The Portland daily press., 1894-02-14
Especial to the Press.l

Bath February 13.-Ihe scene or last
| nights fire was a dismal one today with
| the heaps of twisted and broken iron
| and charred timbers showing where
twenty -four hours ago stood the neat and
| substantial buildings of the works.
| The firemen deserve credit for their
| good work against such fearful odds.
| The streets were drifted so badly that it
was almost impossible to drag the heavy
steamers to, their positions on the banks
OF the Kennebec. Even the hose wagons
were severe loads for the horses.
The fire was discovered by William
Small, the night watchman, and when
he firstsssaw it, it was small ulaze No.
| machine shop and the joiner shop, the
next building containing the enormous
plate rolls, and the furnace and bending
shop fell before the flames. In the
machine shop were much valuable
machinery and the tools of a large crew
Of workmen. A fifty Thousand dollar set
of windlasses under construction Tor the
Cramps are also among the ruins. Ihey
were nearly completed. Just below the
buildings was the unfinished Slater
yacht Eleanor, which is to be ready Tor
sea next July, while at the wharf lay the
mammoth new steamer City OF LoWeli,
! recently launched by this firm. She was
to the windward of the fire and escaped
damage, though one of the Morse COM
panys tugs lay alongside IN readiness TO
| haul her away at a moments warning.
The fire was confined within the limits
mentioned after two hours work by the
| department, though the windows OF the
forge shop were all broken. All the
buildings were of wood covered with
iron. The office building, which was OF
wood and decorated with fancy
shingling, was very slightly scorched.
The clerks got ready TO move, DuJ IL was
not necessary.
Gen. HYDE was absent in New York
while the fire fiend was playing havoc
with his property. His son, 4. W. Hyde,
treasurer of the company, said Our
loss is between 100000 and S175, GOO,
which is covered by insurance, and you
can state right here that not one dollar
Will be laid out for repairs in this city.
We are going to move right out. The
entire blame rests with the city of Bath
and the city government. We had a
petition in before that other fire to allow
the use of Androscoggln water Tor hre
purposes. This fire started in the joiner
! shop where there was small blaze once
before, that was put out by the auto
matte sprinklers. There was not even
snrink kler pressure tonight. I think the
Slater yacht is all right, although all
the stagipgs are burned. The plates
may possibly be warped little"
MIR. Hyde said the yacht would be
taken apart and finished after the firm
had found another place of abode. 1t
will he remem bered that he was the only
memher of tine common council who
voted with Ernest f Kelley, to allow the
Apdroscoggin fire connection to be made.
The citizens express fears that the
Androscoggin water will be turned into
the pipes now in spite of all they can 90
to prevent it. 1t is difficult to see where
the advocates of the connection base
their ground for saying, g told you So"
as the connection could not possibly
have been made in such short space of
time.
Assistant Superintendent John S.
Hyde, this afternoon, said in reply to a
question that the number of men thrown
out of employ ment by the fire would be
about two hundred. This includes
carpenters, joiners, blacksmlths, painters
and the shipyard crew. We can take
| care of the machinists." said he, as we
run day and night crews in shop No. /.
The finish for the Eleanor and the
handsome mouldings and pilasters for
| the City of LowelFs saloon were in the
! ioiner shop and added to the general
ruin. Some of the finish for the venti-
lators and skylights of the Lowell were
of stucco work. This, of course. we do
not make, but purchase it, and it had
not arrived. But, nevertheless, work
will be set back on the vessel consider
| ably The hull of the Eleanor received
no damage except a smashed bulwark
| caused by falling derrick"
Mr.. Hyde said the loss was well covered
by the insurance. Il don't place it at a
cent less than S175, ,0o0," said he. The
insurance is placed through a Boston
broker, though part of it is with z. >.
Pettengill of this city. It is all in
"blanket policies.n
The workmen who were thrown out OF
employment received their pay as usual
this afternoon, it being the regular pay
day.
The Iron Works suffered damage from
fire last summer, the interior OF the office
being scorched to the extent of over
$1,000, the fire starting in the telephone
| box. The blaze is severe blow to the
business interests of the city, as lt is
feared the firm may decide to accept that
mucA talked of offer from the New Lon
don parties. Gen. Hyde returns from
New York tonight.
Previous to the first fire the insurance
rate upon all property specifically rated