The Portland daily press., 1895-11-19
MAYOR MITCHELHS MISFORTUNE.
His Tannery Destroyed by FIRE
Yesterday.
Loss About $50, 900, Insurance $12,ooo-
The Cause of the Fire Mystery-He
May Rebuild.

Loss About $50, 900, Insurance Sl@'ooo-
The Cause of the Fire a Mystery-He
May Rebuild.
The leath or man ufactory Of Mayor
Mitchell, of Deering, was destroyed ny
fire yesterday morning. 1t was large
four story wooden building, situated at
behring's Point, close beside the Portland
& Rochester Railroad in the angle where
it is joined by the extension to the Union
Station.
At just about T. 80 O'Clock Mr.. Mitchell
drove into the factory yard and perceived
the smoke coming from the roof. he
rushed into the building and found the
men engaged in fighting the fire. There
was good deal of smoke but Mr.. Mitch
ell thought that it was only slight blaze
that would be easily extinguished, and
objected at first TO the removal OF tine
safe. But the fire gained Roadway SO
rapidly that the men Immediately re-
moved the safe and the books and papers
from the office.
At about 6 so O'Clock Engineer Hanson
had made an inspection of the second
floor, where the fire started and every
thing was all right then. He went down
and started the fires and the engine.
Charles Straiton, of Morrill's Corner,
one of the employees, was the first to dis
cover the fire. He saw it at about 7.30
o'clock, running up the woodwork. near
the chimney on the second floor. he
| rushed down and came back with two
pals of water, but the smoke was SO
dense that he could do nothing. He had
| informed Engineer Hanson, who imme-
diately struck the fire alarm and got the
factory hose into use. The alarm was in
| the factory and was an auxiliary to the
Portland fire department., although the
factory is in Deering. The chemical i'm
mediately responded and got out there In
very short time, but the whole roof was
ablaze and there was no chance to save
the building. There was SO much grease
and inflammable material in the building
that the fire spread very rapidly and
ragged very fiercely. A second alarm
brought from the city Engines One and
Four and the hose carriage OF Engine
Five. They got streams onto the blaze
but all they could do was to check tire
fire as there was no hope OF saving the
building.
In regard to the Deering Fire Depart-
ment, it arrived SO late upon the scene OF
action that one bystander was unklnd
enough to,remark that they'd had to
wait while they got ones man who was
digging a dreen in field up beyond
Aliens Corner" AS matter of fact
this remark was wholly unjustifable be-
cause nobody thought to summon the
Deering department. till half hour after
the fire started, although an alarm box
| is close at hand near Winslow's pottery.
After they got the alarm the Deering
hose companies responded very quickly.
M. A. 6. Cloudy, who lives near Deer
ing ,Centh declared that he's got as
good horse as anybody and came as
quickly as he could after the alarm and
the hose carriages were ahead OF him.
While the Portland engines were play
ing upon the factory the Deering hose
did good work in saving the adjoining
buildings, which we're in much danger.
Mr. McLeod's house caught sevsral
times but the blaze was extinugished.
| Mayor Mitchell said that the fire came
at very unfortunate time, as he had
lust made reorganization of his BUSH
ness, and was starting in new line OF
trade with plenty Of orders and an ex-
| celIent prospect. He has hitherto been
manufacturing goat skin leather, but had
now begun to make the russell calf
leather. which was SO extensively used
for boots and shoes. He had recently
made change Of foreman, Edmund
Compton of Connecticut taking the place
of L II. Cox. He said that his insurance
was $12, 90 and that his loss would be in
the neighborhood of $4,000. He was en-
ploying ten men, but would have en-
ployed more soon.
He built this factory In 1886, nine
years ago, and had since made three
additions to it. 1t had cost over $4,000.
Previous to building this factory Mayor
Mitchell operated the old McCone shop
for tanning sheep skins, now occupied by
q. ". Ddll6y O. w. % 9 OesAA~iSe3S ~e~~S0>S
Mr.. Mitchell began business for himself
IN the tannery just in the rear OF the poor
house.
The cause Of the fire is mystery. ME-
Mitchell said that it couldn't have caught
from the chimney. as he knew it to be
absolutely fire proof
The damage to the adjoining houses,
belonging to Neil Peterson, W. d.
Moores, Prank Brackett and Mr. Mcleod
was slight.
| Some of the stock was saved, but the
greater portion of it was destroyed
The flames were subdued only after all
but one end of the building, mere shell,
was burned. This will have to be pulled
down.
| AS to whether he would rebuild, Mayor
Mitchell could not, of course, state
positively yesterday, but intimated that
it was very possible.
The calamity is a source of much regret
to all Deering citizens, not only because
of the destruction of an important in