The Portland daily press., 1892-04-22
FIRE ON DIAMOND ISLAND.
Two Fine Summer Cottages De-
stroyed.
MANY MORE WERE THREATENED
BY THE FLAMES.

| Mr.. Hamilton of Cbebeague Saw the
Flames and With a Crew Went to the
Rescue-The Mary w. Libby Also
Went With Hose and Firemen-some
Sharp Work Saves Much Loss.
There was a disastrous fire on the
northwestern side of Great Diamond ISL
and yesterday afternoon, which resulted
in general alarm and the destruction of
two valuable cottages belonging one to
Mr.. E. L. Cooling and the other to Mr.. A.
r. Doten.
The fires was the legitimate result of
the phenomenal dryness of vegetation at
the time. The grass on the isl
and was like finder. Several Portland
gentlemen were down to the island yes
terday to look after their cottages, among
them Mr.. Cooling, Mrs. ssGoding and their
two children going with him. 1t has
been the custom for several years to burn
the old grass about the cottages in the
spring in order to promote the growth of
the new sward. Several gentlemen tried
this yesterday, but the spread of the lit
tie fires was so alarming that they
quickly beat them out. A small fire got
Roadway in the grass by Mr.. Goding's
cottage during the afternoon; and he had
very severe time putting it out. His
eyebrows were scorched and he was
nearly exhausted before he got it under
control When he came away in the lat
ter part of the afternoon he thought the
fire was all out.
And SO itseemed. But about 6 o'clock
there began to be ominous signs
about the Cooling cottage. Or
dinarily at that hour this
portion of the island is deserted; but it
happened that Mr.. A. A. Hamilton of
Great Chebeagues was at work on the
roof Of the restaurant on this part of the
island, with crew of seven men. They
were working later than usual, and
providentially so; for just as they were
about.to leave, they saw smoke pouring
from the chimney of the Cooling cottage,
and bright light bursting from its in
terror.
Mr. Hamilton comprehended the dan
ger at once. In that part of the island
there were at least nine cottages
4 Valued at $4,000
which would be menaced by a fire:
Three belonging to Mr.. E. L. Cooling, the
Doten cottage, Mr.. Geo. Moody's, Mr.. II.
w. Bryant's, Mr.. Ira Berry's, Mrs.
Blanchard's, Mr.. Geo. Fl. Libbys and
Mr.. Geo. Fl. Poor's. Fire once started
in the dry grass would sweep all these
away, and there was no telling what else
it might not do. So he fastened at full
speed with his men,
They were not quick enough to save
the Cooling cottage, or Mr.. A. R. Doten's,
which was only about 40 feet away. But
they were in time to fight the fire in the
grass and watch the other cottages.
This was no small job with the sparks
flying high and far. Suddenly light
was seen on the roof of Mr.. II. W.
Bryant's cottage, full third of mile
from the burning cottages. One of Mr..
Hamilton's men ran to it, and climbing
onto the roof, ran up it in his bare feet.
and put out the blaze. An eighth of a
mile beyond the Bryant cottage is Mrs.
Blanchard s. The roof of this caught,
and was put out likewise. Mr.. Ira Ber-
RVS cottage lies between the Bryant and
Blanchard cottages but was untouched.
The wind was blowing from the south
east, and driving the flames in the grass
in line third of a mile long. 1t was
Magnificent Spectacle
in the gathering darkness, and was
watched wonderingly by hundreds in the
city and along the shores in the direc-
tions both of Cape Elizabeth and Fall
mouth Foreside. The flames of the two
cottages seemed the citadel, with the
high-fames from the grass stretching as
flankers on either side.
When the flames were seen in the city
there was considerable excitement.
Chief Norton began at once to load $500
feet of hose for transportation to the
Iu0i w. LlUOy, WulCd vas SoCCluS Ou
water preparatory to dash to the res
cue. Meanwhile an alarm of fire was
pulled in from box 43, and this did not
tend to allay excitement. With the Mary
W. Libby went First Assistant Engineer
Blake to take charge of the expe-
dition, and a detachment of the
fire department. Mr.. G.. W. T. Cooling
went to look after the steamer, and sew
eral anxious cottage owners went also,
among them Messrs. J. "A. King, F. L.
Lawrence, DR.. Talbot, F. H. Morse and
Richard Flanagan.
When the Libby arrived Mr.. Hamilton's
crew had got the fire under control, but
the steamer ran out her hose and did ex-
cellent service in wetting down the ruins
and thus preventing further springing up
of the flames. The rain also began to
fall later.
Mr.. Cooling stated last evening that his
loss on his cottage was $4,000, with insur-
ance for $1,000 in the agency of W. D.
T itfla Mr. Dota,,' loco, rp,,c+ bax,a ham