Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-07-28

4
Yesterday forenoon the factory boarding.
house, the property Of the Edwards M.nuf.c.
turing Co., and located ON Water street th;.
city, short distance above the r.;I,o.a
bridge, was quite badly damaged bv fire.
The alarm was first given about 9. Is O'Clock.
by Messrs viii Kinsman and J. W. Greeley.
VINO saw the smoke bursting from the side of
tne building. In five minutes after the alarm
was rung the steamer Cushnoc was on the
ground, and had two streams playing on the
flames. The Atlantic arrived from the cas-, aid.
soon afterwards and another stream was added
1t proved very difficult FIRE to manage. as
the names worked almost wholly between
the walls and betwixt the CEILING
and floors, thus rendering il /. xe,v h.,d
matter for the 6remen to reach the fame.
But they worked energetically and BY cutting
holes In the roof were enabled to thoroughly
drench the burning walls, and in about an
hour they had the FIRE completely under sub.
lection The building was dry as finder and
had not the fire been discovered early and
the IRE department. been promptly on hand,
it must have been DESTROYED.
The structure is q three-story wooden
building and has been standing quite a num.
Der OF years. Dnring the spring Just past a
section of the house was taken of and re-
moved to Bond street to be constructed irto
tenements. The part remaining and which
suffered yesterday was entirely refitted and
built over, something like $1,000 being ex-
pended on it. The ceiling of one room was
SO badly burned that the lathing and Turing
dropped to the floor. Several other room.
were burned in places, while in manv in
stances the studding and lathing of the walls
we're burned out. The attic was also Quilted.
Much damage resulted from water, as the
building was thoroughly drenched. The loss
on the house is estimated at $500. Insured
with Macomber for $4,000.
The building was filled with large amount
of furniture belonging to Mr.. Geo. F. Rev.
nolds, the proprietor of the boarding house.
besides large number of articles and cloth
ing, the property of the operatives This
was nearly all badly injured by water and
rough handling. Many pieces of furniture
were thrown from the windows, being
smashed and broken thereby. large guam
tity Of provisions owned by Mr.. Reynolds
was in the store-room in the basement. These
were much damaged by water. Two barrels of
sugar were almost entirely ruined Loss on
Mr. Reynolds furniture $1,000; insured for
$1,000. The property of the operatives was
not insured.
The fire originated in front chamber
in the third story. In one corner of this apart
ment stood pail and basket cont aiming rags
and other rubbish. 1t seems that sew
eral men had been smoking in the
room in the morning and it is be-
lieved that they threw some burning
matches either into the pail or basket, which
taking fire, burned hole through the floor,
the flames thus reaching the inside of the
walls. lady in the room below the one
in which the fire caught. scented smoke for
as much as an hour before the fire was dis
covered. She did not find out
that the building was afire
until sparks begun to drop
down onto the floor of the room in
which she was sitting. She then ran out of
the house and got one of the carpenters. of
whom there was quite force at work in the
vicinity, to come in. They proceeded to the
third story and found the upper part of the
building filed with smoke. This was
about the time Messrs. Greeley and Kinsman
gave the alarm.