The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-12-07
A 100000 FIRE.
Portland Sash, Door and Blind Go. the
Sufferers.
Suffer Loss-The Fire Well Handled
More Smoke Than Flame.

|
Suffer Loss-The Fire Well Handled
More Smoke Than Flame.
| At exactly II o'clock Saturday night
an alarm was pulled in from box 4l2 for
what turned out to be as large lire as
the department hos been called upUn to
subdue for some time. The large four
stored brick building once known as the
Commercial house, but now occupied by
the Portland Sash, Door and Blind Man
ufacturing company, the Hayes FOOL
company, James !. Barbour, pattern
maker and wood turner, Oscar Sanborn,
cabinet maker and man named Tucker
who has recently opened a shop in the
| building was the scene of the lire. The
total loss to the building and stock in 1T
will probably amount 10 between $40, COO
and ST., 900. The most OF this loss falls on
the Portland Sash, Door, and Blind
company Of which Il. e. Carlton is the
treasurer and manager. This loss is
partially covered by insurance.
1t was just a few minutes before ~
O'Clock Saturday night when MIR. W. F.
Phillips. an employe Of the Portland
Electric Light company, left the COM
pany s plant on Plum street. aud accon-
panied by friend started to ride ON his
wheel over to the Cape. he had reached
| the corner of Gross and Fore stree5 on his
way when looking up Cross street he saw
smoke pouring out of the windows of the
| four story brick building known as the
old Commercial house, but now occupied
| by the Portland Sash, Door and Blind
Manufacturing company and other Uen
ants. Mr.. Phillips at once got off his
wheel and after making shle of the fact
that 1t was smoke and not steam That he
had seen, he rode back to box 4l2 on the
corner of Union and Fore street aud
pulled in an alarm. Wien the depart
ment arrived on the acene the fire looked
as if it were going to be an ugly one to
handle. From the Union street side the
flames could be seen bursting through
the second story windows and rapidly
working their way to the stories above.
The kiln dried stock of the sash and
bird factory stored in the structure
burned like finder and sent forth dense
cloud Of black smoke which rose high in
the air and soon filed the streets about
SO that it was almost impossible to
breath.
The building is adjoined on the north
by low wooden shell used by D. T.Kel-
ley. the iron founder, and on the south
east OH the Fore street side by what is
known as Dolan's block. In this latter
structure live many families chiefly He
brews, and these soon began to pack up
their household goods and prepare to
move out.
The moment that Chief Eldridge
reached the spot he ordered second
alarm to be rung in and soon the whole
fire department. was on hand. The
engines were quickly at work and MANY
lines of hose were pouring oceans Of
water into the burning structure. The
blaze seemed to be chiefly confined to
the northerly end of the building or to
that part Of it used by the sash aud blind
factory. The fire was well handled AMI
owing to the fact that the building could
be reached from three sides, the many
streams at work quickly placed the fire
under subsection, though dense cloud
of sulphurous smoke continued to pour
out through the windows long after the
flames had been beaten back from sight.
A large crowd assembled on Union,
dered the firemen at theil work, tut on
the arrival of Deputy Marshal Hartnett
and a corps of officers, the streets were
cleared and the firemen had all OF tue
space they wanted. In fifteen minutes
after the second alarm the fire was well
in hand and although it was necessary
to pour water into the structure for over
an hour longer, still what would have
proved most disastrous fire in this Sec
ton where the buildings are mostly old
and like finder was subdued. The all
out was sounded at 2. is O'Clock.
The building is owned by Mr.. E. E.
Carlton, treasurer and manager Of the
Portland Sash. Door and Blind CON-
pany and only one end Of it was greatly
damaged. The building was built
soon after the great fire of 1868 as a hotel
and was SO used for ten or twelve years.
Some twenty years ago, however, the
building ceased to be used for this pur-
nose and about l: years ago was pur-
chased by Mr. Carlton for his business.
Mr.. Carlton, or the company Of which
he is the manager and treasurer, carries
on an extensive business and the plant
is estimated to be worth about $12, 000
This amount represents the stock of sea-
soned lumber, windows, sash and blinds
ON hand and also the machinery. MIR.
Carlton said last night that he estimated
hls stock and the manufactured goods
and possibly his machinery would be al
most total loss This is insured for
$4,000. 1'7
The building itself is valued by Mr..
Carlton at about $40 600 and on this he
carries an insurance of 81, 500. AS only
ore end Of the structure was reached by |
the flames it ia safe to say that the loss
on the building itself will not amount to
moro than 80, 800. All of the insurance