The Portland daily press., 1899-07-03
Chief Eldridge Couldn't Get People
TO Help Piremen.
City Employe Refuses
Use Of Teams.
Fire Did Little Damage But
Caused Much Excitement.

About noon Sundayssa fire started In the
woods on Peaks Island, near the path
which runs from Central avenue through
the woods towards the swamp" Where
the fire originated was not far. from Day
claim, so-called. whe re there are cottages
owned by Mrs. Christopher Way, Mr..
Knowlton and others When first dis.
covered this fire was near the edge Of the
path which runs up over the hill towards
the Rock Bound Park. as 1t is generally
called. 1t was caused by carelessly
dropped cigar. A MIR. Shaw aad two
men named Pennell were the first to dis.
cover this fire,and Immediately proceeded
to carry water from bog hole to extin.
guish it. The wind was blowing strongly
at the. time from the southwest and the
fire threatened to work into the woods
near the cottages mentioned above. BY
heroic efforts and hard work the fire was
prevented from getting into the woods
and went tearing it's way through the
juniper vines and dry underbrush over
the hill.
In the meantime the Peaks Island fire
department. had been called out and
stretched about 200 feet of hose from the
scene OF the fire towards Howard's wharf,
through the wood path and down Central
avenue. Driven by the strong wind the
fire worked rapidly. up over the hill and
spread out in N fan shape over the unim-
proved land owned by Mrs. Chapman,
Mr.. Trefethen and others.
By this time the black smoke which
was Arising from the centre of Peaks ISL
and attracted the attention of the people
In Portland and the man In the obserya-
tory telephoned to Chief Eldridge of the
fire department about the matter. Hasti-
-ly gathering u dozen men or SO the chief
ordered the fire boat to the island and she
arrived there while the fire was In full
blast. From the water 1t could be seen
leaping from tree to tree near the hill.
and seemed to be gaining very rapidly.
The fire boat headed In towards Trefsth-
ems landing, when man named Sloan
who belongs to the Peaks island fire com
pany, was seen waving his arms and
shouting for the fire boat to land at How
ards wharf. The fire boat turned about
and ran into this wharf. Sloan told the
chief that Capt Millett of the Peaks ISL
and. company had laid line of hose up
to the fire from the wharf and thought
the fire could best be reached from that
point. Some other men told the chief
that the fire should be fought from IRE
fethen's landing. but the chief took Cant.
Millett's advice and laid line OF hose
at Towards wharf.
With the few men that accompanied the
fire boat from I Portland, Chief EIdridae
laid his line of hose and connected it
with that of the island fire company. BY
this time the fire had worked away from
the place where it originated and was
tearing over the hill towards Trefethen's.
Chief Eldridge then discovered that a
mistake had been mace in landing at
Towards wharf and gave orders to take
up the hose which had been laid and
carry 1t to Trefethen's landing. The fire.
men began to execute these orders, but
the crowd of men and boys that were
standing around did not offer to hello,
Then Chief Eldridge told SCapt. MilIett
TO tell these men that they would be paid
for the work they did. but none of them
could be found who would assist the fire.
men in moving the hose. Littlejohn, the
truokman, had come up with two teams
and offered bis assistance andiit was
gladly accepted, and q part of the hose
was put in these two wagons. Chief
Eldridge wanted TO get tine rest OF the 1900
feet which had been laid. carried to Ire !.
iethen's Mt once so as to head OF the IRE
before 1t reached tho cottages at Trefeth-
ems, but he could find no one TO help.
Az this time Chief Eldridge met Alonzo
II. browns. who Is the city foreman for
the street department. at Peaks. The chief
explained to him the need for getting this
hose to Trefethen's as soon as possible,
but MIR. browns did not offer to assist
in any way.
Can't you tske some of your teams
and haul this hose TO Irefethen So. the
chief asked him.
met today replied Mr.. browns.
At this the chief of the fire department
lost his patience and told the assembled
crowd that II they wanted to stand
around and see their cottages burn up
he couldn't make them work, sbut was
going back to Portland and get help.
With this the chief returned to the fire
boat, loaded on BOARD of 1t such hose as
had not been taken to Trefsthen's land.
ing by the Littiejohn wagon and started
for Portland. This was about O'Clock
and all Of this time the fire was spread
ing out over the hill and through the
woods and endangering many cottages at
Trefethen's and on the hill near Judge
Tolman's place.
Reaching Portland Chief Eldridge hast
sned to Mayor Robinson's house and ex-
planned to him the situation. He said
eh Mt no.