Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-10-14
i he Bangor Fire.

The Wing gives further particulars of the
fire Friday night, than those furnished by
telegraph -
In Swartz's building, where the fire orgi-
mated, there were twenty barrels of turpen-
tine and over hundred barrels of different
kinds of oils in the cellar, and in brief time
the front of the block was obscured by the
! dark pitchy smoke arising from their confia-
| grafton. The firemen stood their ground no.
bly,, however, and Policemen Frank Pratt
aud Quinby gailantly rushed into the store,
after ascertaining the location of the powder,
and grouping amid the stirling smoke, reach
ed under the counter and took out large
copper tank, containing three kegs and a can
of gunpowder. This they ran out with and
conveyed to place of safety amid the cheers
of the crowd.
Finding that it was impossible to save
Schwartz's block, the freInen turned their at
tention to saving the ABIDING blocks. T1e
fire caught in several places, but was extin-
guished. In the store of Fogg 4 Bridges a
lot of doors and blinds were stored, aud they
| took fire like fash, defying the utmost en-
deavors of the department TO stay them A
lare number of men ard boys volunteered to
| assist in saving the stock of this firm from
| the store on the lower floor, and succeeded
| in removing good portion. As they were
buslly engaged, the upper. part of the side
wall of Schwartz's fell, and mass of brick
| and morter struck down DR.. Melvin Preble.
| He was taken out and it was found that his
| leg was badly crushed. Charles Batchelder
was thrown down by the falling wall. He
| was taken out as soon as possible, but both
hands were terribly burned by the hot bricks,
and his face and head cut badly. His back,
upon which heavy mass OF rubbish fell, was
badly hurt, and it is feared his spine is njur-
Il 4 4 a
severe cut under one eye and with several
others, was badly bruised.
Mr.. Charles Davis and Mr.. VIM. H..
Bracket were working together. The former
saw the wall totter, and shouting to the 9th
ers. sprang To one side and escaped injury.
| After the dust and smoke had cleared away
he missed Bracket and made inquiries for
him, but no one had seen him. A number OF
volunteers AT once set to work to oyerhau
the debris to ascertain if he was beneath. Th'
/ intense heat compelled them to suspend oper
| atoms for a time, but about O'Clock a. NJ.
! search was resumed and resulted in the find
my of the body of the unfortunate man, face
Down, doubled up on the hands and knees
! with his toIhead resting on pile of boards
His thigh was broken, and the entire bacl
part OF his scuil crushed 10, and must have
died instantaneous. Mr.. Bracket was abou
10 years OF age, ana was well known ant
widely respected in the community. He has
for years been engaged in the maciiinst bust
ness. lie leaves wife and two children
Several firmen were quite badly injured.
Meanwhile the fire still ragged, and abou
halfp II the root OF Schwartz block fell
with tremendous crash, carrying with i
the floors beneath. Fragments OF the real
aud side walls were continually dropping off
enolangeriug the lives of the tircmen, but they
were not easily frightened, and clinging II
ladders and swarning through the adjoining
buildings, kept heavy streams OF water con
stantls playing upon the blazing pile.
| Fogg & Bridges store was soon completelN
Quilted, and the rear wall fell in, taking tn
floors in its descent. w. E.Mann's drug store
the next south OF Fogg 6 Bridges, was burne
on the roof and in the upper stories.
large portion of his stock on the lower hoc
was removed, but was badly damaged.