The Portland daily press., 1899-06-26
AT DRY DOCK.
How Juvenile Bathers Set Fire
To the Tub.
And the Blaze Destroyed Two old
n~flaings.

u ssmswhst resem bied a case Of the
bather setting fire to the bath tub, Satur-
day afternoon when lively blaze broke
out ut the old Portland Dry Dock just
across the Portland bridge. The bathers
left their swimming long enough, rs they
supposed, 20 take measures for the preser-
walton OF the tub and then returned to the
water. Afterwards they dried their
skins in their exertions as volunteer fire.
| men. ~
PRESS reporter was told aboutl-the
star ting OF the fire by Clyde Bradford,
who together with Willis Baker and some
other boys were in swimming In the
large dock. He said that crowd Of boy
oame over TO the dry dock from the city
and went in swimming. They were
smoking cigarettes and shortly after they
arrived on the spot pile Of old marlin
took fire. 1t was between the building
which MIR. Stephen leighton, who has
charge Of the dock, now uses as tool
house and another shed which was I'M
occupied. The boys put the fire out once
or thought they did and took to the water
again. The strong west wind which was
blowing at the time famed the sparks
into blaze and the first thing the boys
knew the entire side OF the tool house
was ON fire. The boys broke open the
door of the.to house and got out about
all Of Mr. Leighton's tools and some other
things. Mr.. Leighton was ut the islands
Saturday afternoon and did not reach thu
dry dock until the fire had been nearly
extinguished. The tool house was as dry
as finder box and burned very rapidly.
The high wind carried the sparks from IL
over into the smaller dry dock and set Ii
on fire. At one time 1t seemed as II the
entire plant would be destroyed as the
timbers composing both docks are VERY
dry and took Gre easily.
The IRE boat did not return from Great
Diamond island until after the dry dock
fire broke out AS soon as possible after
her return Chief Eldridge sent her over TO
the dry dock and accom- panied her him
self. Assistant Engineer Hodgdon was
also on hand. The fire boat pulled up
along side Of the dock and sent ashore
two streams. The shed had by this time
burned to the ground but the FIRE boat
prevented the tire from spreading and I'M
doubleday saved the two docks from burn
ing up as we'll as the other sheds and tool
houses which go TO MAKE mp the plant
This old dry dock which was built
in 1855 never was a great financial success
and has not been used much In recent
years. At the time of It's construction IL
was the largest and best equipped. dock in
this part Of the country but with the col
lapse Of the sugar trade the. property
ceased to be Of much use
The damage yesterday afternoon was
not very large owing to the fact that the
building burned was old and not of much
use. The damage done to the two docks
was triffing. There is said to be no in
surance on the plant which is owned by
the Portland Dry Dock company.
EXPLOSION AT DIAMOND ISLAND.
John Nugent of Prebls street was US
ing gasoline in his work of fumieating a
cottage on Great Diamond island, Satur.
day. The gasoline did the work thorough
iy. Incidentally it burned of Nugent's
Anu nuA oyobFoWe Huu 3 uOfoueQ MS lace
and hands to crisp. This the gasoline
did with the accompaniment Of an ex-
plosion which so startled another work.
man In the cottage that he jumped out of
second story window. escaping With
some shaking up. So thorough was the
work of fumigation that when the fre
finally died away there was nothing left
of the cottage. Nugsnt cannot explain
how IL was that the gasoline exploded
He was taken OF the Maine Genera hos
pital. His injuries were found to be not
of dangerous character but they are
vary painful. The cottage was owned by
City Treasurer Libby and was worth
about 500. 1t was pai TALLY In sured.
The news OF the accident reached the city
in the shape Of q rumor that tan or a
dozen cottages were in flames. There was
considerable apprehension among cottage
OWNERS and the tire boat steamed TO the
island but the gasoline had finished the
cottage before the steamer could get there
No other damage was done.