The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-12-29
The Old Park Garden and Several
Dwellings Destroyed.
Loss About s2S, 800 - Insurance
About 1000.

the flames but it didn't seem to have any
force.
In the mean time the department arrived,
and went to work with will. There SEEM
ed however to be decided lack of water
pressure just at the time it was most wanted.
Despite this drawback the iiremen worked
with so much skill and perseverance that
they earned the favorable comments Of
everybody in the vicinity. A number were
stationed on the Chandler house and kept it
well wet down. Others were located on the
buildings in the vicinity and covered them
with streams from the engines. The general
alarm had brought everything in the depart
ment to the spot and it was all put into use.
AT 1890 p. m. the fire looked exceedingly
ugly and anxiety was manifested lest the
southeastern part of the city was doomed.
The flames roared like tremendous furnace,
and the huge tongues of flame shot out from
the school building into the large two story
and half brick house, in its rear, known
as the Cumston house, corner Of Church
street and Newbury, occupied by the fami
lies of Maurice S. Fisher, Mrs. Marquis and
George K. Allen, and the two and a half
story wooden dwelling occupied by William
ii. Willard, and were threatening the Josiah
Burnham story ana half wooden house on
the corner eff Federal and Church street, and
Mrs. Barbour's two story nonse on Newbury
street. Then, on Pearl street, the houses
No. II occupied by Leonidas Mayo and Mrs.
j. G. Larrabee. and No. SO. adjoining, which
backed up to the school building, were get
Ting good smuggling ia the rear.
BY this time about half of the city had as
>embled to see the confagration. Lincoln
Park, in front was sea of heads, and black
with humanity, men, women and children,
being mixed together indiscrim inaiely. A
steam fire engine, was putting and shrieking
at the cerner of Pearl and Congress streets,
another at the corner of Franklin and
Federal streets. and third at the corner of
Market aud Federal, and the others in the
best available places. Pearl street and
Newbury were packed with people, and,
above the great volumes of black smoke, the
roar Of the flames, and the heavy thud of
the engines, great flakes of fire fioated on the
wind down the city and set fire to George
Burnhams house or Federal street and Mrs.
Coles on Newbury. Every vacant spot If
there could be said to be a vacant spot-was
covered with furniture pulled out, not only
of the burning buildings, but of those adj
joining.
By / O'Clock it was evident the firemen had
the conflagration under control, and shortly
after O'Clock pile Of blackened ruins,
where the school building had stood, and
wrecked buildings where were few hours
before the comfortable residences of Messrs.
Burnham and Willard, and the Cumston
house alone remained 10 tell the sad tale.
How the fire originated is mystery Mr..
Crane, the master Of the Latin School, said
that it was vacation last week and therefore
there was no school exercises yesterday.
When the school closed last Friday, he gave
strict orders to the janitor, Mr. Foristal, not
TO have any fire in the building, unless the
weather should come off very cold, when it
would be necessary in order to keep the pipes
from freezing. III. weus- la,to-s the LAildins
Thursday and found everything all right.
Mr.. Harrington, the owner. had put the
heating arrangements in good condition
when the building was leased A lady, who
lives near, said she heard what sounded like
discharge of firearms in the school build
ing just before the fire broke out. A man
said he heard an explosion just before the
fre-not a very loud one-and it was fol-
lowed by puff Of dense black smoke which
was Immediately succeeded by a rush of
flame. 1t is certain that the building was all
ablaze in very few moments.
Concerning the fire Mr.. Foristal, the JAM
tor of the Bijou Rink, said to a PRESS re-
porter: cat about 10 O'Clock in the fore
noon / fixed the fire under the boiler and
built fire in one of the stoves. l left my
lantern Burning as | always do, by the
boiler. When left the building everything
was as it should be, and locked the doors
after me. When l was in Lincoln Park on
my way back saw smoke and perceived the
Rink was on fire. could do no good my
self, but sent two boys to ring the fire alarm
Nobody was ia the building at the time and
do not know how the fire originated"
The losses and insurance, as reported, are
as follows:
Mr.. Crane has 5000 insurance on his prop
erty, which was the value of his
property in the school build
ing, and Is also responsible for the $500
insurance is with Prentiss Loring in the
Springfield.
The Kennard Bros. bought the house &C.
cupie by the Chambers from the Crockett
estate. The damage is mostly from water.
There is $4,000 insurance, $1,000 in the Guar
dian of London, with William Allen, Jr., and
$500 in the Royal with Rollins g. Adams.
Mr.. Jacob Chambers loss is $500. and no in
surance. Mr.. Charles Chandler has $500 with
VIM. Allen, Jr., in the Buffalo German.
The school building. known formerly as
the Bijou Skating Rink and Park Garden
Theatre, was built by the Marwicks few
years ago at a cost of $4,000. 1t was owned
by /. p. Harrington, and was Insured for
about $4,000, of which $1,000 were policies
transferred by Harmon & Mills to William
Allen, Jr.. two Of one thousand dollars each
in the Peoples and the New Hampshire. Mr..
Harrington also had $3.50 on furniture 10
the Liberty of New York, with Rollins &
Adams
The Cumston building was insured for
$500 in the Franklin with Rollins g. Adams.
1t is valued at 5000. Mr.. M. S. Fisher had
$500 insurance on his furniture in the Sc
curity with Morse & Pinkham-it was val
ued at S1500-and Mrs. Marquis and her
daughter had $500 insurance in the same
company on property valued at $1,000. Geo.
e. Allen was insured for $500.
Mr.. Josiah Burnham had $1,000 insurance
in the Franklin with Rollins g. Adams Oh
his furniture, and there was $1,000 in the
Manchester of Providence with the same
agents. The house was worth at least SO, 500
and the value Of nick-nacks and articles of
certu was by no means covered by the insur-
ance.
Mr.. w. III. Wizards house is damaged to
the value of at least $3.50. He has $1,000 each
in the Security and Providence Washington
on the building. and $500 ON the furniture in
the Phoenix of London with w. d. Little &
Co. Mrs. Ditchfeld, mother of Mrs. Willard,
has $500 with w. d. little & Co. on her
furniture.
The house No. II Pearl street, occupied
by Leonadas Mayo and Mrs. J. c. Larrabee
was badly scorched and the ell considerably
burned. Mr. Mayos furniture suffered Sc
verely, so did Mrs. Larrabee's carpets. Rol-
Inns g. Adams have $500 on the building,
with Rollins & Adams in the Franklin, and
Mrs. Larrabee and Mr.. Mayo have $500 each
on their furniture with Joseph Webster.
Mrs. Barbour's house, No. 2l7 Newbury
street was considerably scorched and burned
In the rear. There is an insurance for $500