The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-07-23
BURNING OF THE OLD ORCHARD
HOUSE
Incendiarism Suspected - Gang of
Thieves PIunder fhe Boarders-A Loss
of S5S 600 with no Insurance.

| night proves more destructive than at first re.
ported. The loss on the house and furniture
cannot fall much short of $75 900, to which is
to be added the losses which the guests sus.
tanned in money, iewelry and clothing, which
must aggregate many thousands of dollars.
The Old Orchard House was the largest one at
the Beach-and it is said the largest one in
Maine-and was most favorably located for
summer travel. The house was originally small,
but additions were built year after year till ii
became the most commodious house at the
Beach. The present year considerable addition
| had been made to it, and more furniture pro-
vided, the proprietors laying out some $4,000.
| At the time of the fire there were nearly $50
| guests in the house, large portion wealthy
| gentlemen with their families. with innumera.
trunks packed with valuable wardrobes and
costly jewelry.
The fire was discovered at 10 o'clock, break.
| ing out first from the attic near the cupola
Some of the guests had retired. but a majority
were lingering on the piazzas or strolling on
| the beach or about the walks. The location of
| the flames and the rapidity with which they
spread made it impossible to maze any success
| full effort to subdue them, and the most that
could be done was to save the poI table property
| in the house. Had the guests been cool much
| better success would have attended the effort
| but the ladies and children became frantic
some of the former faintng dead away, and
others rushing hither and thitLer without any
attempt to save what property 1t lay in theiI
power to rescue. A nurse in her fright forgot
baby, but it was luckily saved by gentleman
who was attracted by its screams. Furniture
and trunks were pitched out Of the elevated
| windows. and tie former smashed while the
latter were in many instances broken open and
the contents scattered, making them an easy
prey to thieves, who worked industriousy at
their business while there was opportunity.
| Though large part of the property in the up
per part of the house was got out, yet much of
it was ruined and might as well been burned.
In the lower portion of the house most of the
property was saved and in good condition. All
the horses and carriages were safely got out OF
the stable, but number of seighs were de.
stroyed.
As soon as the fire broke out dispatches were
sent to Saco. Biddeford and this city asking for
engines. Considerable delay resulted in noti-
flying the two former cities as their operators
were abed, but finally the fire companies got
word. but only one, the Saco engine, went to
the scene. arriving about - o'clock. 1t is said
the Biddeford engines stood in the street for a
long time waiting for orders, and there was
considerable feeling at the Beach owing to their
non-arrival. When the Saco engine arrived
the Old Orchard House was virtually destroy
ed, and the only hope was to save the Ocean
House, which was in imminent danger Wa
ter was scarce, but hose was run into the
Ocean House tank and stream thrown on to
the fire but without effect Efforts were then
turned to saving the cottage at the east of the
burning house, and keeping the flames from
the Ocean House. These efforts were successful
though the capboards on bothWere charred and
several employees of the latter had their faces
blistered while warding off the flames with wet
carpets and blankets. At one time the Ocean
House seemed doomed aud the telegraph ope-
rator moved out his instrument and consdera-
bic of the furniture was got out. Had the wind
not been favorable the house must have gone
despite the efforts made TO save it. Fou- hours
from the time the fire broke out the Old Or
chard House was mass of smoulderng ashes,
with nothing standing but small stable in the
rear and fragments of the chimneys.
The origin of the fire is altogether matter
of conjecture. At one time itswas said that a
child had upset burning kerosene lamp; 9TH
ers thought that some of the guests had been
up in the cupola star-gazing and dropped a
spark from cigar; the prevailing belief was
that the fire was the work of incendiaries. The
attic where it caught was unoccupied, and there
is 30 evidence that any of the guests had been
up in the cupola. The proprietors believe the
fire was set purposely. If this was the fact the
motive could have been only desire for plum
der. A hotel filled with guests, large part of
them women, furnishes an excellent opportun-
ity, and in this case after the fire broke out the
opportunity was not left unimproved. Thieves
gathered sooner than gnests and in several in
stances broke into rooms and rifled trunks.
Many silk dresses were stolen and much jewell
ry. One gentleman only compelled one of the
scoundrels to deliver his property at the point
of pistol. Whether the thieves were an Or
gained band or simply plunderlng on their
own individual responsibility is purely matter
of conjecture. The fact that there were but
few police officers at the scene emboldened them
as it prevented any being arrested. City
Marsha Sands of Saco, was at the Beach yes
terday looking after the missing property. He
has men securing the woods, hunting for con-
ceaed plumber and endeavoring to arrest sus.
pected parties. 1t was said last night that
barber at the Beach, implicated in the ROBBIE
ries, had been arrested.
There is no way of estimating the individual
losses Of the guests Of the house. Watches,
bracelets and other jewery are said to have
been scattered about in profusion. One family
lost fifteen silk dresses. A New York family
is said to have lost $4,000 worth of jswelry. A
lady says she had $500 in bills burned up Some
watches were found yesterday and were seeking
owners. City Marshal Sands also recovered
several silk dresses which lad been carried off
lsthrough mistake. The Ocean House lost a
large washing" which had been hung out to
dry. Much of the property supposed to be lost
probably was scattered in the confusion and will
eventually be recovered. Some of the boarders
| who were away from the house when the fire
broke out saved little but the clothes they had
on, the rest of their effects being stolen or lost
| The guests of the burned house sought shell
| ter at the various beach houses. Many were
accommodated at the Ocean, and Sea Side, and
| in fact all the houses Hospitality opened their
doors. While many of them will continue to
| remain at the beach during the season large
number took the early trains yesterday morn
| ing for home.
The future intentions Of the proprietors of
house, the Messrs. Staples, are not definitely
| settled. They now talk of taking the Bay
View House, about two miles up the beach
| and rebuilding in the fall on site more remote
| from the Ocean House. Their loss cannot fall
much short of $4,000 and their seasons work is
greatly injured if not ruined Owing to the
high rates charged by the insurance companies
| 81 per cent.-they had effected not one dol
| lars worth of insurance on their property, and
| their loss is total one. 1t is very fortunate
| the fire broke out as early as it did Two hours
later most of the guests would have been asleep
| and probably the confagraton would have
| been attended with loss of life.
| by Telegraph
OLD ORCHARD BEACH, July 22.-The loss BY
the burning of the Old Orchard House is great
than was at first supposed. Mr. Staples esti
mates his loss at from $4,000 to $4,000. The
| total losses aggregate about 100000. The
| hoo pr;uata 1occ 10 that Daul prooJ,, n,