Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-08-08
FIRE IN GARDINER.
THE MILLS q THs LOWER Dam
!Ig FIFTY HOUSES
CONSUMED.
Loss a Rising 100000.
Over Three Hundred Work
men Thrown Out Of
Employment.
A Severe Blow TO the Bust
ness Interests OF
Gardiner.
Two Lives Reported lost.
Two Lives Reported lost
GARDINER. Aug. 8.

GARDINER. Aug. 8.
The most extensive conhagration that ever
visited Gardner began in this city little
before seven this evening in Moore ( Browns
planning mill on Bridge street, near Water
| street. A cluster of manufactures are To-
| Gated on the CLOVER dam" on Cobbossee
stream at this point. The wind blew the
flames away from the main business street
into the saw mills and foundries. Owing to
the protracted drought and the intiammabe
nature of the buildings this part of the city
was perfect finder box, and in few min
utes the ran of factories along Bridge street
were in flames. The grist mill bridge, so
called, across the stream also caught fire and
was destroyed. II was found that the local
fire department was inadequate to cope with
the flames, and help was called from the ad
journing towns. Hallowell and Augusta sent
steamers, and hand engines from Pittston and
Sonth Gardiner were brought into requisition.
A high wind now set in and drove the fire
with great fury down Bridge street eating up
the tier of tenement houses in its path like
the melting snow under the tropical heat of
midsummer. The fire made clean sweep
of the east side of Bridge street and then
leaped across the thoroughfare into High,
Middle and Spring streets, which run at right
angles up the hill. These three streets were
covered with residences, mostly wood, and
were occupied BY the laboring class.
The steamers experienced great
difficulty in getting water. and could
make no stand against the advancing
flames. The fire ran up High street to the
Methodist church, which was saved after a
gallan, fight, then swept UP to the northward
laying low dwellings along Middle and Spring
streets. The streets were full of men, women
and children, hurrying teams and shouting FIRE
men. The flames advanced with great rapid
ity, leapiug from house to house. Many
families save only the clothing in which they
escaped from burning homes. Houses were
torn down to stop the progress the fire. which
was got under control about 1890, after ex-
tending half way up Spring street.
About twenty acres were burned over, and
all the manufactures on the ''loSer dam
swept away, and some forty dwelling houses
destroyed. The entire loss will be over
s20o. 900. while the insurance will not reach
half that figure. As soon a. the ruins are
coal rebuilding will be commenced.
Large crowd. of people fiocked to the city
to witness the grand spectacle, and numbers
of .'looters" piled their nefarious trade.
While the blow to the business interests Of
the town will be very severe, yet the chief
re yret is the suffering which must necessarily
eusue to those burned out. Between 800 and
400 men will be thrown out of employment;
for an indefinite period. It. is reported that
an old lady named Clough were
burned to death and that man
vas killed by falling into . hole. These
reports cannot be verified in the present con-
diiion of things. The great FIRE of 1857
started in almost the same locality where
this originated.
The chief sufferers are as follows: Moore
& Brown, planning mill. $500; Seabury &
Towle, planning mill. $500; James Nash,
furniture factory, 5000; wadsvorth Bros,