The Portland daily press., 1890-01-13
A SATURDAY NIGHT FIRE.
Lumber Warehouse at the Head Of
Browns Wharf Burned.

Drown wharf 6ufneus
When people went home Saturday night.
they remarked as they plowed through the
drifts, sit is a bad night for fire." Before
many of them reached home the alarm was
pounding away. Box 81 was pulled at one
minute past o'clock. The apparatus started
out promptly, but owing to the terrible trav-
elling did not make fast time. In three min
utes after the sounding of the first alarm
second came, and right on the heels of that
third. By this time people began to get
the idea that there was a large fire in pro-
gress, and in spite of the furious storm
great crowd turned out.
The fire was found to be in the large wood.
en- building at the head of Browns wharf,
owned by the Brown estate and occupied by
j. M. Haines & Co., M. p. Emery, Deering
Winslow & Co., and S. w. Larrabee &
Son.
The building has been an object of suspi-
clon to fremen for long time, as it has
been stuffed full of lumber for years, and of
late years it has settled out of plumb. As
soon as the chief engineer arrived, positive
orders were given to the men not to enter
the building, but to fight it from the outside
Streams were put on from both ends and the
rear, and the department settled down to
business. The fire took in the rear of S. w.
Larrabee's office, from the chimney, and
worked its way steadily up and over, burn
ing out the two upper stories and cutting the
rest Of the establishment. Water seemed to
have no effect on the fierce flames that ap-
peared at window after window, poured out
OF the chimneys, and burst through tho roof
in the rear. There was no fire in the eastern
end at this time, but smoke thick enough to
walk on was belching out of every crevice.
The Hayes truck was run down on the side,
and the long ladder set up Fireman Hill
man ran up ana set the chair for the pipe
man to sit on. The rope was lowered for
the hose, and all was ready to send 1t up
when word came to haul the truck out of the
way as quick as it could be done The big
horses appeared and were put into the ma
chine. The long ladder came down with a
rush, and away went the truck down the
wharf None too soon, for the whole gable
END came over with a crash right on the spot
where the truck had stood. The other gable
fell at about the same time, dropping in
amongst crowd Of firemen, knocking sever
al of them down, but iniuring only one,
Clarence johnson, Of engine 3. His head
was cut badly. He was taken to the freight
office of the Boston & Maine railroad where
his hurts were attended to by DR.. J.F.
Thompson. He was afterwards taken to his
home on Bracket street.
The roof was burned off by half-past sew
en-, and from that time for twelve weary
hours the men were engaged in the tedious
job of washing down the ruins and extin-
gushing the fire amongst the piles of hard
wood. 1t blazed and beloved, rose and fell,
and hung on until daylight, when the en-
gines were sent home. Hydrant streams
were kept on the ruins all day yesterday,
and hook and ladder men were slowly re-
moving the piles of scorched and burning
timber. 1t was very nearly "a hours Job
in all, and will go on record as the one big
fire that has occurred in this city on Satur-
day.
LOSSES AND INSURANCE.
The building, owned by the Brown estate,
was not insured.
,. w. Larrabee d Son, dealers in fancy
lumber and hard pine, were the heaviest los
srs. Mr.. Henry Larrabee said that he
thought there was stock enough to amount
to $4,000 in the building at the time. In
sured for $4,000 with J. 81. Webster, and
$1,000 with Rollins & Adams.
Mark P. Emery, cooperage stock, lost
about $1,000; insured for $500.
j. NJ. Haines, coal. had only an Office in
the building His loss is about $500; in
sured.
Deering, Winslow & Co., had quantity
OF clapboards in the building. which were
destroyed. They were insured
NOTES.
At the time Hoseman Johnson was injured
there was some lively scattering among the
gsRcIhg Blow On tie Esad but kept at tr Work.
Conspicuous among the men who were OF
Grating the Hayes truck was Foreman George
w. Platt, who, although still on crutches as
the result of an accident last fall, turned out
on the second alarm and did good work.
The fire boat was called out on the third
alarm, and did good work on the back side
of the burning building.
The New England Telephone Company
lost six wires on the through line that passed
directly in front of the building, and several
others that ran down the wharf. Mr.. Haines'
telephone was saved by lineuan of the
company at the outset of the fire. LARA
bees telephone was not saved.
Engine No. 2 got out of fix after doing
good work for three hours, and was with
drawn from service, being replaced by the
relief engine.
The canvas suction hose of engine No.
burst and plowed hole under the pave
ment. The engine kept right on running
though.
The Montreal train on the Grand Trunk,
which went over to the Boston & Maine sta
tion at $50 was caught there and had to stay
until o'clock in the morning.
The hose carriages, except No. 2s, had
been changed to runners during Saturday
afternoon, but when the hose ran short the
relief reels were called for.
The alarm came in just as the firemen
were starting for their suppers. Only three
men were fortunate enough to have had
theirs early. In the small hours of the
morning. some good Samaritan passed coffee
and chocolate around to the men.
When the department first arrived, ladders
were thrown against the walls and prepare
tions made to tackle the fire at close quar-
tiers, but when the chief came it was decided
to try another plan, and the ladders we're
dragged away.
A number of amateur photographers visit
ed the ruins yesterday, and took snap shots
at them.
The horses belonging to the fire apparatus
were placed in the Boston & Maine freight
shed, where they remained all night.
detail of firemen were on duty all last
night with line of hose, prepared to extin-
gutsh the fire if it broke out anew.
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