Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-09-21

sustained such loss and gone on with
our business. An agent of the Goss Press
Company who visited me this morning,
told me that it would be impossible,
under existing conditions, to get press
suitable for our purposes in readiness for
use inside of 80 days. Six months ago
such loss would have Frustrated US, and
thrown all our employees out of work AT
the time of the fire, fortunately we had
practically two plants.
Have you formed any plans for re-
building?'
1--WE have scarcely had time yet to de-
termine fully what We shall do, in the
way Of new buildings. Some things how
ever, We shall be obliged to Immediately do.
We had not begun to send out our supply
OF winter circulars when the fire came.
We were in fact, just making prepare
lions for this work. Our crew is some
what smaller, therefore, than 1t will be
later, and we must take immediate steps
to secure room. We shall build small
brick building to the north of our present
building, to be used as a boiler house,
and for other mechanical purposes. On
the south at some little distance from our
main building, we will erect a wooden
building for storage purposes. This will
enable us to use the basement of our
present building exclusively as press
room, and all the other floors for the ac-
of our business. In short, the additional
room that will be afforded by these two
new buildings will give us four floors, in
Guiding the basement, 50x70 feet. We
shall not have any spare ROOM but all
will be comfortably housed. In the
spring it is probable that steps will be
taken for the erection of another build
ing.
| II am very grateful for the many express
sions of sympathy and kindly feeling l
have received since the fire The next
morning Messrs. Vickery & Hill at once
came to me and offered to place their
presses and tpye at our disposal, and to
assist us In every possible way, Fortu-
nately was not obliged to avail myself
of this generous offer; but l deeply appre-
ciated it,
In falling, the heavy press that was re-
covered from the burned building, struck
and destroyed nice new trimmer; that
had, but short time before, been added
to the plant at an expense of $500.
The clock in the composing room was
found to have stopped at u. 40, showing
the intensity of the heat in the burning
building at that hour.
The press In the wooden building IS
practically q dead loss The representative
of a large press manufacturing firm who
looked it over, yesterday, advised Mr..
Gannett that it would not be worth while
to attempt to do anything with 1t, The
expense of putting it into condition again
would go far toward the purchase of Il
new one, and no firm would guarantee to
put it into shape to again do first class
work 1t will doubtless be sold as junk,
and new press purchased to take its
place, Such a press will cost between
500 600 and s22, 600 The dynamo is also
a total loss Superintendent Hambiin of
the Kennebec Light and Heat Company
says that it would cost more to rcwind it
and put it into shape than it is worth.
While the journal man was inspecting
the ruins a crew of men was engaged in
rescuing the safe from the debris, This
was filled with subscription books. When
it was opened these books were all found
to be in perfect state of preservation.
The escape was narrow one, as the hot
fire had eaten small hole through one
of the sides. Its escape in its present
good form is due to stream of water
being kept upon it during the hottest of
the fire.
In addition to the letters in the burned
building that belonged to the Gannett &
Morse Concern were number that be
longed to parties outside the State. The
right simply to copy the signatures to
these had been purchased. Word had
been received to ship back one let of these
the night before the fire, and they had
been put in barrels for that purpose.
This lot was so charred by the fire that it
/ is practically worthless, though portion
of the letters may be recovered. Another
; large lot, which was stored in the central
part of the building, was total loss.
{ The origin of ths fire is still a mystery
= The oil and other combustible materials
, used in the business were stored in a
/ small building some distance north of
, the burned building. This with It's con-
E tents, escaped the flames. The power
: came from the ba ement of the brick
, building where the boiler Is located.
D Three or four weeks ago second boiler
| was ordered by thu Concern This is
expected to arrive next week, and, to-
G gether with the ore now in the basement
=