Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-04-01
HOUSE DESTROYED.
Fire Visits Mr.. Hunts Home Total Less
About $1,000.

The house on the Bangor road, about
three miles from the city proper, owend
and occupied by William b. Hunt, was
destroyed. with contents, by fire. abou:
? o'clock Wednesday morning. Mr..
Hunt estimates the loss on the house as
s14OO, and on the contents. $500. The
insurance, placed with Macomber &
Fairs agency, is $500 on each.
AS was reported in Wednesdays
Journal. from advices received from
Conductor Healey on the early down
Pullman. and estimation from the de-
scription given of the location. the fire
proved to be in Mr.. Hunts house. The
cause is not known. Mr.. Hunt says 1t
may have been caused by a fire in the
range in the kitchen. the only fire that
was left burning. when his daughter,
Miss Grace, retired. Mr.. Hunt had
been suffering from the grip, and had
retired earlier.
The fire probably started shortly
after 130. The first Mr.. Hunt knew
was his awakening to hear his daugh-
ter coughing. He thought from the un-
usual sound that she must have been
suffering from illness, and called
for her to wake up. The noise con-
tinued. He says she sounded as if she
were being strangled. He ran to her
room and, and opening the door. found
the air in the room dense with smoke.
On waking her. he ran to the kitchen.
AS he opened the door leading to 1t
from the sitting room. smoke and
flames broke through. He barely had
chance to get an overcoat which hung
near the entrance.
Neither had a chance to dress. and.
with the exception of saving one arm
full of odds and ends. all the contents
we're destroyed. including lot of fur
niture which was stored away. MI
Hunt at one time. was engaged in sur
veying in Nevada, and one of the most
serious of his losses is the destruction
of some valuable papers showing
claims and surveys which he made in
that state, and, on account of which,
he has been anticipating a call to go
out West to locate some claims of great
value.
Several times Mr.. Hunt tried to make
raids into the burning house. but could
do little on account of the smoke. Once
he was so choked that he was overcome.
but, having reached as far as the door
recovered all right.
One of the sensations of the fire was
the explosion of few boxes Of cart
ridges in the closet of his room.
The wind during the progress of the
fire was from west to northwest. When
the breezes blew from the latter
quarter, the barn, about three rods dis
tant, came directly within range, and
for a while was in great danger-in
fact, it caught in Q number of places.
The few neighbors which had been
aroused, were on hand and assisted Mr..
Hunt in taking out the live stock, con-
sisting of two horses and three cows,
and lot of agricultural implements.
With ladders and q bucket brigade the
barn was saved by pouring water over
the roof.
The cause is attributed either to the
fire in the kitchen or else mats les.
Two great, handsome coon cats mad
been left in the kitchen, and, in some
way, Mr.. Hunt thinks they may have
gotten mixed up with the matches and
started the fire. The poor cats have
not been seen since they went to rest.
Tuesday evening. and they are sup
posed to have been burned.
NThe house was originally a very old
one, and part of 1t standing up to the
time of the fire, was built before Ar
mold passed this way. 1t was con-
structed of hard wood in the old FASH
Eioned way Since there Mr.. Hunt had
had many valuable improvements
made, at considerable cost.
Miss Helen l.. Farnham, trimmer at
D.,o,x,. ,,,;l1 loo va For pocfno this