The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-07-22
Mining Their Way Towards Homes
at Peaks Island.
C0TTAGERS AND FIREMEN MAKE
AN ALL NIGHT FIGHT.

with Fire-Household Goods Piled Up
on the Beach and Among the Rocks
Mrs. ToIrnans Narrow Escape for
Death.
The cottagers of Rock Bound Park
passed through very trying day yester-
day and, in fact. slept but little Thurs
day night. The mysterious underground
fire that is still such puzzle to all con-
cerned, had for the past ten days troub-
led them more or less, but was not re-
garded by others as serious matter.
Events proved that these oottagers were
right!and that others were wrong. All the
week the fires would appear in the most
mysterious and perplexing way. In the
opinion of Judge Tolman of Westbrook,
a fire company" composed of boys.
saved much property this week.
The company was composed of Wheat
on Shugy, captain, George Tolman,
Wakefield Shugy, Eddie and Dave Dud-
dy, and George and Henry Clark. The
youngsters rugged up cart and hauled
water from Judge Tolman's well for
hours at time.
Yesterday morning the fire had plainly
passed beyond the control of the local
fire company and the residents, and the
fire boatMary W. Libby was ordered to
go to Trefethen's landing, and two lines
of hose were passed up the hill. The
Libby was obliged to use great power
to force the water up, and as result
1.-THE pipe broke almost every other
length" as cottager said, and the sup
ply of water was inadequate. In addi-
ton to this very serious defect in the ar
rangements, the distance of the boat
from the fire was too great to make it
possible to lay the pipe in a satisfactory
way.
About this time the danger to all the
cottages was SO great, the fire making so
many mysterious appearances, that Mr..
Ell. W. Shugy of Boston went to IRE
fethens and asked Chief Ball to get
closer to the fire if possible. Chief Ball
then ordered the Libby to Spar Cove
and from that point the lines of hose
were relaid.
Chief Ball proposed if possible to save
at .once the cottages at Rock Bound
Park, and those nearer to the landing.
One line of hose was given in charge of
Capt. A. F. Griffin, who was directed to
cover the cottages of 1. F. Lord, Scott
Sterling, J. G.. Davis, Mr.. Dowles of Chi
cago and others, and the other line in
charge of Capt. M. N. Eldridge was de-
signed to save the cottages at the park.
The change was made none too soon.
Suddenly the flames spread in the direc-
ton of the Chapman House, and at o.
clock even Capt. Eldridge had but small
hope that it could be saved. The cot
tages of Judge Tolman, Mrs. L. M. Cole
of Boston, H. w. F. Young Of Wellesley,
Messrs. Fl. W. Shugy and George p.
Ray of Boston and Robert Gould and
Edward buddy of Portland were also in
the greatest danger, and every man wo-
man and child turned out and helped the
firemen.
Mrs. Tolman had very narrow escape
from a horrible death. Her clothes
caaght fire, but she was saved by Judge
Tolman, who was close by. A moment
more and it would have been too late.
Before the Mary W. Libby reoched the
cove. the cottagers working in an at
mosphere of $50 in the shade, removed all
the things they could to the beach where
sheltered by the rocks they were
measurably safe.
Mr.. and Mrs. Y Dung returned from an
excursion only to find that their house
was to be reached, if at all, through the
very flames. They worked desperately,
set back fires and saved the cottage.
1t was o'clock before Chief Ball was
satisfied that the buildings at Rock Bound
Park were safe. By that time the fire
men who had been working for hours in
the fearfully hot atmosphere, without
the reviving effect of the least motion OF
air were about worn out. The cottagers
opened their houses and served sub
stantial supper to the tired men.
While the successful effort was being
made to save the cottages at the park,
Capt. Griffin was busy on the other line.
1t was seen that if the flames reached one
of the cottages the settlement, at least to
beyond the landing would be swept. The
hand engine of the local company was
stationed close to the cottages on the
ridge, and Capt. Griffin and his men
worked on both sides of the Shore road
and the Tolman road.
At 10 o'clock Chief Ball was asked if
he hoped to put out the fire. He replied
that all he could hope would be to check
| it and keep it where it was.
But that promised to be matter of nc
slight difficulty. The fire being largely
| underground, made its appearance at the
most unthought of places. You looked
into what seemed to be untouched
woods, and suddenly the flames would
work to the surface and flash to the very