The Portland daily press., 1894-12-31
Especial to the PRESS. }

Especial to the PRESS.)
Biddeford, Me-, December 30. The
Biddeford City Hall, which for years
has been valued upon the city books At
$50. GOO, was burned to the ground early
this morn ing, and is practically total
loss.
The bare, roofess walls are still stand
ing. except at the post Office corner.
The two banks, the stores and the police
station on the lower floor were little
damaged by fire. but the lower corner.
containing the post Office, is gone, as also
is verything else above the ground floor.
Tho opera house, fol. years regarded as
a fire-trap, is wiped out. 1t was on the
third foor.> The municipal court room.
city clerks Office, and many other pub
lie and private offices on the second
floor, are destroyed, although it is hoped
that the vault in the clerks Office, con-
tanning valuable records. is uniBjured.
The south part OF the building is a
total wreck, and this is where the post
Office was. 1t WIS separated from the
main building by a solid brick wall, but
the fire leaped this by means of the roof,
which was higher than that on the rest
Of the building.
No more peculiar fire was'ever known.
1t was discovered just before l O'Clock
this morning by some late passer- by. 1t
was at first thought the smoke came
from the Hotel Thacher. but it proved TO
come from the hall. The Fl re could not
he located, aud the alarm was rung in be-
fore it was found. Chief Engineer Wat
son finally broke into a water closet on
the second floor, and found small fire
In the floor.
This was easily put out, and the fire
men cleaning up preparatory to going
some rubbish behind parti tion, found
that the fire had burned through the
floor. He ordered stream turned on,
and at that moment the fire, which had
evidently been smoldering under the
floors for some time, suddenly broke
out in the police station. and In McKen-
ney & Heard's store. both underneath.
These are at the front Of the building,
although the closet was at the rear, SO it
will be seen that the fire had spread rap
idly, The six prisoners In the Hcoolern
set UP a fearful howl, and were liberated
with much difficulty only after they
were thoroughly drenched and nearly
sutfocated.
Ry2o O'Clock the fire had worked up to
up in flames. The Saco department WAS
called over, and Portland was telegrsphed
to be ready. Steamer No. from Port
land arrived here at O'Clock, but was
not unIoaded. By O'Clock the whole
end of the building where the stage was,
was Quilted, and at $50 the flames broke
through the root above.
From here the flames travelled along
the caves to the other end of the build
ing, where the belfry containing the
big fire alarm bell was soon wrapped in
flames. At 4.20 the balcony of the hall
fell, and the roof came down IN sections.
At 4. 50, the belfry, bell and all. crashed
down into the SQUARE. The whole top
of the building at this time, except the
front section was gone, but no one ex-
pected the fire would get into the post
Office. But within fifteen minutes, how
ever. that was in flames, the upper stories
fell upon 1t, and the corner wall dropped
ont. The streams from three engines
had no effect.
By 8 O'Clock the fire was out, and all
that was left was the stores and banks
on the ground floor. Streams were played
upon the building all day.
The stores were as follows:
Dr.F G. Warren, druggist, loss $4,000;
insurance $780,.
George W. Donnell, clothier, stock &c.,
600; partial loss; insurance 5000.
hardware, mostly lost; insurance $4,000.
Mrs. W j. Conlan, millinery, loss $4,000;
Insurance $500.
York County Savings Bank, $1,000 in
surance on furniture.
Edwin Stone, lawyer, lost everything,
including valuable records and papers;
no insurance.
bourne, lost library of law books in
Mr. Stoues. .Ofic0
The public library over DR.. Warrens',
total loss, estimated at $4,000.
The mayors office is entirely gone
Mayor Hamilton's personal loss is small.
The banks the First National and the
York County Savings probab bly, lose
The post Office belonged to the city,
which will have to stand the loss on
boxes and fixtures. The government
owned very few of the fixtures. About
1000 two cent and other stamps in the
safe are supposed to be all right. Hardly
handful of mail was saved.
A remarkable fact is that for hours,
while the building was burning, there
was hardly q soul in the streets except
At 4 O'Clock, when the building was
doomed, the Pepperell bell was rung, and
people began to gather.
The fire is thought to have originated
from cigar STUD careiessly leIG-ln tne
water closet.
Mayor Hamilton and City Clerk Pills
bury were hoth in Boston today. and
tbare have been various stories about the
irsprnnce. 1t has been $40. 900, but the
story was that on account of rise in
rates ali but $9500 was dropped. The
PRESS reporter, however, is informed
that from $40. 900 to S25, 600 was carried.
The loss is great blow to Biddeford.
whose debt cannot be raised much
CHER. The city building was complete
for ali wants, and also brought in
good revenue. A movement will be
made for a government post office; Or.
1t is the best located building in the
city.