The Portland daily press., 1894-05-17
HASTINGS is SAFE
But Lumber Camps in the Vicinity Were
Burned Ont.

Especial to the Press.]
Island Pond, May 16.-Hastings escaped
unframed, but a number of large and
thoroughly equipped lumber camps few
miles beyond Hastings, were burned, and
the fire mentioned in special to the
PRESS this morning, has given a large
number of fire fighters all they could do to-
day to master it, but the last advices indi-
cate that it is under reasonable degree of
control. That is, it is still burning but it has
not made much progress since noon, and
there is belief on the part of those who
are in charge of the work, that the more
valuable woods beyond the present line of
fire will escape. A large gang of me n
worked all last night. 1t was at first hoped
after the safety of Hastings was assured,
that the other large lumber camps might be
saved, but they went one after the other.
The fire despite all the efforts of the fire
fighters reached the ''yarded lumber" and
burned over 400, 90 feet. This is of course a
very serious loss at this time. The burning
of the camps was another bad feature, as
they were well supplied with everything
necessary for numbering operations. Beside
the cut lumber destroyed, there was great
damage done to standing timber, and the
indirect loss will be very large. The fire is
believed to have been started by tramps, but
some of the fraternity who passed through
here today insisted that no tramp ever
walked from Gilead to Hastings. At II
o'clock this evening last telegram was re-
ceived from Hastings, and at that time it
seemed probable that the fire would be kept
within present limits. A watch will be kept
through the night. and fresh gang of
men will be ready to relieve the fire fighters
in the morning.
Fires Near Biddeford.
| Biddeford, May 16-Three extensive forest
fires raging in this section of York
county. The first blaze was started by
sparks from a locomotive at Days siding,
| four miles from this city. 1t has spread over
500 acres and is still burning. The loss is
estimated at $4,000.
Near the Portland road in Saco, a fire is
raging in the woods, destroying much tim
Der.
| At Wells depot the men are out fighting a
forest fire near the western division of the
Boston s. Maine railroad and it is not yet
| under control.
| Reddington's Danger.
| Phillips, Me-, May 16.-Tuesday afternoon
| the fire blazed up again to the west of the
| Phillips Rangeley railroad, about three
miles from Reddington mills. 1t appeared
| to be approaching the mills with some speed
and some apprehension was entertained.
| The mill folks can rig out 2500 feet of hose,
| and it is thought that with this defense
they can protect the village and at all
| events the valuable mills. The forest comes
| close up to the settlement on the west, and
| if the confagration should not be checked
] before it reaches this tract from it's most
recent uprising, three miles away, it is not
| likely that the twenty-five dwelling houses
| could be saved.
score of miles or SO above Reddington, is
| still raging. driven by the strong wind to-
ward the southeast. At noon Tuesday the
fire had traversed distance of seveoteen
miles, and later reports state that it is
| sweeping down through Coplin and Crocker
| plantation.
| 1t has, up to this time ragged principally in
| the tract that had been cut over and burned
| some years ago. The land was left dry
when the snow went off and is an easy prey
| for the flames.
The CherryfieId Fire Out.
| Cherryield, May 16.-An extensive forest
fire has been raging since Sunday on lands
| owned by G. P. Nichols and the heirs of
| David w. Kimball, Alexander Campbell and
James W. Moore in townships ten and six
teen. A hundred men have been fighting
the fire since Monday morning and it is now
under control. The estimated damage is
Coz