The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-02-01
How a Bath Merchant Opened His
Safe While the Fire Ragged.
BANK VAULTS FOUND TO BE IN
FIRST CLASS CONDITION.
A Bunch of Matches in the Vault of an
Old State Bank Came Out All Right
The Inquiry Into the Cause of the
Confiag gration--The Militia COMPANIES
Leave the Ruins-Knights of the Grip
sack Out in Great Force.
Especial to the Press. |


Bath, January 31.-The ruins have
been invaded by the pickaxe brigade in
search of buried safes and their con-
tents. Most of them have been recov-
cred. Captain Charles E. Patten says
that the Lincoln Banks safe was all
right, but the vault was slightly smoked.
The vault Of the Peoples 25-cent saw
ings bank was in good condition. But
the Marine National banks vault was the
most perfect of all. Its contents were
absolutely uninjured. A detail from the
fire department gave good assistance to
the diggers by wetting down the ruins,
in which some fire still smoldered.
The militia were withdrawn last night,
after three days service, and Colonel
Philbrook took his departure this morn
ing. Hotel Phoenix is headquarters for
small army of insurance men, and the
commercial hustlers have already made
their appearance ready to take orders
from the burned out firms when their
losses are adjusted.
The Knights Of Pythias saved their
charter, and the books are in their safe,
which is being sought for amid the mass
of ruins which marks the place where
once stood Granite block. It was in
their lodge room that the grand officers
were entertained on the occasion of the
great Pythian celebration last August.
They are looking around for a Temporal
ry abiding place. ''We shall have to
start with an entire new OUTFIT said C.
w. Longley, who had charge of the rec
ords of the Knights. II lost my desk,
but they took pains to save the old organ
which wasn't worth saving''
Barber Edwin Bonney who, with the
exception of period of six or seven
years, has welded the razor in Sagada-
hook block since 1866, is one of the few
who got out with the most of his stock.
His burned shop was formerly the Long
Reach bank, in the days of state banks,
and the vault was next to the Lincoln
banks. A box of matches in this vault
went through the fire without igniting.
Sheriff Ballou was busy this morning,
SO nothing has yet been done about the
inquest. Some people are inclined to
sneer at the proposed investigation, and
some Of them are loud in their declara-
ton that nothing will come of it. But
it is evident that the men who are at the
head of the movement mean business.
The burned district is entirely within
the fire limit, so-called. and if rebuilt
must be of brick or stone, as wooden
buildings are prohibited. The unsightly
wooden structures west of City Hall
would have gone like tinder had the fire
fiend got them in his clutches Sunday.
There are several such places right in
the heart of the business section, which
will cause trouble yet. They are hud-
died together like herrings in box, and
some day threaten to go up in a volcano
of flame.
There was at least one cool-headed
man during the fire. With the whole
rear end of the mammoth store already
being eaten up by the flames, Mr.. Au-
gustus A. Percy, of the firm of D. I.
Percy & Sons, entered the store and res
cued the firms books from tho safe. He
made the correct combination at the first
trial. The entire stock was wiped out,
but the firm will start anew next week.
Their furniture store will be used for
their new stock of dry goods and carpets,
the furniture being removed to the At
kinson store, which Mr.. F. H. Percy will
occupy. The latter will also have
stock of crockery in the same establish
ment.
1t is understood THAT the break in the
main has been repaired and that the
pumps were started to fill the standpipe
this afternoon. Superintendent Hall is
still confined to the house by illness.
The water pressure was 23O pounds at
7.45 tonight, and slowly gaining The
ruins are still smoking and are guarded
by the police. The roads are blockaded,
and the street railway is considering the
question of suspending traffic for the
rest of the winter.