The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-05-21

The Flames Had Leaped to the Islands in
the River and Were Destroying Great
Piles of Lumber-A Change of Wind
Means the Citys Destruction-HeIp
from Neighboring Cities Had Not Ar
rived at 2 o'clock.
OswEGo, N. Y, May 21.-A great fire
is raging here along the water front.
sweeping through the line of elevators.
1t started in the big Washington mills.
A brisk breeze is blowing. At 1 o'clock
this morning[Saturdaylit looks as though
the lumber district is doomed. The fire
has backed up and destroyed the Corn
Exchange and Continental elevators on
the south, and the Merchants elevators
on the north are burned. Oswego's ele-
vator interests are pretty we'll wiped out.
Only one elevator is left on the east side.
That is the Marine, owned by Thomson
Kingsford.
The flames leaped to the islands in. the
centre of the stream, piled full of iun-
Der, and the lumber is burning fierceiy.
The loss thus far is fully $500,0O0 There
is no telling where the fire will stop. Sy-
racuse firemen are on the way here by
special train. A number of fireMen fight
ing the fire on top of the Continental
elevator were suddenly cut off by the
flames and had narrow escape from
death. They were rescued by means of
ropes. Six elevators have been de-
stroyed. The heat is fearful and the fire.
men, although working heroically, can
60 n0thjnO fp ctoY, tho Aarr,oc
Another Elevator Doomed.
LATER-The firemen have just aban-
doned Kingsford's sbig Marine elevator,
which is full of corn. The great coal
trestles of the New York, Ontario and
Western railroad and the Delaware and
Hudson Canal Company are next in line.
A dozen fires are burning on the west
side Of the river with no streams playing
on them. People are anxiously looking
for the expected help from Syracuse.
The wind is increasing from the south
and it looks as though the lumber dis
trict on both sides of the river is
doomed. Should the wind shift, nothing
could save the business of the town.
No estimate of the total loss can be made
now. Great sheets of flames leap far out
into the river from the burning elevators.
All property on the line of the fire ON the
west side is in imminent danger. No
casualties are reported. a despatch
just received, makes it probable that
no help will arrive for an hour.
The firemen are now devoting them
selves to saving the northwestern eleva-
tor, owned by Gaylord, Downing & Co.
This is the largest elevator and the only
one left. 1t is on the other side of the
river from the others and is enveloped in
great clouds of sparks and smoke.
The Fire Spreading at 200 A. M.
200 a. m.--The fire in the lumber dis
trict on the west side is now worse. Only
one steamer is working The Syracuse
and Fulton departments are on the way.
The big trestles of the New York, Onta-
rio & Western railroad are full of loco
motives, which are wetting them down.
By this means the trestles will probably
be saved. The islands in the centre of
the river contain millions of feet of lum-
ber. The streams of the engines will not
reach the islands, and they are being
used to wet down the lumber piled on
the piers at the foot of Front and First
streets. A strong south wind carries
burning embers over the entire western
lumber district rendering the work OF
the firemen extremely difficult