The Portland daily press., 1896-12-10
LIVE STOCK HOLOCAUST.
Ihirty.fiYe Cattle Perish In Flames
At ScarbOrO.
BENJAMIN KIMBALL'S BIG BARN
BURNED TO THE GROUND.

Narrow Escape of Sheriff Plummer's Farm
Buildings from Destruction-Savedikby
His Neighbors' Heroic Work-Fire Be-
Iieved to be of Incendiary Origin-Loss
&4,S0O-Insured for 81 900.
Last evening the big barn of Benjamin
Kimball on the Portland road in Scar
boro.was burned to the ground together
with thirty y-five head of cattle, stock,
four horses farming utensils and hay.
The loss is estimated by Mr.. Kimball to
be about 81, 500 and he carried only 81, 600
insurance. The farm buildings of Sheriff
Samuel ID. Plummer near by narrowly
escaped destruction and only the good
work of hastily organized fire brigade
of neig bors saved them from burning.
The fire was discovered by Mr.. Hatch,
Mr.. Kimball's father-in about a
quarter past seven O'Clock. He was sit
ting in the dining room Of Mr.. Kim balps
house alone, the rest of the family having
gone to lecture at the corner, when he
noticed the reflection of bright light
on the window curtain of the room.
Hastily running to the door Mr.. Hatch
saw that the southerly end Of Mr.. kim
balls big barn was all ablaze.
The barn set some distance to the east
ward of Mr.. Kimba]l house and the
strong westerly wind, which was blow
ing, carried the sparks away from this
dwelling and towards the farm buildings
of Sheriff Plummer which were ON the
other side of ths barn and only a few
yards from it,
So rapidly did the flames spread
through the big barn that by the time
the neighbors began to arrive OH the
scene it was impossible to save any of
the animals in the building or to get out
any of the farming implements which
were stored there But several brave
attempts were made to get out the stock,
though out of thirty five valuable head
of cattle four horses. and dozen hogs
only one hog was saved and the bristles
were nearly all burned off of this lone
survivor Of Mr.. Kimballs live stock
when he got out of the barn.
The sparks from the burning barn
were CAITlott ny tuo 6uTOHk Wluu alloCbiy
on to the roofs of Sheriff Plummer's s
farm buildings and they were ablaze at
a dozen places at a time. The ueighb ors
who had quickly arrived in large num-
bers hastily organized bucket brigade
and mounting to the roofs Of Sheriff
Plummer's buildings kept them well wet
down and succeeded in saving them from
destruction.
For over three hours the big barn and
its contents continued to burn brightly
and the fire was seen from miles around.
Sheriff Plummer who was telephoned
about the fire at half-past seven O'Clock,
quickly got out horse and drove Co the
scene OF the blaze in hot ha ste When
he reaohed there he found bis neigh
bors still fighting to save his own build
ings and the sheriff, taking hand, staid
with them until the danger was over.
The cause of the fire Is of course un-
known but it is attributed to tramps or
some evil disposed person and is thought
to have been of incendiary origin. Ten
years = ago Mr.. Kimhall had barn
burned to the ground on exactly the same
spot where the one which WAS destroyed
last night stood and the fire at that time
started at about the same part of the
barn and at time when nearly all of
the family were away from home. The
loss to Mr. Kimbal is a very heavy one.
Besides the valuable live stock md
building, great many tons OF hay and
many almost new farming implements
ware daStrOVe1