Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-07-06
Especial toSst I kcnnebec Journai.)

Especial tOM*t q Kcnnebec JOurnal)
Bath, Me. tInly 5.-One of the
most disastro nres in all. Baths
history occurE' here. late this after
noon. 1t star HI IN small wooden
building at t I rear of the Wesley
Methodist ehurci and by the time the
department arf "a the whole struc-
ture was mass &c nAmes.
The pipe which droascs the Kennebec
and supplies the ity with water was
broken and th II Tore there was no
water pressure. As aresult, before the
steamers could pb an a stream the
flames had spread re house of Mrs.
Isaac Croker and "a the rear wall of
the Wesley Methulist church
Everything was very. dry and in a
few seconds the WAS OF old Wesley
was furnishing foo& for the flames.
which cracked and need high up on
the belfry towers.
Across Wesley stre,1 dew the sparks
and some of them foul q resting place
on two houses WHIT IL belonged to
Charles w. Mason. Thy were quickly
reduced to ashes and lie residence of
Mrs. George w. Shepa \ svas the next
point of attack on the &uth
Here bucket brigads 70, ght stub
bornly and succeeded I'M s, wing the
house, although it was ~ ne damaged
Wnile the flames had ~ en- rying to
gain foothold here, Il W. j ad also
| worked backward and u ueu ned the
| home of Mrs. Isaac Cro1 err, 4 house
belonging to Mr.. Footer Bos on, and
one belonging to the Bath IRON Works.
Seeing that the local department
could not save that portdon Of the city
without assistance MAYER Torrey at
| once called upon Lewiston. and Bruns-
wick for aid. The air Nas full of
sparks for quarter of annie TO the
south and east, and fires wese starting
in all directions. 8
| The Bath Iron Works Wee in dam
ger as well as the big flge-masted
Eschooner building at the yard OF
Houghton Bros.
| The Iron Works men connefked their
hose with the big pumps ard vere soon
thoroughly wetting all of the millngs
in the yard. This being ACCOMPLISHED
they proceeded to give their at ,ntion
to aiding the regular depart lneIt.
BY this time two hand engines had
arrived from Brunswick, and were a
great help to the local department..
Frank Browns house. next nertAs Of
the church, was the next victim OF the
cruel flames, and here the fire was
stopped ON its way north, the resisk nee
of Charles Maxwell being savetis al
though it had very close CALL Tres
starting upon the roof many times
Across Washington street went ne
| flames and soon two fine houses Owned
by Thomas Passamore were their rr Y
and were quickly devoured. Next ue
fire swept away the houses of Wild
Cahill and William T. Hodgkins, an Il
from there made a clean sweep. turn
Water street, burning the houses
Eugene Footer, John Sonia, w. Olivd
Cole Flaherty, two stores houses, cI
of which was the property of Hougl
ton Bros, and which contained til
finish for the big Palmer schoonel
building in the yard close by, the largo
office building of Houghton Bros, a
joiner shop and half a dozen or more
small dwellings.
About O'Clock steamer arrived
from Lewiston and with the other APP
paratus proceeded to fight for all there
was in them. Foot by foot they drove
the flames toward the center and in
half an hours time the blaze was un.
der control.
| The Hyde Light Guards were called
1 out to guard the property taken from
| the burned dwellings and to keep tho
] public out of the Bath Iron Works.
The town is in darkness except fol
those who use gas or kerosene, as thu
electric wires cross arms and pole.
4 were badly damaged. There is nj
electric power and the street cars ar,