Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-02-17
THE PULP MILL
AT South Gardiner Burned
Early Thursday Morning.
Loss, 5000, GOO; insurance, $780,
000--0yef so Men Idle.


| SorFH GARDINER, Feb. l6,--fSpecialj -
The industrial iife Of this place received
another terrible blow this morning in tn.
loss by fire of the main buildings of fhe
great sulphite mill owned by the Richard.
Paper Co. How the FIRE caught is unknown
bat il was discovered a little past O'Clock
ia the sulphur storage room, just of tlis
aeia room, by George johnson. one Of the
of the workmen.
The FIRE spread with great rapidity. and
though the local steamer company promptly
responded 10 the alarm, and the mill hose
was at once used the, could not get control
OF the flames. A messenger was at once
sent to Gardiner where general alarm was
given.
Chief Engineer Drake ordered out the
steamer Cobbossee, the Alert Hose CO. and
the Continental Hook and Ladder Co.. and
10 remarkably short time all were on the
scene of the fire doing effective work The
main buildings were Il mass of flames and
lighted up for long distance around.
Fortunately it was perfectly calm for had
there been any wind the neighboring houses
and possibly Braistreets mills would have
suffered.
The great building containing the fou,
huge watts known as ''digesters" was soon
totally destroyed, and the long part of the
mill beside the railroad track called the ma
chine room shared! the same fate together
with its contents. The office at the end of
the machine room and the acid room. con-
tanning 10 large watts filled with limestone,
were also entirely consumed. But the large
brick engine and boiler buildings and the
wood room or saw mill which lay between
them and the river were saved with scarce
~ any damage from fire or water.
Between and O'Clock the fire was un-
der control and the fire companies returned
home, though water was played upon the
smoking ruins all day. -Four freight cars
were upon the side track in the mill, but
through the prompt action of Harry Wight
of the accommodation train and Yardmaster
Fogg three were removed. The fourth
one. n. Y. c. K. Il. car, could not be
reached on account of the intense heat and
was destroyed.
Charles Merrill, one of the workmen,
had very narrow escape from horrible
death in the loft over the digesters, where
he was caught by the rapidly spreading
flames, but escaped by jumping through a
window.
To-Day the smoking ruins of the great
mill present sorry appearance, with their
great masses of ashes, fragments of walls,
warped and twisted shafts, grinders and
ruined machinery, and the huge digestors
and tanks standing among the ruins. Large
crowds are visiting the scene of the fire to-
day.
Treasurer Henry Richards estimates the
loss Mt about $500, 900 and says there is an
insurance of $3.50, ,000 on the Who'll. plant,
including the uninjured parts. OF this in
surance S9+ 500 is placed in Gardiner agen-
cies as follows; With Bailey, Si3,250;
with Berry, S4000o; with Maxcy, s2i go
with Neal, $4,000; with White, $1,000,
and with Jordan, $500.
The plant was entirely new within two years
and the plan of manufacture was original
and already highly perfected. The com
pany h.td large amount of work on hand
and day and night crews were kept busy.
About so men were employed at the mill at
the present time and to have them all
thrown out of work now is serious blow
to the place.
Nothing definite can be stated yet con
cerning the rebuilding of the mill. 1t win
depend largely upon the adjustment of the
insurance. A meeting of the directors will
he held at once, probably Friday, 70 discuss
the question of rebuilding.
Among the heaviest owners in the COM
pany are the estate of i. G. Allen and q.
ID. Baker, Augusta; G.. c. Moses, Bath;
Henry Richards, Gardner; G. II. Rich
ards. president of the company, and others
of Boston.