The Republican journal., 1896-01-09

| Belfast met with serious loss last Satur-
day night-perhaps the most serious loss by
| fire in her history, when viewed in all its
| bearings-in the destruction of Crosby Inn,
one of the finest and best conducted hotels
in Maine. 1t was terrible night for fire.
The mercury was down to zero and the wind
blowing gale from the west. little after
| s P. NJ. people on Church and High streets
smeled smoke, but did not locate it, some
thinking it might come from burning chin
ney. AS Mr.. Geo. G. Pierce was on his way
home to supper, going up Franklin street, he
saw smoke coming from the roof of the Inn
and went in and gave the alarm. Supper
was being served and the three propretors,
Messrs. Haugh, Varney and Edwards, were
i'll the office. They soon located the fire in
the attic and put on the hose belonging to the
| building, but could get no water. Had the
water been forthcoming, the fire could have
been extinguished in a few minutes. The
fire meanwhile was making rapid progress,
and when the alarm had brought the fire de-
partment to the scene the flames were COM
ing through the roof near the tower Even
then no one thought the building would be
destroyed; and it would not have been but
for the delay in getting water and lack of
pressure to send the streams where they
were wanted. The hydrants We're opened
with great difficulty and the water pipes ap-
peared to be clogged with mud. One stream
when first turned on apparently contained
more mud than water and barely reached
the second story, while the fire was raging
IN the roof. In one instance pebbles plugged
the nozzle and stopped the stream. 1t is said
that the standpipe was flushed and was run
ming over at ) o'clock Saturday afternoon.
an hour and half before the fire and that
1t was two-thirds full when the fire had been
burning an hour, hence there was no lack of
water. But there was lack Of force in the
water, the cause of which should be iuyesti
gatea
Despite the bitter cold hundreds We're at
tracted to the scene and remained standing
in the showers of sparks and ciuders that
covered everything to leeward Once the
flames enveloped the tower and then a
change of wind, with possibly the aid of "a
we'll directed stream left it standing out
clear again, and it began to look as though
the fire might, after all, be confined to that
end of the building. 1t was not long, how
ever, before the flames burst forth again
mercer than ever, leaping from point to point
OF the tower and raining fire on the ad lac ent
buildings. The Pitcher house adjoining was
protected in a measure by slate roof but
the b. p. Hazeltine house, the Washburn
house, the Salmond house and the Unitarian
church We're in great danger. The roof of
the church caught many times, but here as
elsewhere men were on the alert and through
their exertions the buildings were saved
The fire seemed long time in reaching
the lower stories, where men were busy
saving the furniture and fixtures, and as
usual careless handling damaged much
that was taken out. The lawn and sur
rounding str eets were covered with
furniture, crockery ware, bedding, etc,
some OF which was hauled away that
night, but much was left strewn about.
and from all accounts there was a
good deal of pilforing. With i've streams
playing on the building the fire worked
steadily downward and onward until it was
plain that the whole structure was doomed
By great exertions the annex, originally the
Governor Crosby mansion, and the kitchen.
were saved, and the western wall of the
north wing remained standing although
partially burned. The firemen were on duty
all night, playing upon the fire, and an alarm