Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-07-08
UdtIv keVIlSUSC tOutHat
A COUNTRY FIRE.
The Scenes that Take Place
in the Country Town.
Fire" the Magic Word that Arouses
All the Inhabitants.
For Days the Eject Is Felt Of the Flams
Fighting.

IneSe are the WOruS tndt VI oil otHcTS
will stir the people of country town
into action. 1t is one of the magic
words for the stirring of the blood in
the veins of the easy going people. Es-
pecially is this so in the night. Here
far away from the protection Of a fire
engine and without any water system.
the word fire" means the loss of a
town. In many cases the people real
lize that if place is burned, there will
forever after be a burnt district" in
the town, for there is not business
enough to warrant the rebuilding. The
town has seen its best days away back
in the time when the stage coaches
plyed back and forth between the
larger places, and these buildings are
the relics of those days.
Then there is more of a fellow feel
ing among the people than in the city.
A fire in the city means hustle to the
firemen. and to the people Immediately
concerned, but to the masses there is
nothing but idle curiosity to call them
to the place indicated by the alarm
which tells to nicely where the peo-
pie should go. The fire in the country
is another thing. 1t means the clos
ing of all business until the fire is out
and it means a personal matter to
every man. woman and child. as
though it was their own home.
Take the happenings at an ordinary
country fire and perhaps it may be in
teresting to the reader, especially to
the one who will recognize the picture.
though humbly portrayed.
The town has been for years without
fires of any consequence. True, 81
SINNERS barn out on the back road
to Poodoc had been burned by tramps
two years ago, but as to real fires,
there had been none.
1t was one calm night in midsummer
and everyone knows what calm night
means in a country town, absolute
quiet. The Growing of the early roos-
ter who awakening. made a mistake in
the hour; the barking Of the hounds in
kennel a mile away, could be plainly
heard floating mournfully on the night
air.
Fred Hobbs, who lives over the store
in the principal business block, is to &c
away on the early morning train, and
rises to take a look at the clock and
then to glance out of the window,
looking across the street. observes a
light in the hardware store, a good
block two and one half stories high.
The mans heart futters in the same
manner that he observes the light, and
it flashes across his mind that the
block across the way is about to be
wrapped in flames that have been
growing since he first looked out.
His head is out of the open window
at once and loudly he shouts the magic
words Fire, fire, fire." until HIS lungs
threaten to burst with the great strain
put upon them.
AS though every one in the neigh
borhood slept with an ear and an eye
open, they hear and recognize the cry
and are out of bed in an instant; the
the men hurrying excitedly to slip into
the clothing that happens to be the
nearest; the women to run to the win
and the younger children, to cry.
BY this time Hobbs has jumped into
a pair Of trousers and is out upon the
street. shouting at the top of his voice
| and following him pour scores of men
from out of the houses. Every man is
shouting at the highest pitch he can
command, and rushing for the store.
Each man has taken the water pals
from his sink and hardly a man APP
pears who is not provided with some
sort of vehicle for holding water
Some of the less excitable have rush
ed to the churches and the old court
house. and staving in the doors are
ringing the bells to wake all who have
not been awakened by the first alarm
They pull at the bell rope until their
strength is gone, and then others take
their places. The bells are rung fast
and furiously and in a manner that
they would protest against had they
the use of their tongue, as it is so diff
ferent from the sober tolling they re-
ceive when calling people to church of
Sunday.
The younger element have rushed to
their engine house where they keep the
old hand engine, which has not been
moved or oiled for months. This is
rushed out and down to the scene of the
fire in a time that would do Justice to
Alex McCausland with his hose truck
of the Augusta fire department. Pant
ing for breath they put out the hose
and call for volunteers to pump. In
stantly the handles are going with
their merry chug. chug. chug. and a