The Portland daily press., 1899-05-13
Fires Still Burning May
Cause Trouble.
The Whole Town Mustered to
Meet the Flames.

cited all day yesterday, especially in those
portions lying near the First Congre-
gational church on the road from West
Falmouth to Colley's corner. The occa-
sion thereof was forest fire, which, while
keeping to the woods ITSELF rained down
burning cinders into the hamlet about
the church. This fall of cinders made
life extremely interesting, and the re-
porter Of the PRESS who listened to the
story as told last evening by the as
sembled neighbors at the various country
stores, was conscious of having heard
nothing like it before since reading Lord
Lytton's description of the storm that
fell on Pompeil.
The cause of all the trouble arose in
some unoleared land of Mr.. Christian
Lawson on the Woodville road. Mr..
awsen had been tempted by the general
dryness to benevolently assimilate with
fire some recalcitrant stumps. He did
this several days ago and the fire-to
use the expression of man who was
knowing to the facts-had "smugged and
smugged' until yesterday morning.
Then arose the fierce west wind that
mado life SO unpleasant everywhere yes
terday, and famed the smouldering en-
bers into q raging forest fire, which licked
up the trees and bushes pretty clean in
that neighborhood. Some of the flying
sparks lighted in MIR. Albert Wilson s
woodland and another blaze was soon
rolling up clouds of smoke there The
growing grass in the fields adjacent to
the woods did not afford fuel of the
right kind to allow the flames to sweep
the country as 1t does in the prairie fires
which you read of in books. There was
no such feature to the fire, although
rumors that reached Portland might
have led the imaginative to believe that
the people of Falmouth would find refuge
only in wells or bog holes. The mischief
was done by the sparks that flew from the
burning woods and rained down in the
hamlet aboutfthe church. There were the
church, the chapel, the houses of MIR.
Joseph Richards, Rev. Judson W. Shaw.
the Widow Price, Mr.. Albert Marston,
DR.. Il. +. Robinson, Mr.. H. N. Stone,
Nv. Algernon Rowie, Mr.. Henry p. Mer-
rill, the store of Charles Richards and
Odd Fellows hall. The houses of the
Widow Prince and Mr.. Joseph Richards,
and the chapel were favored most by the
sparks, and in this region gathered the
larger portion OF the 100 or 200 townsmen
who responded willingly to Selectman
Frank Blanchard's general call to mus
ter. The great clouds Of smoke attracted
many sightseers from Deering and Port
land, and the crowd of teams that came
suggested circus day forcibly to one
hero of the fight, who modestly told his
story at the forks of the road last even
ing. Many ladies were among those who
came, and band of the most valiant OF
| them, led by Mrs. Leighton of East
Deering, did Amazonian service when the
shower OF sparks was thickest. The fire
was fought generally with switches OF
brushwood, the fighters beating out
whatever fire would catch. But water
also was used; and at Mr.. Joseph Rich
ards house the flames got such Roadway
in the shed that it had to be pulled down.
The roof of this house also caught; but
way of a window and extinguished the
blaze. The fate of this house was consid-
cred SO dubious that the neighbors moved
out the furniture. Whenever the sparks
seemed likely to get ahead of the men the
bell of the church would be rung to keep
everyone awake, and attract the slower
citizens to the battle. The Portland and
Yarmouth electric road sent up about
thirty Italians :from the work at Under
wood parknl and the children of sunny
Italy,mhds valuable auxiliaries.
All the afternoon and up to O'Clock
the situation remained critical; but at
that hour the wind died down and the
pie of Falmouth were going about their
appointed tasks as if nothing had hap.
pened.
The fire had not gone out, however. 1t
, had only ceased to rain sparks because
the wind had ceased to aid it. But over
road, great clouds of smoke were pouring
up, and occasionally the flames would
run to the top of a tall tree with the sud
den brilliancy characteristic of forest
fires. AS night came on thesky was
lighted up, and warned people miles
away that the fire was not subdued. In.
deed, no particular effort was made to
subdue 1t, because it is practically impos-
sible to stop it in the thick woods and
brushes. All that can be done il to pro-
teot the buildings menaced by sparks.
The people of Falmouth generally felt
that If the wind should blow again today
they would have another hard fight.
The woods that are the scene of the fire
are in the best timber region of the
town, and lie principally on the farms
OF Christian Lawson. Earnest Winslow.
Mr.. Stone, the depot master, and Ed,
ward Garsos. 1t is impossible to tell thf