The Portland daily press., 1895-12-30
A NASTY FIRE
Breaks Out in the Cellar of Stevens,
Jones Co.


The Falmouth Hotel Endangered-Allen
Co. and Garland g. Co. Smoked as
Well as the Hotel.
Yesterday afternoon, about o'clock.
an alarm was pulled in from box A,
corner Of Middle and Plum streets.
The department. was prompt in answer
ing, and an immense crowd OF people also
gathered
The fire was in the basement of the
Stevens & Jones Co.'S book publishing
house, under the Falmouth hotel. and
the smoke was pouring out, not only the
basement windows, but the upper
windows above the store in the hotel, in
thick, black clouds
Mr.. Jones, of the Stevens. Jones COM
pany, said that he came down to the
store with his father, about g. 80 O'Clock
to read his mail. He got the mail at the
post office and returned with it to the
store, whore he had left his father. They
lighted the gas, and he read his mail and
then he and his father started to leave.
He noticed there was evidently a big fire
in the furnace, but saw no signs OF fire
outside. He did say to his father he
thought he smelt paper burning, but as
some of the clerks smoke cigarettes, and
he has SO often been laughted at for
thinking he smelt paper smoke, when it
was really cigarette smoke, that he
fhOrJnbf ho CT H., o+oE Co
looked up and started down street. Just
as they reached the foot of Exchange
street the alarm sounded and they came
back to find the fire in their own store.
Mr. Burton of the Falmouth hotel,
was at the office desk, which commands
view of the basement of the Stevens,
Jones company store, and its windows,
which look out into little court con-
nected by an alley with Plum street.
Mr.. Burton heard sound like snow
slide off from roof, and rather startled
looked out of the window into the court
He saw blaze burst out of the basement
window of the Stevens, Jones company's
store, and then the smoke poured into the
windows Of the office. He rushed out
and pulled the alarm.
The tiremen had pretty stubborn fire
to fight Coming right after Christmas
there was an immense amount of paper
and rubbish in the cellar, which had
accumulated there, as the firm had not
had chance to remove it. The fire had
also got into the wall and crept up to the
floor above, and the firemen had TO cut
away into the lathing in order to get a
stream on there. After they got to work
it wasn't very long before they had the
fire out, but water and smoke had made
a nasty mess. The store is badly burned
in the basement and part of the first
story in the rear. Tho ceilings are soaked
with water, as is the flooring. The
damage to the stock of the Stevens. Jones
company must be large. MIR. Jones said
he carried about $50, 600 insurance, of
which $40, 600 had been put on at Christ
mas time on account of the extra stock.
He estimated the value of the stock at
about $4,000 He couldn't give the COM
panies and sums because he didn't want
to try to open the safe till today.
Allen & Co.. the clothiers. who occupy
the corner store, next to Stevens, Jones
company, said their loss would be wholly
from smoke. They carry about $40, 900
insurance in the different Portland
agencies, and are doubtless well covered.
Davis & Garland, shoe dealers, next
door, will be injured somewhat by smoke
but are doubtless we'll insured.
The Brown estate own the hotel build
ing and carry over 500, 600 insurance, all
divided up among all the Portland
agencies. Their loss may be $4,000, or it
may be less Mr.. Martin, the landlord,
is well insured, carrying some $40, 900 in
surance. He owns the furniture in the
hotel. and the smoke worked into it in
great shape.
Captain Eldredge was the engineer in
charge of the fire and handled it we'll. Tt
is fortunate the fire did not occur in the
night or it might have created panic
among the hotel guests.
Captain Eldridge, first assistant engl-
neer, was in charge Of the fire depart
ment aud after investigating found that
the fire was caused by an explosion of gas
from the furnace. That caused the noise
that Mr.. Burton heard. The Stevens,
Jones company's insurance was mostly
with the agencies of Dow & Pinkham,
Anderson, Adams & Co., and Warren
Sparrow. Mr.. Sparrow had $4,000 on the
stock, and he has $4,000 on the . uilding.
The Stevens, Jones company's stock must
have suffered terribly for there is no stock
mora sensitive to water and smoke.