The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-10-22
THAT FAMOUS HOSTELRY
DESTROYED LAST NIGHT.
Thrilling Escape Of the Frightened
Inmates.
1T WAS THE OLDEST SUMMER HO-
TEL HERE

The Fire Started in the Engine Room just
Before Midnight, and Spread Rapidly
Little Was Saved, and the Inmates Had
Narrow Escapes--The Loss Will Be
$15,0OO-scenes at the Fire.
Cape Cottage was burned last night.
Loss, $4,000; insurance, $500, with
Dow & Pinkham. The, furniture was
valued at $1,000, with an insurance OF
$1,000.
At midnight, when all about the ho-
tel Wore asleep they were awakened by
the startling shout, "The Cottage is on
firel" The alarm was given by Mr..
Watts. who, with Mr.. Mcdonald, saw the
flames and hastened to the hotel.
1t was close call for the hotel in
mates. They had but scant time in
which to get out of the house with such
clothing as they could hastily gather.
Very few of them saved anything.
AS AoAASo op pAO9AI VI Abut 6udl ulluS Idpl0-
ity. From the time the fire was discov-
cred in the engine room to the moment
when the attempt to remove the furni-
ture from the ell of the building was
given up, was only few minutes. The
house was dry as tinder, and there was
absolutely nothing that those who gath
cred could do except to watch the work
of destruction, and after few moments
that had to be done at a respectable
| distance, for the heat was terrific and
not TO be endured.
For time it seemed to be probable
that the stables and outbuildings would
go also, and the danger was not confined
to the hotel property for the paint on the
cottages near by blistered," and moth
ing saved them but good luck and the
night being without. a breath of wind.
Had there been wind enough to have
carried the brands to the Goddard man
sion that would have gone with the
rest
The Cottage with i is sixty finely ap-
pointed and furnished rooms, was in a
short time thing of the past. The great
mass fell in. the walls giving way, when
the roof went down. In half an hour af-
ter the cry of Fire!" startled the in
mates, the work Of destruction was
| complete. At one O'Clock, only the stone
| wall OF one end, and that cracked and
part OF one side. Ten miutes later the
remaining portion of the building went
down, great shower of sparks going uu
when the end came. 1t was we'll that it
| was quickly over, for the heat generate d
| wind OF it's own, and the boards from
the sides of the building were forced of
as if by the action of a tempest.
SCENE AT THE RUINS.
The scene about the ruins at z
O'Clock, when the PRESS representative
left for the city, was striking While
the main fire was over, the danger was
not wholly past, for tiny lines of smoke
could be seen far out beyond the fire
limits, suggestive of the necessity of a
vigilance that after all might amount to
little, Tor the lack of water was some
thing very serious, and there was OF
| course no one in authority AS matter
of fact, it was the,opinion of the report
| ers and other Portland people. who were
| there, that had the fire occurred here.
and been given even a slight start, the
| burning of the building could not have
| been prevented.
lIyt Oc uJa q dol 1rr IL
quate town fire department, it afforded
| one old. farmer very good object les.
son. 'There," he said, what good
could fire department. do us? We don't
want the villages. What we want is
some better rates for farm insurance.
There were several interesting groups
| scattered along the private way to the
main road. Several carriages had been
| drawn out there for safety, and in one
| little girl watched with half shut eyes
| the burning of her late home.
Mrs. Savage. the housekeeper, sat in
| another carriage, watching the ire. 81
| wish Mr.. Sawyer was at home,n she
| said dolefully. but he isn't here; he is
at Greenville, at Moosehead Lake,
"How was the Cottage furnished?n
was asked, and she replied, "The So OF
| 60 rooms were all well furnished.
Mr.. Goddard was seen, and said that ii
was special qualification to him that
the old Goddard mansion was saved
aY ou see how helpless we are" he said.
| Those about the place thought that
Mr.. Goddard owned. th Cottage, but hi
said that it passed out of his hands
about year ago, George S. Hunt coming
| into proprietorship at that lime. Mr..