The Portland daily press., 1870-10-31
Destruct,ve Fire.

About z O. clock Saturday evening fire broF Q
out in the large block of wooden stores on Il @
east side of Commercial wharf, owned by Mr..
Fitz Sargent and G. z. Ingraham, and oc-
cuped by Messis Jordan and Blake, ship
stores and groceries; John Conley, same; Hor-
ace NJ. Sargent, eating shop and coDfectioner;
e. G. Willard, fish packir &; Charles P. Ingia-
ham, groceries and ship stores, and Alfred
Haskell, manufacturer Of oil clothing. Tie
first three stores were owned by Mr.. Sargent
and the others by Mr.. Ingraham.
When first discovered the flames we're cUm-
ing out Of the chambers of Mr.. Dresser's oil
clothing establishment, and it was supposed
that the fire originated there; but from inves-
LEGATIONS made on Sunday, it is evident the
FIRE originated around the funnel of the cook
stove 10 the eating establishment Of Mr.. r
gent, and from there it crept up and spread
until it burst out of the chambers above.
The fire department was prompt at the
alarm The tide was out but the hydrants on
Commercial street Supplied all the Sebago
water necessary-in fact the first stream was
played through hose attached to one of the Nv
drants by No. 8, until she could get her hose in
readiness. The progress OF the flames were SO
ana the main efforts Of the fremen were to
prevent the flames from spreading to adjacent
buildings and to saving the shipping in the
DICKS, which could not be moved on account of
the low tide. In this they were very success
full
The block of stores was 125 feet long and three
stories high. 1t was burned down to the first
story and so badly, that it will require to be
rebuilt. Portions of the stocks in the several
stores were saved, but how much is not yet es-
timated. The loss by fire and the damage by
fire and water is very large. The aggregate es-
timated value OF the stocks is from $4,000 to
$4,000, Of which, probably, one-third to one
half was saved in damage state. The build
ings were valued at $4,000.
The docks on ca h side of the wharf were
filled with coasters and fishing vessels. AT
one time it looked as if the wharf would be
stripped of all its buildings and every vessel
DESTROYED. But the only material damage to
the shipping was to the schooner Abdon Keene,
of Bremen, which had her masts and standing
rigging SO badly burned that she will be olig.d
to replace them with new. One or two oiher
vessels were slightly damaged. All of them
cut away their sails and the crews used every
effort to preserve the hulls,
A brick wall stopped the fire as it was
speadn g up the wharf; and gap between the
lower part of the block and the store Of Messrs.
Sampson and Conant enabled the fremen to
check it dowa the wharf The roof OF Messrs
Sampson & C0nant's store caught fire several
times, but the flames were extnguished. The
store was not damaged to the amount OF $50
The assurances on the buildings was $500
ON The portion of the block owned by Mr.. Sar-
gent $1,000 in the Shoe and Leather, Boston,
ami $1,000 10 the Royal of Liverpool, 1T the
agency OF N. f. Deering, Esq. Mr.. Ingrahs m
had $500 on his portion of the building at the
agency of W. D Little & Co. in Hartford o..
fee. Jord an aud Blake had $4,000 on their
stock at the agency of Dow, Coffin and Libby.
We did not learn whether Mr.. Conley had apy
insurance on his stock. Mr.. Horace Sarge Mt
had nothing on his eating establishment Mr..
Willard, whose loss will probably exceed $40,
O09, as be had large stock on hand, was FULLY
insured at the agency of j. w. Munger & Sun
Mr. Haskell had $500 ON his stock of OF
clothing Mr.. Ipgraham had $4,000 on hi
stock at the agency of Messrs. Little & Co. il
Hartford offices, which will cover his loss in al
probability.
The loss Of the buildings may be set down a
$4,000, on which the insurance was $4800.-
The loss on the stocks will probably come u
to S25 600, on Which the insurance was at leas
$2O8O0.
The value of Sebago water was fully estat
lished at this fire; without it there would Eav
been terrible destruction of property, as water
could not be obtained from the docks. 1t
safe to say that all the other buildings on Com
metcial wharf, the shipping in the docks, and
we may add. the stores on Long wharf and tn
lower side Of Commercial street were saved b
having such a plentiful supply of Sabag
water.