The Portland daily press., 1891-09-16
A LIVELY BLAZE IN A TAN YARD.
currylne Department of the casco
RAINING Company Destroyed.
me Loss Looks Large but Cannot Be
Stated In Figures.
charred Timbers Where Mr.. w. p.
coss's Cottage Stood YESTERDAY.

The glare from the fire which people who
were aroused from their first slumbers by
Tue alarm at 11.15 last night saw against the
SKY in the direction Of Deering Park, came
from the yard of the Casco Tanning Com
pany, adjoining the Oaks aud fronting on
Green street. At IL o'clock the watchmap,
Mr.. John T. Griffen, had gone through the
long, two-storied wooden structure, In which
was situated the currying department. He
noticed nothing wrong and continued on his
rounds. he had reached the gate at Green
street. when he looked back and saw smoke
creeping from beneath the caves of the
building he had left only few minutes be-
fore. He ran to the spot but he could net
Keep pace with the rapidly spreading flames,
which leaped out to meet him and drive him
away from their prey. The Waterman then
ran to the nearest fire alarm box, and the en-
giDes were soon In place and pouring water
onto the blazing buildings. Mr.. Griffen
could give no explanation of the probable
origin Of the blaze. The flames leaped high
In the air. lighting up the neighborhood, and
having 1t their own way for a time, but the
fire was soon under control and in about an
hour had been driven back In among the
ruins of the buildings it had destroyed.
These we're two 10 all, 100 feet in length and
over 80 feet in breadth. They were located
some distance from the street In the rear of
a brick building. in which the last touches
are put upon the products of the tannery.
Between the brick building and the build
ings of the currying department is a shed
with metal roof, and 1t was here that the
flames were arrested.
While it did not take long to deaden the
flames. the fire linked among the timbers a
long time, and it was well towards daylight
when the "all-out" was sounded.
In the lower floor of the burned buildings,
were the big watts, filed with hides and the
liquor in which they are treated. Above was
the currying department. 10 which was
stored large quantit, of hides at that stage
| OF manufacture technically known as sin
stuff" These hides, judging from last
| nights appearances. were ruined. Mr.. G.
M. Tobie. the treasurer of the company,
could not say how many had been stored
there, but would be pleased If it was found
that the quantity was of value less than
$4,000. How much loss there would be to
the hides and liquor In the vats, Mr. Tobie
could not say. Against this loss, as near as
could be told last night. there is an insur-
ance of $4,000 In the form of a blanket poll
cy placed with Boston concern and, In ad-
dition, portion Of perhaps $4,000
What this would amount to could not be told
until the policies had been examined, as the
amounts were divided among the different
departments Of the business. The company
insures through the agency of Rollins &
Adams. The loss was confined to the curry
ing department, the other buildings not be-
ing damaged. The burned buildings were
not expensive structures.
The principal stockholders of the Casco
Tanning Company are Homer Bros. of Bos-
ton, w. II. Roberts, Jr, S. r. Hopkins and
Q. M. Tobie. The concern employs about
eighty men, of whom generally twelve or
fifteen work In the buildings burned last
night. Until an examination could be made,
Mr.. Tobie could not tell what would be the
probable result of the blaze as regards the
loss of time. he thought there would be no
delay in the departments which were not in
| jured.