The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-03-02
McDONALD'S FURNITURE
FACTORY BURNED.
Mr.. Rich, the Undertaken, Also Suf-
fers 8 Considerable Loss.
HOW THE BATTLE WAS WAGED
WITH WIND AND FLAME.
As We Go to Press the Blaze is Under Con-
trol--How the Fire Caught.

As We Go to Press the Blaze is Under Con-
tro1--How the Fire Caught.
At about half past two this morning
while the wind was blowing heavy
gale, there was sudden glare of light
in one of the small wooden buildings on
the west side of Exchange street be-
tween the Jose building and Federal
street. An alarm was promptly pulled
from the nearest box, and the firemen,
who turned out lively, expecting hard
job, found the building in which was
Wallace S restaurant, blazing like torch.
This building adjoins the undertaking
rooms of Andrew J. Rich & Son, and in
the narrow space between the two the
flames could be seen eating through the
walls into Mr.. Rich's establishment. 1t
did not take them long to get there.
But here the fire was easily stopped
and did little damage. Mr.. Rich, how
ever, suffers a heavy loss by smoke and
water, his premises being thoroughly
wet down and filed with smoke. Mr..
Rich estimates his stock as being worth
$4,000. on which there is an insurance OF
$500 with w. D. Little & Co. This will
not cover the loss. The building is also
insured for $500, the policy being placed
by Rollins g. Adams, and here the insur-
ance will more than meet the damage.
The building in which the fire origin
ated was one of two owned by Charles u.
/ Mcdonnell, whose business is manufac-
| turing furniture under the style of T, II.
Mcdonnell & Co. In the lower story
was the restaurant Kept by Mr.. F. Wal
lace and shoe shop run by a man named
Aroonchey. The second story of the
building was occupied by Mr.. Mcdonnell
for storage purposes. The fire as has
been stated originated in the restaurant.
Mr.. Wallace was ON his way to pull the
alarm when it began ringing, having
been turned in by Mr.. Arthur Smith, the
barber. Mr.. Wallace told Police officer
| Warren that he had been called to his
restaurant by some errand and, on open
ING the door, found the place ablaze. He
said he had no insurance.
While it was comparatively easy task
to hold the fire at Mr. Rich's building, it
was found impossible to confine the
flames to the structure in which they
originated, and they soon ate through
the three wooden walls into the next
building. owned and occupied by Mr..
Mcdonnell. Here they found plenty of
inflammable material and, although the
building was deluged with water,
the entire department now having
responded to second alarm, the roof
was soon penetrated and the fire shot up
from it, burning fiercely.
The firemen made their hardest fight
in the passage way running in from Fed
eral street at the rear of the buildings.
The northeast wind was driving the
flames in this direction, and, it they
should get into the mass OF
wooden structures surrounding
the passage way, stopping
them would prove harder job than that
already tackled by the department.
From Browns stable which adjoins the
, alleyway, the horses and carriages were
easily removed in safety and the tenants
in the vicinity prepared to move out into
the cold world.
Mr., Mcdonnell was found standing in
the thick smoke in the rear of the blaz-
ING buildings. He was taking matters
coolly for man whose property was
rapidly disappearing. And the fire is
, severe blow to Mr.. Mcdonnell II
! comes at season Of the year when
he is preparing for the spring
trade and when his stock is very heavy
t in the two buildings, Mr.. Mcdonald said
as nearly as he could estimate it, he
9 had s25, COO or $4,000 worth of goods.
On this he did not think the insurance
would aggregate much over $4,000. This
was in the agencies of J. E. Dow, Prem
+ tiss Loring and VIM. Allen, Jr. Tht
I, buildings which being mere wooder
$ shells, probably would not exceed s10o'
: in value, were not insured.
e Mr.. Wallace, the restaurant keeper
: told PRESS reporter how the fire wa
:, discovered as he has previously told it K
0 Policeman Warren. He said that he wa.
4 in his place as late as 1880 and at tha
: : hour everything seemed to be all right
r There was no fire in the range. Th,
kitchen was lighted by electricity ant
! the front room by two lamps whicl
E were extinguished when MI. Wallace lef
: When the fire broke out, Mr.. Wallace
was on his way to the building to &c