The Portland daily press., 1897-05-24
PEAKS ISLAND AFLAME.
Department Fought Forest Fires Al,
Day Sunday.
MANY COTTAGES IN DANGER BUT
ALL SAVED,


Sweep the Island-Good Work of the
Fireboat-Flames Finally Got Under
Control.
Shortly after ten O'Clock Sunday fore
noon while many of the good people OF
Peaks were at church, and those who are
not as good were enjoying the warm sun
shine and pleasant morning at their cot
tages, some one discovered that column
of smoke, which was growing in volume
every minute, was rising from the
southern part of the island behind the
cottage owned by Levi Pennell, and not
far distant from the Chapman house.
This smoke, growing blacker and thicker
every instant finally brought the people
to a realization of what was occurring
and the bell in the church began to ring
in the alarm for fire.
Behind the cottage of Mr.. Pennell and
bordering on the field owned by Mr..
Littlejohn is a young growth of pine
trees, while the ground is covered by a
thick and tangled underbrush as inf1am-
able as anything possibly can be. These
woods extend to the east over the ridge
and cover many acres which are only in
tersected now and then by narrow and, in
some cases, almost indistinguishable
wood roads. The woods in fact cover al
most the entire southeasterly side of the
island and extend to the north towards
Portland to line drawn from the old
burying ground to the settlement of cot
tages at Trefethen's Landing. There is
one wood road little better and shorter
than the rest which begins at a point near
this burying ground and runs straight
through the woods for about half a mile
to the south shore. Along this road, at
intervals are small cottages and towards
these, when it was first discovered, the
fire was rapidly rushing, and with a
terrific and awe inspiring roar the flames
dashed madly over the tops of the trees
before the strong southwest wind. The
Peaks island fire company responded
quickly to the alarm and the hand tub,
only taken to the island on Saturday in
exchange for a larger and heavier one
which has always been kept there, was
manned by band of sturdy young fell
lows and dragged off towards the burning
woods. A wagon was quickly put into
service and all the hose that the island
affords was loaded on to it for service in
the woods. While this hose was being
loaded on to the team young fellow
named Henry Browning was caught be-
tween the wheels of the cart and badly
injured.
Over stumps and logs, through boys
and over lodges the men dragged the hand
tub to point near Kings cottage where
the fire seemed to be heading The
suction pipe was quickly run down into
the well Of this house, but before the en-
CINE could fairly be got under way the
fire had dashed away in another direction
and was madly tearing its way through
the dry woods to the southeast Then
the firemen dragged the hand engine
been mentioned as beginning near the old
burying ground and through this the
hand tub was hauled for nearly half a
mile to the cottage of Mr. Robert Goold.
Here an attempt was made to get water
from well but it was not successful
and the captain of the engine ordered it
to be taken to a pond about $50 yards
from the wood road and on the other side
of a steep and rocky hill
But these Peaks island firemen had
,oa, rai n forced br MANY youpc, oo++o ,.o,e
who were passing the day on the island,
and they were working some of them at
least, for their property. So the engine
was hauled through the woods again tc
this pond and the battle with the stub
born forest fire had really commenced.
All of this time the wind had been
tanning the fire into seething sea, de.
vouring flame and with a lightning like
speed it was tearing its way through the
woods between Littlejohns field and the
wood road. Thick black clouds of smoke
filled the woods and blinded and choked
the men who were at work on the engine
and dragging the hose pipe through the
woods. The fire must be stopped at the
wood road or it would mean the destruc
ton of several cottages. Here the fremer
took their stand, and after gallant fight
succeeded in stopping the flames from
crossing the wood road for a time But
as the wind increased in strength the fire
in the woods spread rapidly, and to make
matters worse the water supply in the
pond proved inadequate to the emergency
Things were in bad state indeed ano
those people who owned cottages in the
woods in the direction that the fire wa:
taking began to move their goods Out
and wish that they had few hundred
more insurance on their property.
Meantime Captain Goud of the fire boat
and the people along the water front il
Portland had seen the smoke, and mes
sage was sent to chief Engineer Eldredge
He at once ordered the fire boat to gel
ready for run to the island and sent to
her hose wagon laden with hose. The
people on the island too, had sent for hell
and Littlejohn's sailboat was pressed into
service, but before she reached the city
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