of the
sad story we take from the Journal account Of
the fire:
Soon after, (about 8 o'clock) while the fire.
men were engaged in extinguishing the fire,
among the smouldering embers, they discover
ed near the centre of the ruins of Mr.. Varney'
store the charred remains of human being
One arm was gone, most of both legs, the top
of the skull and the abdomen were burned off
Nothing but the outlines of the face remained.
The size of the body and the fact that Mr.. Chap.
lin was missing, left no doubt that the remains
were his.
The remains were carefully gathered up by
DIR. Fillebrown and other gentlemen and taken
to the residence of A. P. Chaplin, brother of
the deceased, on Hampshire street, Auburn
The discovery of the remains caused the deep
est feeling among the large crowd present
most of whom knew Mr. Chaplin and enter.
tanned for him the deepest respect. A more
solemn scene was never witnessed.
Mr.. Chaplin was native of Bridgton, where
he has mother and friends living. He re-
ceived liberal education, graduated at Bow
dom about 1860, and studied law subsequently
in Portland. After being admitted to the bar
"couo AcooJ hO opChCo q law anu luSuIduCo VI
flee in Auburn, and something over yeal
since removed his Office to Lewist on where he
had growing business, having ad ded to his
previous business that of a real estate agent
His modest demeanor, unquestioned integrity
decided ability and fervent piety early won the
confidence and friendship of those who knew
him. He was member of the Freewill Bap-
fist Church in Auburn and President of the
Lewiston Young Mems Christian Association
He was about 80 years of age, unmarried, but
engaged to daughter of VIM. d. Little, ESQ.,,
of this city.
The fire is supposed TO have taken from the
chimney, which was in the middle of the build
ing, and it is thought that Mr.. Chaplin was
suffocated by the smoke which filled the office,
and was dead when the persons who discov-
cred the fire first entered the building. The
sad calamity has filled both towns with ploo-,