The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-10-23
WAS BlDDEPORD'S PRIDE.
The High School Building Which
Burned Yesterday.
1T REPRESENTED AN OUTLAY OF
ABOUT $4,000.

| up through a Vent1lat1ng ShafG TO the
Roof-It Left Only the Walls Standing
| Sub-Master Burnham Hemmed in by the
Flames-He Left by Ladder without
His Coat.
Biddeford, Oct 22.-To-dap proved
sad Sunday for Biddeford, fol the elegant
$50, 1000 High school building was burned
out this noon and the loss, outside of
$4,000 insurance, will be almost total.
The heavy brick walls are left stand
ing apparently in good shape. but only
an examination can tell whether they are
seriously damaged. The fire was fierce
and the walls will probably be found in
bad shape. The roof, attic and second
floor are gone, the first floor is burned
out and ruined, while the basement
where the fire caught, suffered the least.
The loss comes upon the tax payers OF
school districts No. 4, the city district.
The building was completed in 1888 at
cost, including the lot, of about $53, ,OOO
1t was paid for in three years. The lot
cost $4,000, including the filling. TO
add to the loss on the building is the des-
truction of completely equipped labora-
tory worth 81, 1000 or more, and of fine
library worth $1,000 or $4,000. Various
repairs and changes have been made on
the building, and it is said that the total
expense to the city has been nearly $7O,-
900. Besides all this comes the loss of
all the text books, which were owned by
the city, and also so rifles for the cadet
company, owned by the state. A consid-
cradle lot of books and personal property
owned by the teachers was also lost.
The fire was discovered at 11.50 by
people outside the building, and the fire
department responded quickly to the
alarm, Sub Master Harry H. Burnham
was in the dark room in the building at
the time but knew nothing of any fire
until he heard the cry. Even then he
did not know that the school building
was on fire. He rushed from the room
to ascertain where the fire was and was
nearly suffocated by the smoke in the
hall, the room being on the second floor.
He had great difficulty in escaping from
| the building, reaching the ground by
/ ladder. He lost his coat and overcoat,
(which he did not stop to put on. He was
] the only person then in the building, as
Janitor Cole had left half an hour pre- Il
vious.
BY the time the department arrived
| flames were pouring out from the venti-
lator on the roof and the fire was under
good headway in the attic. The roof
being of slate and the upper floors SO full
of smoke, the firemen had great trouble
| in getting at the flames. The building
was on high ground and the hydrant
streams had little head. There was some
delay in getting steamer stream on and
the second steamer was not broughtup un-
| til about 1890, when an alarm calling the
Saco department was also rung in. Long
before this the building had been DOOM
ed and the upper part of it was then in
ruins. The flames spread with great
rapidity, and it is doubtful if dozen fire
departments could have saved the build
ing after 12 o'clock.
The fire caught in the basement,
probably from the furnace, and went to
| The attic by the ventilator shaft. Sub
| Master Burnham had smelled smoke, but
| had thought it came from dirt being
| burned by the janitor, as was the custom.
| The building was heated by steam, and
although supposed to be practically fire
proof, was as dry throughout as tinder.
Hard coal had always been used, but a
/ change had recently been made to soft
coal and some trouble had been experi-
enced with gas coming from it. By IL. IS
all that was left of the building was the
| walls and the lower floor, the heavy root
| and tower having fallen in.
| The High school building had been the
pride of Biddeford ever since its compile,
| tion. Money had been lavished upon it
| with generous hand and it was finished
| in splendid style. 1t was the one public
| building of which Biddeford could boast,
and the loss comes hard. Citizens felt
sad as they watched the building meet
| it's doom and school girls cried as the
flames licked it up. 1t was the only
| school building in the city proper upon
which any insurance was carried.
Temporary quarters will have to be
provided for the school. The use of the
| Irish Catholic parochial school building,
which has been completed, but was not
to be occupied for a year, has been offered
to the city. 1t is probable that this
| building will be used. 1t is suitable for
| the purpose but needs to be furnished.
| The school will be opened tomorrow
morning in the old High school building,
| which is now used for an evening school,
MtCpcr IN r0prv vrnpc