The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-01-01
THE FIRE BUG AGAIN.
Tenth Incendiary Fire Occurred Last
Evening.

This Time Ii Was Quite Hot Fire in the
Hallway of the Cumberland National
Bank Building on Exchange Street
Fire Was Started in a Closet on Third
Floor.
The tenth incendiary fire was discov-
cred last night in the hail way of the
Cum berland National Bank building at
81 Exchange street. The fire department
WAS called out and extinguished the fire
before much damage had been done.
This makes the fourteenth bell alarm
and seventh still alarm in the month
of December, and of this number 10 have
been incendiary fires and two false
alarms.
At a few minutes after O'Clock last
evening a man Eamed Roothby, who
works in Loring's printing establishment
on Exchange street, saw smoke Issuing
from the upper windows OF the build.
ing OF the Cumberland National bank,
just belo W Middle on Exchange street,
Boothby ran to the chemical engine
house and told Capt. Butler, who with
the chemical hurried to the spot. The
moment the engine turned into tx
change street, Capt. Butler ordered a
general alarm and Frank Carr turned it
in from box 4.
BY this time the smoke was coming
from the upper windows Of the building
in a great cloud and it looked as If the
fire was severe one. The door IN front
of the stair case lending up to the upper
stories was locked and the fremen were
obliged to smash the lock in order to
get into the building.
The fire was burning briskly on the
third floor of the building and seemed to
have originated in the water closet. 1t
WAS hot fire and only the prompt and
effective work of the department pre-
vented a disastrous blaze. As it was,
COZ siderable water was required to ex-
tinguish it. The heat of tho flames melt
ed the water pipes in the closet and near
ly all of the water that ran down
through into the offices on the second
floor came from this source.
The wood work in the closet and hall
way was destroyed, or badly charred and
the ceiling and plastering was de-
stroyed. The flames also worked their
way into the attick and the fremen had
great Difficult ty in reaching them there.
So admirably was the fire handled that
very little damage resulted from it.
The offices of Virgil G. Wilson, and
Charles Dunn, which were on the floor
where the fire occurred, were very slight
ly damaged by smoke and water. The
Office Of Strout, Gage g. Strout on the
floor below was somewhat damaged by
water, but the loss will be very small.
The damage to the building will not
amount to more than few hundred dol
lars and the loss is fully covered by insur
ance.
This is believed to be another incen-
diary fire and makes the tenth attempt
in two weeks to start big coulagra-
ton in this city. Although the door at
the foot of the stair case leading up to
the law Offices in the building was
locked when the firemen reached the
spot, it is believed that the fire was
started before this door was locked by
the janitor of the building shortly after
I O'Clock. The fire bug must have gone
into the building about O'Clock, started
a fire in the water closet on the second
floor and got out without being seen by
any one. The fire had been burning
nearly an hour and was discovered only
when thu smoke had burst out the win
dows in Mr.. Wilson's Office and could be
seen from the street.
A little after 6 O'Clock, Mr.. Strout of
the firm of Strout. Gage & Strout, left
his office, and at about 6. 10 O'Clock, Mr..
Farr, the stenographer of the firm, heard
someone go up stairs and then come
down again q few minutes later. DIR.
Farr went home a few minutes later
and at o. clock the fire was discovered.
There was no material in tho water
closet with which a fire might have been
started and it is supposed that the fire
bug might have brought his fire-build-
ing m Materials with him.
The fire underwriters are now con-
sidering the ACCESSIBILITY of Offering a re-
ward for the arrest and conviction OF the
fire lug and probably some step Of
this kind will be taken.