The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-07-21
LAST NIGHTS FIRE
A Lively Blaze on Union Wharf A Mum.
Der of Stores and Places of Business
Burned Ouf-TheiOrisin OF the Fire Not
Known-The Loss, Insurance, ETC., etc.

At few minutes past nine o'clock last even
ing an alarm Of fire from box % called the at
tentlon of our citizens to the most disastrous
fire which has visited our city since the great
confagration which devoured the Gait wharf
property and the steamers.
AS the department responded to the alarm in
their usual ready manner. they discovered that
the fire was not where the alarm indicated, in
the vicinity of Market and Commercial street,
but instead was on Union wharf near box q.
1t is not known who struck the alarm, but it
was done none too quick, for those who were
the first to arrive found brisk fire.
The fire was first discovered in the store oc-
cupied by j. Winslow Jones as packing and
store room for canned goods, and is known as
Ne. IL. The fire spread rapidly, and before
the engines arrived, store No. l., occupied by A.
d. Whidden as general merchandise store
and No. 10, used by F. A. Hamln & Son for
storing headings, were on fire. The department.
attempted to put out the flames in No. II at
first, but it was useless, and that as we'll as Nos.
II. 10 and 8, were literally burned to the wharf
The next store, No. s, was burned badly in the
second story, but the first suffered only from
water and smoke. Nos.t4, 5, and were also
damaged in the second story The rest of the
block suffered only from water and smoke.
This block where the fire caught is of wood,
two stories high, about 80 feet wide, and is d.
vided into twelve stores on the first story, while
there are offices in the second story of the
front part. The first four stores from Com
mercial street, Nos. 1, 3 8 and 4, are owned by
A X Shurt1pff in
sured for $4,000. The first in the Peoples
Company of Trenton, N. j.. and the second in
the Commercial Of New York, in the agency
Of Barnes Brothers. The loss to No. 4 was
but slight. No. 5 was owned by r. o. Conant
ct ais, was occupied by Waldron & True, as
was Nos. 6 and Z. Mr.. Conont's insurance is
not known. No. was owned by James De
Wolf Perry of Providence, Il l., who had an
insurance Of 5000 in the agency of Barnes
Brothers Nos. g. Z, 8, 10, II and II are owned
by Judge Fox and are well insured, but in " hat
companies we were unable to ascertain.
Store No. and the Office above was occupied
by Emery & Kurdish in general commission
store. Their stock was slightly injured by
water, and some of it was removed for fear the
whole block would burn. They were insured
for $1,000 in the agency of Andersons & Dow.
Over this store was the office of John d. Lord,
which was uninjured.
Store No. 2 was occupied by Freeman Broth
ers, the oystermen. Their stock would amount
to perhaps $500, and but little of it was in
jured. No insurance.
No. was occupied by John W. Whitmore
as wholesale grocery store. The most of his
goods were removed in a slightly damaged con-
dtion, and he was also without insurance.
Nos. 4, 5, and 7, were occupied by Waldron
and True as grain store. Probably none of
the grain was burned but much of it was heat
was wet. AT one time it looked as though this
store would 60, and large amount of property
was taken out. The books and accounts are all
safe. They had an insurance of $4,000 in the
Royal of Liverpool, with Rollins, Loring &,
Adams, and $4,000 in good companies with
Barnes Brothers. The loss is fully covered by
insurance. Above the store are the offices of
the Cumberland Bone Company and of Isaac
Emery, commission merchant. These offices
were but little injured with water.
Store No. was occupied by d. w. True &
heads of molasses which by hard labor were
probably not Injured but little if any. There
was an insurance of $500 on this stock in a
good company in the agency of Dow & Pal.
mer.
Stores Nos. and 10 We're occupied by f. A.
Hamlin & Son for storing hard pine headings.
When the flames reached these stores the heat
was so great that it was almost impossible to
work upon the fire. The loss to this firm must
be large and we did not learn that they had
any insurance.
The next store was occupied by j. Winslow
Jones for storing and packing canned goods
Much of this stock was saved by the crowd
only to be stolen. He is ms ured slightly, it is
said.
The 18th and last store burned was occupied
by A. D. Whidden for general merchandise
This store was broken open and the safe and
quite stock of goods taken out and after
wards stolen, making the loss heavy. There
was an insurance of $1,000 in the agency Of
| Dow & Palmer ON the stock.
The origin of the fire is not known, as in the
confusion last night it was impossible to ascer
| tain just where it first broke out. 1t is very
| certain that it got great Roadway before the
| department was called. A second alarm brought
out the whole department and they worked
| hard and long. AT one time it seemed a!
though nothing could save the buildings OF
Widgery's wharf, as the great sparks from thu
pine Headings were fairly covering the build
ings A force of men with buckets was sta
toned Oh the roofs and continual stream Of
water kept on them. The store just below Mr.
Whidden's also had narrow escape
The schooner Prescott was lying IN the docl
just in the rear of the blocks when the fir
broke out But for the assistance of the Grove
she would have been burned, as she caught fir
in several places, but she was quickly droppe,
down to the lower end of the dock and escap
ed. The fire in the early part of the evenin
1 probably saved a much larger destruction @
property.
| 1t was impossible to arrive at the exact los
| last night, but it cannot fall short of $4,000.