The Portland daily press., 1893-07-05
THE WALDO BURNED.
The Popular Summer Hotel Goes
Up in Smoke.

The Guests Barely Escape With Their
Lives-One Lady Meets With a Heavy
Loss-Guests Accommodated in Cot
tases Near By-Loss $40 900; Insurance
$4,000,
The ''Waldo" on Little Chebeague
Island was destroyed by fire at an early
hour yesterday morning. AS the night
was very foggy people on the neighbor-
ing islands, who saw tie illumination,
must have supposed that parties on Lit
tie Chebeague were celebration the
Fourth of July, but never dreamed that
the hotel was in flames.
1t seems that the evening previous a.
party of ladies and gentlemen went from
the city to enjoy lawn party. In honor
OF the occasion there was quite display
of fireworks and it is thought that sparks
from rocket may have lodged in the
dry cutters of the roof over the fourth
story in the rear of the main house. At
any rate, shortly after a. M, fire
was discovered in the tank room, so
called, in the fourth story and the in
mates had to flee for their lives.
A reporter for the PRESS in converse
ton with Mr.. Taussig, merchant of
Brooklyn, N. Y, who was guest of the
house, was told his experience. Mr..
Taussig said his family occupied rooms
in the fourth story near the tank room.
His room was No. SO. His mother and sis
ter and other members of the family
were located near him. Miss Taussing
experienced an attack of illness dur
ing the night (about2 o'clock which
awakened her from sleep. She smelled
smoke and jumping from bed looked out
of the door. To her terror she saw
flames only short distance from her.
Running into the corridor she pounded
on her brothers door and awakened him,
then flew along the corridor awaken
ing people in 1.-THE other rooms. Mr..
Taussig sprang into the corridor and
saw what he at first thought was steam,
but was Immediately satisfied was
smoke, with fire blazing forth behind it.
He got his mother and sister safely
down the stairs, and when they were out
of the house attempted TO return to the
rooms and save property. But it was
then too late to reach the story in which
their rooms were located. Ali that Mr..
Taussig saved was pair of trousers and
his shirt, while the ladies had no time to
dress. He said his mother had between
two and three thousand dollars in Jewell
ry and his sister an expensive wardrobe
containing some ten or dozen cos
tunes. When Mr.. Taussig and family
came to the city yesterday morning he and
they had to fit themselves out with new
clothes. Mr.. Taussig says he especially
regretted the loss of his watch, an ele-
CANT $500 affair which was presented him
by his Masonic lodge. The family are
stopping at the Preble.
The occupants of rooms on the lower
floors found escape much easier as they
had good deal more time than those on
the floors above. A Portland lady said
she was aroused by the people in the
connecting room who told her the house
was on fire. She dressed herself and
went down stairs and for some time af-
ter she went out men were entering the
rooms and taking out furniture and
trunks. One lady found herself and
companions wandering about the front
of the burning edifce in scanty apparel.
the damp fog and wet grass proving any
thing but agreeable. They were only
too glad to escape with their lives. A
good deal of furniture and property
were saved.
The cottagers of whom several had
moved to the islands opened their doors
and did all they could to entertain the
unfortunates. There were about thirty
guests in the house and with the SER
wants, there may have been fifty people
in the hotel. Luckily no one was in
jured. In about an hour, perhaps less
time from the discovery Of the fire, the
house had burned fat.
The waldo was originally a house
under another name that had been on the
island some time. This old hotel was
about Sc 80 feet in size with an attic
About twelve years ago company was
formed, the island bought, and big four
story addition, with tower, erected, SIX
80 feet in size. The property was sold,
short time ago to Mr.. Sea, the
present proprietor. The Waldo was
valued at $4,000, and there was $12, 800
insurance-$9,50O on the building and
$4,000 on the furniture, placed by Rollins
d Adams, as follows:
Liverpool, London & Globe. 80 600
insurance Co. of North America ZOO
hoyal. :.'...-.-... 1900
Iennsy iyannia.. ............. 1900
aI nPciIdI ......s......4.... 1900
Gioi,isan, 1900
Soiil.HgIciaI Onlon. .................. 1880
oco1elsh Ahteflcdh. ...........-....... 1900
CITY OF DEERiNG.