The Portland daily press., 1899-11-27

awakened by his sister who told him that
sne house was on IRE. Ssisel slept In
a room In the bsck of the top fist. He
SAYS that he rushed into tie sitting room
which opens to the front hall and found
that the house was full Of smoke and he
was nearly smothered py IL. He man.
aged to give the alarm and then be and
his family made their escape TO the
ground By the back stairs.
When the tiremen reached the house it
didn't take long for the chemical engine
to subdue this blaze In the closet on the
second floor.
1t was n very to- lire and tbs hremen
found it necessary to demolish the closet
before 1t could be subdued but only
chemical stream was used. When this
fire was extinguishsd Captain Butter OF
the chemiosl thought he heard the sound
of flames on the floor above. he ran up
stairs and found that the door OF the hall
bed room or the top floor was locked.
This room Is leased OF Seigel by May A.
Page and has been used by her for store
room for furniture. she has lately novel
her furniture out OF this room. however,
and stored 1t In another place. Captain
Butler found the door of this room locked
and he kicked it open. When be did so
he found that an old trunk In the middle
of the small room was blazing. This
trunk was iilled with old books an I'd pa :
pers. The lire In 1t could not possibly
have been started from tie other fire be.
low as there was no means by which IL
could have reached this place. On inves-
tigation IL was found that q lots OF paper
had been piled In one corner OF the room
and had been saturated with kerosene
oil. In another corner was pile of
kinilipg wood soaked with kerosene. An
aria chair iu the room had also been
GOV, red with kerosene but rs far rs could
te told there had been none poured In
the trunk. The floor of the room was
covered with kerosene oil. On chair
In the room was Eve gallon can of
kerosene early empty.
The tire In this room on tie top floor
Chief Eldridge and Deputy Marshal
Chener7 said had bsen started after the
other on the floor below had resn extin-
guished. Ihsy claimed that bad Il been
stsrte at the same time Ms the other tire
the blaze would have reached the kerosene
soaked wood and pspee and SO have
started n blaze which would have taken
the roof of the house in short order. bad
not Captain Butler discovered the blazing
trunk Just as he did the hremen would
have had a much n ore lively time than
they did.
10 . a Of ha
hall lei room where the frank was on
fra wers locked when he got there Miss
Page mys that man went up to this
room with ner at five O'Clock to get a
book from the trunk and might have
caused the tire but the chief engineer says
the ire could net have been burning Us
long NJ that. When Miss Page left this
every thing was all right.
Miss Page had no insurance on her
goods Mrs. l.. b. Harris, from whom
she leased her room on the second floor.
has $500 insurance. placed with 4. j.
Harmon. ". b. Ssigsl who occupies
the top fat, has $3.50 insurance, but he
does not recsll with whom 1t Is placed.
Fred A. Crawford occupied the flat on
thu ground floor. he was not damaged
any by the fire though he is insured for
$500, placed with Norton 81 HALL The
HOUSE. Is owned by MIS-. Celia Berry Of
W,s brook, who recently bought 1t OF
Fred Saywood of this city.
Seigel, Miss Page and Mrs. Harris will
suffer some less. The house WAS damaged
about $500 worth.
That 1t was an ipc,ndiary fire Chief
Eldridge says he has NO doubt.