The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-05-02
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.
Twenty-Four Buildings Burned at
Pressure Isle.
Hotel, Post Office and Every Store but
Two in Ashes.

PREsoUE ISLE, May IA fire broke out here at
3 o'clock this morning. in the Office of johnson g.
Phair. Every store in the town but two were
burned. More than twenty buildings, including the
Pressure Isle hotel, the pest Office, two law offices
and many residences were burned. Large quanti-
ties of goods were saved.
SECOND DESPATCH.
Twenty-four valuable buildings were burned this
morning. The hotel and stables were worth &c.
600. The post Office was entirely destroyed, but
the contents were saved. Twelve very large stocks
of dry goods. groceries and hardware were con-
sumed or largely damaged. The whole loss is not
less than $125, 900; insurance about $4,000.
THIRD DESPATCH.
The fire which destroyed nearly all the business
part of the village originated in the counting room
of johnson & Phair in the large building at the
corner of Main and Fort Fairfield streets, and
which was also occupied by S T. Manson, with
large stock of general merchandise. The office was
soon involved in flames, which quickly reached the
store, giving time for removing only about one-half
the stock. The building is three stories high and
was soon mass of flames. The next building
south, fifteen feet distant occupied by Cook Il
Clark, groceries, and N. Cannon, harness maker,
tant % feet on the east side of Main street, was
next on re 1t was 80 feet in length, three stories
high, will long ell extending back to the stable.
These were all consumed. An opening of some 100
feet in width stopped the fire in this direction.
In the meantime the fire had crossed to the other
side of Main street. On the corner of Main and
Bridge streets was the apothecary store of VIM. H.
Ryan, which was soon enveloped in flames. Ex-
tending south from thu Ryan store the west side
of Main street were the stores of G. K. Nuttal,
grocer, an unoccupied store belonging to Edward
Madigan of Houlton, Amasa Howe, book and sta
tionery; Geo. H. Freeman & Co.. stoves and hard
ware; G. Perry dry goods, boots shoes and cloth
ing; Barton & Co groceries and provisions; T. N.
Irvine, groceries, crockery and glassware; Whit
comb, dry goods and millinery; G. P. Allen law
Office and real estate L, S. Judd, dry goods boots
and shoes; and the post Office, G. M. Luce postmas-
ter, who had also large stock of fancy goods
The second story of many of these buildings was
occupied by lawyers, BARRIERS, shoemakers, physi-
clans and dentists All these buildings wore swept
out in in very short space of time with their con-
tents, which could not be removed.
From the Ryan store the fire extended west on
Bridge street, burning n. Perry Co.'s store with
large stock of dry goods, clothing, boots and
shoes; Goodbue g. Lane, furniture paints and pa
per hangings; f. G. Whitney. barber and groceries,
and Harrison, Robinson and j. Miller, fruits and
confectionery. These buildings were also occupied
in the second stories as residences. The buildings
were nearly all large and valuable and were filed
with an unusually large stock of merchandise. The
total loss cannot be less than $685. 0Oo insurance
about $4,000.
The scenes about the ruined village are pitiful.
Everybody is discouraged. Many are in tears. De-
fore the fire Presque Isle had enjoyed uninterrupt-
ed prosperity, having nearly trebed its population
in the last twenty years. Now, however, nobody
seems to have any hope for Presque Isle This feel
ing of gloom probably will pass away in few days,
and Presque Isle will begin the race over again
with renewed courage. Messrs. johnson g. Phair
very enterprising men, and will not allow this
disaster to check their extensive operations in
starch and lumber.
All of one side of Main street, from Ryan's store
to the post office, and all of Bridge street, from
Main street to Robinson's jewelry store, were de-
stroyed The several mills, little distance away
on the Aroostook river, were saved. The store of
johnson & Phair and the Pressure Isle Hotel were
very large buildings.