The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-11-30
Firemen Hampered By
Net Work of Wires.
Big Department Store and Lip
Pincott Publishing House
Destroyed.


trio spark In the basement OF Partridge
s. Richardson's big department. store.
Nos. IS to 20 North Eighth street, start
a fire this morning that In less than four
hours laid In ashes nsalry an entire block
Of business houses and caused an ssti-
mated loss OF ovsr S3,0Do, 600. Tho
heaviest losers are ]. b. Lippincott g.
Co, took publishers. 10 to 10 hilbert
street whose big six story brick building
con taining rars and valuable plates and
uschiuery was oompletsly Quilted invoiv-
ing q loss estimated by q member of the
firm ut g., 0o0,0C0.
Ihe next heaviest loser was Partridge
g. Richardson, extending south on Eighth
street from fiibsrt, . distance Of about
l2s feet and with depth of 100 feet.
Their loss on building and contents is es-
timatsd at $780, eco.
Lit Brothers, whose department store
adjoins the Lippinoott building, estimate
their loss at $4,000.
In addition to the big Sousss men,
toned, number OF smaller stores were
sither Quilted or badly damaged Chief
umOuk tubnc Wtk' DaAANf . atD ehA VII
cent store. 10 North Eighth street, loss on
stock $1GO, UCO; senbsrg's millinery es-
taplishment, I'll North Eighth street,
SO COZ.
The estimated loss on these two build
ings 10 $4,000.
Various other establishments were
slightly damaged BY smoke and water.
The burned district covers nearly an
entire block. Lit Bros. store has front
ase on Market street from Eighth To
within one hundred fest Of Seventh
street. This portion of the building was
mot damage hut the rear which ad5oins
tbs Lippinoatt Publishing house suffered
sevssely. On Filbert street between Par
fridge and Richardson's store on Eighth
street and Lippiuootts ON Filbsrt street
we're several small buildings which wers
tiessr aged. 1t was from thsas that the
flames comm anioated with the publish
ing housa. On Eighth street hetwssn
Lifts and Partridge and Richardson .
we're located the Bailey and RoSen berg
storss.
The blaze was discovered by Waterman
Fennsning, who observed an electric
light wire In the basement of Partridge
and Riohardson's store emitting sparks.
This Was at 0. 90 o'clock.
He transmitted an alarm. but before
the lire department responded the tuild-
ing was q mass Of flames. Owing to the
infiA nElabls nature of the stock. the
blaze spread rapidly. Five alarms were
sent in bringing out the entire depart
msnt. In the oourse of an hour the big
store was in ruins and Lippincotts and
the smaller stores adjoining were In
flames. The dpsman were hampsred In
their work by ths mass of trolley, tale
phone and telegraph wire over Filhert
street, which Is narrow thoroughfare.
10 this fant 10 partly due the destruction
of the publishing house.
Ths firemsn were mnre sucoesful with
Lit Brothers place and confined the
flames to the rear. During the eontagra-
ton several firsmeA we're slightly injured
by falling glass. All of the losses are
probably covered BY insurance.
Hundreds of Insn and women have bsen
thrown ont Of work by this tire. While
the entire department was battling with
the big oonflaGration. another Tire broke
out In the boot and shoe store Of William
Harris. No. 4le Market street, four blocks
away Trem the Eighth street fire. A half
dozen engines were detached from the big
tire, but before the firemen had sucosoasd
In exiting uisbing the flames the place
WAS guttsd, causing q loss of $50, Geo.
The adjoining building occupied by A.
s. Dow-ie, stationery, was damaged by
water to the extent of slO.O The losses
are covered by insurance.