Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-05-17

AND ruE WILSON STORE RUINED.
About half-past twelve, Tuesday morn
Ing Of last week, fire was discovered In
the back end Of the store occupied BY j
A. Lambe, on Market Square 10 South
Paris. The blaze Was discovered BY
Mrs. Ham, who lives next door, and the
alarm was given and the people were goi
out as soon as possible. But II takes
some time under the best Of clrcumstan.
ces, to rouse village at midnight and
get Il prepared for action, and the Are,
| which was not q small one when dis
covered, was in possession Of good part
Of the building before anything could be
done to check Il.
Nothing could be saved Of the build
ing In which the Dire started, and the
store WAS not unlocked Mt all. While
Capt. Bolster, who owns the building,
was standing 10 front Of Il hesitating
whether to force the door, one Of the
plate glass windows went to pieces with
the hest, and 1t Was seen that nobody
could live inside.
The efforts Of the firemen were devot-
ed to saving other property, and to that
end they worked bravely and well. The
fire was In the most compact portion OF
the village. and il there had been such u
wind AS has blown much Of the time be-
fore and since, 1t would have made big
hole In the square.
Fortunately there was no wind, and
the fire did not spread beyond the build
ing In which il started and those i'm
mediately adjoining II on each side, but
IL WAS hot blaze. The heat broke one
Of the plate glass windows in Plummer's
store across the square, aud Il made the
windows in the True Block, farther
away in another direction, so hot that
one could not hold his hand on them.
All the buildings In the vicinity were
kept wet, and the paint on number OF
them was blistered by the heat.
Five streams were put on from the
hydrsnts, and later the old "Pacific"
hand engine was hsuled up and did val
liant service, pumping from the reservoir
la the middle OF the square. A call for
help was sent to Norway, but before the
help arrived the fire was under control.
The Lsmbe store and stable connected
with il were burned fat. The Wilson
store building on the east Of the Lsmbe
store was practically destroyed, portions
Of the walls. and some Of the partitions
being left, but worth nothing Ia their
present condition. On the other side,
the stable Of the set Of buildings owned
by Mrs. George Ham was entirely burn
ed, the ell was Quilted and practically
ruined, and the main house, although
the frame Is probably good, was badly
damaged.
Mr.. and Mrs. Ham, and her father,
George Jones, who lives with them, saw
ed quite a portion Of their household
goods, after a fashion. The goods were
moved out into the square, and were
badly damaged by the moving, by
sparks, and by water. Three hogs were
burned In the stable.
The store occupied by Mr.. Lsmbe was
owned by Capt. Ii. n. Bolster, and WAS
occupied BY him until he sold out his
stock In trade To Mr.. Lsmbe some nine
wears since. The tenement over the
store had been occupied by 4. J. I.ambe
aud family until his removal from town
the week before the fire, and j. 4. Lsmbe
Was intending to move into II soon.
f. Wilson OF Fairfield, and WAS ut one
time occupied by him as q drug store.
Ii has since been used for various lines
OF business, but was unoccupied Mt the
time Of the fire. The tenement overhead
WAS also vacant, though IL had been so
only few weeks.
Miss Matte Hersey had quantity OF
goods, books, etc stored In the attic Of
the Bolster store. which were a total
loss, snd uninsured.
The cause Of the fire l. unknown. IL
evidently started In the back part OF the
store. somewhere nesr the Office, and
had gained considerable Roadway bt fore
IL was discovered. State Insurance Com
missioner Carr Was here Thursday, and
an investigation WAS conducted by him
and the seleetmen, hut not a particle Of
evidence Was discovered which tended
TO throw any light on the question.
The insurance on the several losses
WAS 10 wbeeler's agency and was as fol-
lows: II. n. Bolster, store building,
-, 600; J. A. Lsmbe, stock OF goods,
81 500: George f. Wilson, store build
ing, $1,000; Mrs. George Ham, build
ings $1,000, furniture $500.
What will be done about rebuilding
can not be told definitely as yet. There
Is general feeling that the present cir
cumstances sfford an excellent oppor-
tunity 10 strsighten street lines little,
and build large business block which
shall be an ornament to the place, aud
there Ia considerable talk about the de-
STABILITY and practicability OF doing so;
and movement 20 that end IL on foot.