The Portland daily press., 1898-12-10


we're playing on the Ferry house. which
was in danger. Had to get some men to
hold the nozzle. Then ordered the men
to play on the ferry house and Harpswell
waiting room, and save that property if
we could.
.sShortly after that Engineer Hammett
cap,e and said the chief wantef me to
hriny the boat around the east side OF
Custom House wharf. / replied: 1t is
impossible in this hurricane to get the
boat around to that fire. We can 90 more
good here. Hammett said, Well. you are
captain of the boat you ought to know.
Then tended out on the men who We're
handling the hose, and also shifted them
over from the end of the Ferry house 10
the end of the Harpswell waiting room.
1 saw the large doors of the HarpsWeli
waiting room open aud ordered the men
to play SO as to prevent fire from getting
In there. Then / went back to look out
for the boat found one line had parted
and the other almost gone. l got two
more lines and put one aft and one for
ward.
after that I went back onto the
wharf. Mr.. Carter asked me If we
Couldn't get another line further up the
wharf. told him we would do all we
could. Then Hammett or Howe, the as
sistant engineer. came and said the chief
wanted me to bring the boat round the
east side of Custom House wharf even If
you sink her. ! said. 1T Is impossible.
We would be taken up to Portland bridge
and there is no chance to get her to Gus
tom House wharf, Mr.. Howe replied,
Well. you are captain of the boat and you
ought to know if you can get the boat
there safely
"About that time some one OF the ire
department reported that thers was fire
in the waiting house of the Harpswell
company, and they had extinguished it.
again told them to look after 1t closely.
at WAS getting to be about five o'clock.
Shortly after this the engineer reported
that the fresh water was almost gone and
they could not keep the boiler replenished
and the pump could not be worked much
longer. I reported this to the fremen
above and they said they would no longer
need the stream as the fire was almost
out. then went back and gave orders to
shut down. 1 did not take the boat
around to Custom House wharf because
in my Judgment it was impossible to get
ner there and keep her safely at that
place. The sea was very high and the
wind blew hurricane. am obliged to
look out for the boat, and not to endanger
the boat nor the lives Of the men on her.
Captain George Matthews of the tug O.
A. Warren. said:
81 was ON Custom House wharf the
night of tae fire. It was terrible night
"a hurricane. II Captain Cloud had taken
that fire boat round to Custom House
wharf and up to the wharf the boat would
have bean stove to pieces. She couldn't
have helped it. She could not live there
for fifteen minutes. If she had gone Into
the stream she would have been taken up
toward Portland Pier. I think Captain
Gond used good Judgment in not going
there. He would have endangered the
boat and the lives of the men on her II he
had gone. ~
Captain A. S. Oliver was called. He
said
81 have followed the sea for more than
forty years / was on Custom House
wharf at the time of the fire there. Al
though I have been on all kinds of seas
and storms would not have taken the
Ere buat that night from Portland Pier
to Custom House wharf. There was no
place on Custom House wharf for her to
lie. She would have smashed to pieces.
Her stiles would have been stove in. In
my opinion If she had gone around there
she would now be where tile steamer
Portland is-at the bottom. She could
not have stood it. That was hurricane
that night. ! never saw it SO rough in the
harbor in my life. We do not have such
storm as that once in twenty years or
more. Captain Cloud used good Judgment
in not going round to Custom House
wharf that night The boat lever could
have stood it. The fire boat did the most
good just where she was. She saved Port
land Pier.
Isaiah Daniels was called. He said that
he was present on Portland Pier ut the
time Of the fire on Custom House wharf
He said that the wind was blowing
hurricane. s'It was impossible to have
taken the fire boat round to Custom
House wharf with safety. She would have
smashed to pieces against the wharf. Her
sides would have been beaten in and she
would have gone to the bottom. 1t was
impossible for her to have stayed in the
stream and played on the fire. She had
nothing to hold her. She would have
been taken mp toward Portland bridge.
If Captain Goud had taken the boat out
and sunk her he would have been liable
for the loss of the boat and the lives on
her. The very best place for the fire boat
to he was just whore she was. In my
opinion she saved Portland Pier from
burning up"
When all of the evidence pro and con
had been presented the committee debated
that matter at great length and made the
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