Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-09-05
A $4,000 BLAZE
Excites the Town Of Oakland,
Sunday Afternoon.
Blake Bros Block and an Adjoining
III Building Damaged.
About Two Thirds Covered BY insurance : ORR
gin Is Unknown.

oakland, Me-, Sept. 4.-(SpeciaD.-A
fire that threatened to wipe Que the
town started, this afternoon, in the
block owned by Blake Bros, and before
1t was under control had caused about
$4,000 damage to the stores dwellings
and contents.
Shortly before 2 o'clock smoke was
seen issuing from the cellar windows
Of the four story wooden block occu-
pied by Blake Bros, grocers, and A.
Swain, dealer in clothing and general
furnishings
At the time the fire was DISCOVERIES
town We're at the Lakeside camp
meeting four miles distant. The men
who were in town at once gave their
assistance.
The only piece of apparatus. the
hand engine, was at once set to work,
the few men whe remained in the viii
lage doing everything in their power
to check the progress of the flames.
Messengers We're at once sent to
Lakeside where Messrs. Blake were
and the men told of the damage that
was likely to follow. Before the men
had arrived the fire had worked its
way from the basement. where it
caught, to the rooms in the third and
fourth stories above, used as dwell
ing apartments.
The fire soon appeared in the roof
ana the sparks We're soon caught by
! the southerly wind and bowed across
the street to the Maine Central station
| and the Oakland House.
At this time the situation looked to
be decidedly critical. The small hand
engine was doing its best but while it
| was all right to take Of the fire in
| the Blake block was insufficient to
| cope with the fire, should it be COM
| municated to other buildings across
| the street.
Fearing that the whole town would
| be wiped out wheelman was at once
| sent to Waterville for assistance. those
| IN charge not thinking that they nigh,
wire to the Maine Central station in
Waterville.
After working on the fire for enarly
an hour, word was sent to Waterville
| that the assistance Of the department
was not needed. By this time the men
| had arrived from the camp meeting
and everything possible was done TO
save the surrounding buildings and re-
| move what goods was possible from
! danger.
The messenger who was sent to the
camp meeting, to give the alarm com
| pletely broke up the meeting as every
one feared that the town would be des-
| trDVpd all
| home to assist in staying the fire.
| The fire started in endorsement of
the store ocGupied by Mr.. Swain In
that place Nas7 AK Kerosene oil barrel
partially full of oil surrounded by
packing boxes filled with excelsior and
| other inflammable material.
The fire that started here spread to
the remainder of the basement and
succeeded in working its way in a
short time to the store in the third
story of the building. 1t did not set
fire to the store but worked between
the partitions to the upper part
| On account of the fires working to
the upper part of the building and the
danger of its spreading tothe surround
ing houses water was poured onto the
| top of the block. On account of this
| lhe goods in the dwelling apartments
and the stores beneath were thorough
ly drenched.
The goods in the stores were also
damaged by smoke. The loss, $4,000 to
the building and $4,000 to the stock ami
furnishings and contents of the dwell
ing apartments and stores, is partially
| covered by insurance
Through the action of those having
the department in charge a much
greater damage was prevented, as had
not the top of the building been
drenched the fire would have been COM
municated with the buildings across
| the street.