The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-01-10

1t was great day for Lewiston-the day
of the burning of her City Hall. 1t was
great day. too. for the local reporter 1t fur
nished an extensive field for the exercise
of his talent at word painting And
he rose to the occasion and fully improved
his opportunities.
"One-two -three-four. - One--two- three
lour-hve-six-sevenv Changed the big bell in
the tower.
This was the auricular demonstration of
fire. The ocular demonstration came few
minutes later, when the reporter tells us
"that monstrous black obelisk [meaning the
smoked had terrible significance" At
this sight people stood and held their
breaths." A few moments later a distin-
guished citizen appears to have got smoke in
his eyes, for he stopped holding his breath
and remarked that that makes the tears
start" In confirmation of the truth of this
assertion the reporter AYERS that the dstin-
guished citizens eyes were ''moistened."
Possibly the moisture which the reporter
detected was spattered from hydrant. The
hard-hearted flames. however, kept right on,
Just as II there were no moistened eyes, for
few seconds later the reporterl notes that
they were rioting far above the highest
point that the freman's streams could touch"
Then the populace appears to have 60. mad
wit&fhe fire department, as people are very
apt TO do, and charged them with not doing
anything. though in the reporters opinion
they were doing all that men could do
Amid all this sadness and confusion the re-
porter seems to have retained his self-p0s-
session, for he tells us that he went up Pine
street ITO look at the picture of fury from
distance" He reports that from that dis
lance the spectacle was greatly mellowed
and its picturesaueness increased" While
he was meditating, suddenly there re-
sounded on the evening air:
- "Clang-Ciangw
Ass the department had previously been
ordered out this renewed striking naturally
puzzled the populace. But all Of sudden,
the reporter informs us, 1t burst upon them
what it meant. "Ihe bell was tolling Its
own knell" In plain English 1t meant
that the fire bad burned off the wires and the
bell was striking on its own account The
next exciting incident was the fall of the
spire, which is thus described:
"See! the spire!"
The tall spire wavered little and then made
graceful plu ge ri hit into the midst of the seeth-
Ing abyss, with one dull sad stroke of the bell
Its movement was full of y lth0s. IL sank down
so gently aud with SO little ado that it seemed
like an old man who had fought the good fight
and was resgnedly bidding farewell with the
world
Many sigh was heard as this orce elegant
sptre fell. It's crash was the climax Of the fires
cruelty.
A caviller might suggest that good old gen.
tlemen after fighting the good fight are not
supposed to fall into fiery furnace, but 1t
must be remembered that this was period
of great excitement and mental strain.
1t is doubtful If the steeple episode was the
climax of the fires cruelty. That seems to
have come a few moments later when
Through the red fire shot up fire still red.
der, blazed high In air like bursting meteor,
then sank down again."
That's the rum!" said the crowd. The FIRE
had reached the liquor agenc, and the ba rels of
spirits were exploding. The entire stock Of the
agency eyaporared In flaming gases In less than
hve minutes.
After this the militia's rifles stored 10 the
building went "Crack, crack, crack l-crack.
crack, crack" chimney tumbled down,
and the crowd gradually thinned out.