The Portland daily press., 1899-07-06
THE CHAPMAN HOUSE DE.
STROYED.

The fire worked to windward along the
top of the ridge behind the Judge Tolman
settlement and swooped down upon the
Chapman house. This was large three
story building with two cupolas ON top,
standing on the slope of the hill, oppo-
site Wharf Cove. 1t has been unoccupied
for three or four years. 1t was owned by
Miss May Chapman originally, but in
recent years some others have acquired
part of 1t. 1t was intended for hotel,
but was never a very profitable venture,
though 1t occupied one Of the most beau
tiful points ON the back side OF the island
The windows in this building had nearly
all been broken and 1t was not In q very
good state Of repair. so 1t is said. Wher
first built it cost about $4,000. 1t GOULD
not be learned yesterday whether 1t was
insured or not. While the Peaks island
aremen were doing their best to save the
property cf Edward Duddy and the
Wellesley cottage, which stood near by. a
pillar of flame shot high in the air from
the Chapman ..house. The big building
was as dry as finder and made terrific
OAA1o WAtOh Wab oO AOg sunu ~ was iul-
possible to approach anywhere near It,
In few minutes the building was in
ruins and not q vestige of it now remains
beyond the tall chimney which stands as
a Ions monument to mark the spot. The
earth around his building for the space of
a hundred feet or more was baked as hard
as a brick and the sparks from the burn
An. az. F-11 ~ A.
forest about. setting new fires in,hun-
dreds Of different places. 5d
THE WELLESLEY COTTAGE GOES.
Shortly after this the Wellesley cottage
took fire and was destroyed in a twink
ling of an.eye. This cottage stood several
hnndred yards east OF the Chapman
house and nearer the shore, Right behind
it higher up the slope the cottage Of Ed
ward buddy stands and this was believed
to be doomed. The Wellesley cottage was
unoccupied. 1t was owned by Mr..
Young of Albany, New York. who bought
1t from man named Martin some years
ago. Water Crest is the name of the Dud
dy Cottage.
The fire boat had not yet reached the
island when the Wellesley cottage was
destroyed and the Peaks island firemen
gave up all hope Of saving the buddy
cottage from destruction. So they broke
into the cottage and began to remove tbs
furniture as rapidly as possible, piling it
up in q spot some distance from the cot
tage in what then seemed to be safe
cnnE Tha frrnifr,ra rox,ovad @ho H.
men pulled out the doors and the most of
the window sashes and placed these with
the furniture. There was not man on
the island at this moment who would
have given fivo-cent piece for the Duds
dy cottage, though it is one OF the pretti.
est and best fitted on the back side of the
island. The fra soon worked its way to-
ward the buddy cottage. But it did not
even seorch it's paint. Instead the flames
found their way into the Pile of furniture
windows and doors and in alfew minutes
the greater part of them were burned up.
FIGHT TO SAVE THE TOLMAN
PLACE.
On the top of the ridge, behind the
Chapman house. though little to the
eastward of 1T. is one of the prettisst col
lection of cottages on the back side OF the
island. Three of them are owned by
Judge Tolman of Westbrook, and the set
tlement is marked by tall windmill
There are three other cottages here, two
being owned by Miss L. NJ. Cole of Bos-
ton. ana the other is the property of her
sister, Miss NJ. NJ. Cole ahere is quite
a large open space in front of these cot
tages, but on either side they are very
near the woods. About the time the fire
was getting within dangerous proximity
to the easterly side of this group of cot
tages the fire boat arrived at Trefethen's
landing and connected with the hose the
Peaks island flremen had laid up through
the woods, distance of three-quarters
of a mile. The stream from the fire boat,
handled by the willing men from the city
and the islanders, reached this group OF