The Portland daily press., 1869-11-15
Destructive Fire i'm GOrham.
Burning Of hfnHiey's T0l,ntr5
Loss Nearly $4,000.
Thirty-four WorHmen Temporarily
thrown ont of employment.

Thirty-four Wornmen Temporarily
thrown ont of employment.
The large tannery establishment of Stephen
Huxley & Bros, of Gorham, which so for,u-
nttely escaped total destruction by fire on the
evening of Thursday last. was again discover
ed to be in flames on Saturday evening at abou
the same hour, lat half past eight o'clock) bu
MT with the same fortunate result. The for
mar was partial loss OF thirty or forty dollars
the latter involves as many thousands The
origin OF the fire cannot be satistacto, ily ex-
pi'lned. There is reluctance in coming f,
ths conclusion that it was the cruel work ot
an legendary, but that seems to be the genera
'hef Mr.. Arthur M. Benson, the foreman
carefully examined every room in the building
less than half an hour before the main build
ing was entirely wrapt in flames, and informs
us that there had been no fire in the buildips
during the day, and that the fire underneath
tie boilers in an adjoining building had nearly
gone out The origin of the fire inside the
mum building commencing either in the sec
Dad story or attic, had no connections or ex-
posed points with the only furnace on tb,
premises, aud it could not have originated from
t lat source. Mr. Benson during his examin
alton carefully looked at all the bearings of tn,
machinery where there could be any friction
and found everything right; thus the matter
remains mystery.
The late Stephen Hnkley, the original pro
pretor of this establishments was a man of un-
common energy and thorough business habes,
nd .,,lI ,ll H.
up iron small beginning large and lucra-
tive business. Two years ago, by an unfortu
nate accident, this community was deprived OF
the influence and example of one of its most
upright and public spirited citizens. The bus
mess has recently been conducted by Stephen
Hinkley & Bros. No family in Gorham has so
thoroughly won the hearts of the people by re
peated acts of kindness and generosity in So
clal lite. And in all their business relations
they have been 50 honest, kind and friendly 10
their employees and all others, that it seems
almost impossible that there can be a human
being who could offer any miserable excuse tor
such an act. This aft ction directly visits thir.
ty-four families, the heads of whom are tempo
rarily thrown out of employment and serious
ly affects the business of small community
like Gorham.
The main building, which was entirely con-
sumed. was CT by 80 feet on the ground walls
16 feet high with ratters running I'D 40 feet. TO-
gether with wing 175 by SO feet, containing
12O vats The adjoining buildings, consisting
of an Office curryng shop aud several store
houses, with contents, were miraculously pre-
served, also boiler house and boiler, although
most of them were within a few feet Of the
fire. The citizens had limited opportunity
to remove large quantity of leather and hides,
but the larger quantity in the upper stories OF
the main building was destroyed. The prvae
houses of Mrs. Huxley and seven others 10
the vicinity were in danger, and the furniture
of the same were 10 a lew Instances removed,
bat there was no serious damage.
The fire was seen at great distance, and we
noticed large number Of citizens from Wind
b IN, Westbrook and Buxton, who rendered
timely service. There must have been a crowd
of more than two thousand people present,
and there was something Tor all to do. The
village engine was worked for nearly sixteen
Consecutive hours, on the enormous piles of
bark, ETC., which offered food for the element "a
large quantity of which was destroyed, al
though much was thereby saved. Samuel 3.
Brown. Esq, proprietor of the Gorham House,
who has always deservedly enioved the respect
OF the village for his orderly, and we'll conduct.
ed Hotel, kept free table spread during the
night, where the fireman, and others thank
fuzzy partook OF his hospitality The link
ley families, Arthur M. Brown and others also
furnished refreshments, and everything was
done to lessen seventies of such an occa-
sion. The ftewas still burning on Sabbath al
terpoon but no further damage is apprehend
ed. The loss will be partially covered by an
insurance of $21 800, divided among the follow
Ing agencies in Portland, as follows: At the
agency of Loring and Thurston, $2500 in the
Security OF New York; $250O in the Trades
men of Brooklyn; $500 Pho dix, N. Y; $500
Merchants, Providence; total, $4,000. AT the
agency of Dow, Coffia & Libby, $4,000 in the
Peoples of Worcester, and there was also an
insurance OF $4,000 in the Home Company of
New York, on pile of bark, which was saved
although near the flames. At the agency of
L. s. Twombly, $4,000 in the Imperial Of Lon
don. At the agency of Col Millett, $500 in
the Hartford of 81 artiord. Making grand to-
tai OF $21 800, without including the insurance
in the Home Company of N. Y.
1t is hoped that the large quantity of hides
in the watts are not generally injured, but the
loss in finished leather is large, and the total
loss will exceed the aggregate insurance nearly
ten thousand dollars. The company have al
ready concluded to Immediately raise the walls
of a new building, and their usual energy will
soon meet The requirements ola large business.
They have the best wishes of every citizen in
Gorham.