The Portland daily press., 1893-12-13

flames in the windows of the Storer block
just before the bells began to sound.
The alarm rang in at almost precisely
6.20 o'clock. The chemical engine, in
its house near by on Market street, and
fitted with runners, was well situated to
respond speedily. This it did, getting
to the block about two minutes after the
alarm came in.
Hose 5, also situated near by followed
the chemical closely, and then came En-
CINE 5. Ma higonne l, from its Congress
street house, also got good start, but
lost it in measure through mistake in
the engine room indicator, as was stated
last night. This indicator showed box
Al, instead of A, and led by the hose
wagon, the heavy engine turned down
Preble street hill. At best. it was diff
cult hauling the heavy engines over the
snow, and considerable. time was con-
suned in getting the heavy engine up
the hill again.
Meanwhile the chemical had arrived at
the scene, and Rowe and O'Rourke had
started up towards the third floor with
the hose. The fire, we'll under way on
the. third floor in the front corner next
Pearl street. met them at the stairway
leading up from the second floor. For
an instant, but only an instant, the chem
ical stream checked the roaring flames.
Then it swirled down the stairway, driv-
ing the chemical men out headlong. The
men of Hose 5 were already on the
ground and had hydrant stream on,
which did some execution. An instant
later Engine dashed up, and took sta
ton at the junction of Pearl and Middle
streets, few feet only from the burning
block. Here the gallant old machine
maintained it's place throughout the
whole fire, even when it seemed likely to
be crushed by the falling walls. Machi-
come came up next, and took it's place
on Middle street, opposite the post Office.
By this time great volumes of flame were
bursting from the windows of the third
and fourth stories, making magnificent
DuG dldrm ming spectacle.
The serious nature of the fire being
evident, second alarm was rung in on
the heels of the first. The whole de-
partment was soon on the scene. Engine
Two, from Munjoy Hill, coming up on
the east side, took post on Middle street
and did excellent service throughout. To
the same place the spare engine, the old
Cumberland Three was brought up fro m
Five's house, and did good service. On
the rear side of the fire Engine -Four
came up and took station at the juncture
of Silver and Milk streets. Further west
Cumberland Three took station at the
foot of Exchange street and attacked
the blaze through 800 feet of hose.
The rapidity of the blaze brought to
naught the calculations Of the firemen.
A ladder was at first put up to the third
story of the Pearl street side; but even
while the firemen were going up with
the hose the top end of the ladder was
all ablaze. The Hayes truck raised lad
der on Middle street, and from the top
of it stream was played into the fourth
and third stories as long as the position
was tenable.
This was not long. The flames spread
with alarming rapidity. By quarter of
7 o'clock the Hayes truck was forced to
move. On the Pearl street side the pipe
men had been obliged several times to
take their streams off the fire to play
upon the hot side of Storer block, which
was smoking and steaming and seemed
at times to have caught. =
By 7 o'clock the Donnell block was "a
roaring furnace, sending up huge col
umn of fame and sparks a hundred feet
or more, and raining down flaming
brands on Silver street. Commercial
street and even on decks of vessels in the
harbor. Both near to and at a distance
the spectacles was remarkably fine, and
called out thousands in all parts of the
city.
At 7.15 o'clock large portion Of the
rear wall fell, and then the falling of
of floors and portions of wall became
quite frequent. The pipemen were
obliged to take their hose back for safety
and there were several
Narrow Escapes.
This was especially true on the rear,
where the battle was fought by the boys
of steamers Four and Three. The
offices of the Atkinson company, in
themselves tall wooden block, and con-
nected with the brick block, had to be
saved, as also Dunphy's wooden block,
which adjoins. There were also several
wooden buildings on Vine street. Tt was
on one of these buildings, No. 20, that
a very narrow escape occurred Number
% is small story and a half wooden
dwelling on the east side of Vine street.
right under the walls of the huge block.
The house was occupied by Mr.. CIV. f.
Brandt, his wife and son. Early in the
fire Mrs. Brandt was sent away, but the
husband and son remained to watch the
house. They were there, standing in the
door OF the house when the southeast
corner of the block fell. IT seemed for