The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-04-01
THE FIRE INQUEST
The Proceedings Before the sheriffs
Jury.
The Fire Originated from Causes
Unknown.

The sheritf's inquest on the origin OF the
fire in W. H. Sanborn & Co.'S furniture
store on Free street, began yesterday morn
ing in the jury room at City Building The
Jury were Stephen Marsh, A. S. Mitchell and
Nahum Littlefeld. The examination was
conducted by Assistant County Attorney
Libby.
G. w. Cushing, fireman, testified that he
arrived at the fire seven or eight minutes at
fer the alarm. He assisted in getting a
stream into the cellar and another stream
through the adjoining building to the roof.
When he got to the spot he went to the rear
of the building. The fire was in the eleya-
tor. He saw no fire in any other place until
some time afterward. After the fire was out
he went through the building. On the lower
floor there was not much fire except in the
elevator and small place at the leftEnear
the entrance to the store. There was no
stove in the cellar. There was sort of
boiler near the elevator and a condemned
furnace near the centre of the cellar. He
did not notice whether there was any fire in
the heating apparatus. When going to the
roof henoticed window open in the upper
story next to the elevator. He judged that
the elevator matches were closed during the
fire, the two upper ones at least. He saw
Mr. Sanborn after he got there. Mr.. San
born came to him saying there were some
papers on the desk at the rear OF the store
which he wanted and asked him to get them.
Thomas Paine fireman, said he got to the
fire three or four minutes after the alarm.
He went to the rear of the building. The
fire was coming out of the windows near the
elevator. 1t was under considerable head
way He did not notice whether the win
dows were open. He went into NJ nj. PeIx
kins s. Co.'s store and helped carry trunk
of powder up the street. He went through
the building after the fire. He noticed a hole
apparently intended for stove pipe, In the
cellar wall communicating with the Perkins
store. He thought the fire must have gone
through thatinto the Perkins store. He saw
fire near this hole in the Sanborn cellar. He
saw no fire except on the back of the build
W. a. Murch, salesman for w. Fl. San
born & c., said he had been with the firm
since they opened the store on Free street, a
year ago last September. He gave descrlp-
tion of the cellar of the store. Near the hole
into the Perkins store was a lot of excelsior
The furnace in the centre of the cellar was
not used. The heating apparatus was near
the elevator and was hot water arrange
ment- He left the store at 9.15 o'clock Sat
urday evening. He had charge of closing
the store and supposes he was the last per-
son to leave it on Saturday night Previous
to going he went into the cellar at the re-
quest of Mr.. Crockett who took care OF the
fires He took the cover off the hot water
furnace as requested by the fireman, to re-
aG Pen a55' ae nj t this ococE
The doors and windows in the cellar were
closed. He did not put coal on the, fire be
cause the stove or furnace was full. The
fire was burning briskly. There were no
barrels near the stove. He didn't notice
whether the windows in the front OF the eel
lar were closed He did not carry light
into the cellar, The gas was burning and he
turned itout He then went up stairs and
store Saturday and left about six O'Clock
He did not return. There were double win
dows on the back on the first floor. He lock-
ed the door and closed the shades in the
doors and windows. He got to the fire at
about five o'clock. No smoking was allowed
in the building. Two boxes of waste were
brought from the upholstery and paint rooms
Saturday and placed in the rear of the base
ment to be carried. off. They were quite
distance from the furnace, at the foot of the
elevator shaft. They are there now, not
having been entirely burned.
Samuel Hodgdon, member OF the ire de-
partment, testified as follows: He said he
arrived at the scene of the fire about four
minutes after the alarm struck. Started to
go around to the back side of the building
and was called back to help get the key out
of the box. His attention was then called to
the front of the building, and he helped take
the hose in there. Saw fire there, he should
say about ten or twelve feet from the front
window. Should say it was the draperles
which were on fire. What he saw first was
pile that looked to him as though it had been
thrown down there 1t was in behind some
furniture which was moved out into the
gangway so that he had to move it IN order
to get the hose in. He supposed this fire
around and made a sort ofsa circle of it. The
curtains leading across the store were not on
fire when he first got in there. The draper
les which were on fire were those on the wall
and pile four or five feet from the wall
There seemed to him to be two fires on that
floor and one on the upper floor After they
extinguished the fire at this point she went to
the rear. As near as he could judge he
should say that the distance between the two
fires in the main store was thirty or forty
feet, perhaps more he don't know how long
the store is
George Ell. Robinson, member of the fire
department, testified as follows: He arrived
at the fire shortly after the alarm sounded,
before any water was put on the building
Entered the front of the store with Hodgdon
and Fogg Found pile of draperies on fire
ten or twelve feet from the front door, be-
hind some furniture. There was fire on the
eaSterly wall. whether the draperleS nad
burnt off or not he did not know. At any
rate, it had fallen in a pile close to the wall
This he should say, was.about twenty-five
feet from the nearest point of the fire in the
rear
Howard A. Fogg, fireman, larriyed at the
fire five minutes after the alarm. He went
to the front part of the store and went in
with the pipe. BE noticed fire on the left
ten feet from the entrance. He crawled in
on his hands and knees. He. brought up
against bureau which had to be showed to
one side. The stuff on fire looked like rags.
After the fire he looked at it but there was
nothing but quantity of charred material
Maine Savings bank, heard boys shouting
and ran out of the bank. He pulled the
alarm and then went back to the bank.
George G. Barrows, fireman, got to the fire
about five minutes after the alarm. He went
to the rear of the store. His testimony was
substantially like that of the other witnesses.
M. c. Marston, fireman, was at the rear of