The Portland daily press., 1898-05-28
Big BLAZE.
The Block Occupied By Postal Co.
on Exchange Street Wrecked.
THE LOSS WILL BE FROM TEN TO
FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS,

Narrow Escape of Two Men-A Number
of Firms Burned Out-Excellent Work
of the Fire Department.
The alarm from box 45 about 5.15
O'Clock yesterday morning was caused by
flames breaking out in tho block on tx
change street, below Milk, owned by
Hon. James P. Baxter and occupied by
some fifteen different of11ceA The janitor
of the Merchants bank says he went into
the bank to register, at i've O'Clock, and
at that hour there were no signs Of fire
on the street. When no oame out the
flames ware bursting through the roof Of
the block opposite, and the street was
filled with smoke Will G. Nickerson and
J. NJ. Howe pulled in the alarm and the
qnagkly responded. 1t was
but few moments before the engines had
each Two streams On tho flames, and the
fisa boat laid over the western end Of
I0nR wharf and two lines Of hose were
p6Gt out for distance Of about $50 feet.
The department coupled on tho remainder
making two lines of about 1000 feet each.
So powerful were these two streams that
ono Of them was soon shut on. A second
alarm had followed the first almost imme-
diately so that by eight o'clock the all out
was pulled. but the building was soaked
with water.
These were the occupants Of the Offices
and their losses:
Norton B. Hall, insurance agents, loss
$500, insurance $500
Charles B. Flsgg, desk room, slight
loss
Postal Telegraph company, loss 500,
insured for $500.
E. G. Jones, insurance agency, loss
$500, insured for $1,000.
s. B. Ha.kell, desk room, slight loss.
James q. Smith, banker and broker
loss, $500, no Insurance..
r. W. HardweH Co., publishers of
Field, Forest and Shore. loss $500, in
surance $1,000. y
!, hin 8 Fam, civil engineers loss $1,000.
3 d. Pierce, grain, lozs sloo. insurance
George Davis, loss SIS and gold watch.
J. Smith and Weston Remedy COM
pany, loss $500, no insurance.
Thomas 3. Border, agent for cotton
yarn loss $500; no insurance.
The State Mutual Fire Insurance COM
pany, e. @. CARL, agent, loss small.
Il. II. Davis, dentist, loss $3.50. insured
for $500
Piummsr Brothers, insurance Office,
loss 5000, no insurance.
The Veteran Mechanic Blues associa-
ton, loss 5000, no insurance.
Scion Andrews, diver, loss $500, insured
for $500.
". S. Mitchell. railroad constructor,
loss $500, no insurance.
David Witherington, tailors' samples,
lost $500, no insurance.
F. 81. Cloyes had an Office in this
building but his loss is very small.
The cause of the fire is thought to be
incendiary, as it caught in the hallway,
bat this is q more matter of conjecture.
It resembled in many ways tine hallway
fires that were so prevalent here some
time ago, but the Gauss may have been
spontaneous com huston. The flames OF.
iginated in box Of waste paper between
the office Of Field, Forest and Stream and
Hill and Fem. The building was injured
about $1,000, but 1t is amply covered by
insurance.
There was very exciting ncidsnt in
connection with the lire when Mr.. George
"A. Davis had o very narrow escape from
death: THE first intimatton that any one
had of the presence Of a human being in
the Building was when man appeared
on the roof, clad oniysssJn pair of
trousers, and slowly z W6rmed his way
along the gutter at the caves. The crowd
who had gathered watched him with
breathless interest and when he finally
reached window. further along and
climbed In through At 4 big cheer went
up. 1t was q plucky. escape from almost
certain death. The man was BY no means
moved himself from the immediate
vicinity of the flames. Then the head of
this man and another apparel at the
window and there came shouts for lad
der MIR. Michael O'Rourke of the
Chemical. and several others lost no time
In getting ladder up against the side of
the building and down this the men de-
scended.
Mr.. Davis said: 81 woke up this morn
ing early and looked at my watch. 1t was
fifteen minutes past four o'clock. I
wanted to go down stairs minute and
pulled on my trousers. went down two
flights, everything being ell right in the
building at this time. returned in
about ten minutes and went back to bed
again. The next thing I knew awoke
with an oppressed feeling as II were
suffocating. I smelled the smoke and
realized at once that the building was on
fire. heard terrible roaring and crack
ing and few to tho door. opened 1t and
great sheets of flame rolled toward me.
The entile hallway WAS one mass OF fire.
realized that there was no escape by the
staaf6a and l tell you my chances looked
pret4y slim just atAtizat5 time. My only
$it-------