The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1900-05-03
HEAVY LOSS.
skowhegan's Worst Fire for Many Years
Damage over S5O, ZOO.

DhhiAkc oSbE @DOfOOU
The most disastrous fire In way of
money value in loss sustained, that ever
struck Skowhegan, occurred Thursday
night and Friday morning, beginning
Just before the midnight hour that d.
vided the former from the later day
The alarm rang about lao, Thursday
night, and when the first persons to
arrive, got there, the large lumber mill,
long known as the Weston mill. the pro-
perty of the Skowhegan Electric Light
Co., WAS briskly burning on the inside
and the flame was bursting through the
roof and wall The fire very soon reach
ed the old grist mill building, owned by
Il. S. Steward and used by him as
wheel house and the Stinchfpld building
owned by l., w. Weston & Co. and oc
cupied by Adams 81 Caswell as a wood
working mill, M. l.. Parsons as a box
factory and Calvin Stinchfleld as a
custom, wool-carding MILL
These buildings burned like finder,
making, with the lumber In and around
them, an exceedingly heavy blaze and
hot fire. 1t was early seen that any
attempt to save these buildings would
be useless and attention was given to
playing upon the surrounding sheds and
lumber piles and upon the large brick
| electric light station, the new, expensive
and valuable plant occupied and owned
by the Skowhegan Electric Light Com
pany, built by the company for lighting
purposes, three years ago the present
season, also upon the stable and sheds
connected with the Island Grst mill,
occupied by Steward Brothers.
A vigorous effort was made to prevent
the fire from gaining Roadway in the
Electric Light building, but in spite of
these efforts and the fact that the build
ing was protected by metallic window
shutters and the roof WAS steel, the fire
caught inside and burst through the
roof of the northerly end of the struct-
ure, the part nearest the burning wooden
buildings. The building has two main
floors. the basement and attic all used by
the company in the various purposes of
model electric lighting plant, probably
the best one in Maine In any town the
size of Skowhegan.
The fire was checked when the roof
had been three-fourths destroyed and the
floor of the attic story about one.half
burned. This was done by smashing
windows 10 the front, southerly end,
erecting ladders to them and pouring in
water copiously through these windows
with hose.
Energetic work was done on surround
ing buildings particularly the stable and
sheds of II. S. Steward and houses
southerly of the fire where showers of
sparks and burning shingles were falling
for an hour or so upon the dry shingle
roofs. Fire caught on many of these
buildings, including the Congregational
church editice, several dwellings, also on
roofs of lumber sheds and on lumber
piles, but close watch being kept over
these danger points, they were not
allowed to make Roadway. Sparks and
burning shingles fell even as far away
as the oil cloth factory, = mile.
When the fire started the wind seemed
to be blowing directly from the west,
but it soon seemed to veer to the north,
which was a very fortunate occurrence
| hn hnf pfi
the west would have made the saving of
Stewards flour mill exceedingly difficult
and If that had burned it is hard telling
where the flames would have stopped.
! 1t is probable they could not have been
confined to the island but might have
swept the wooden bridge and line of
stores on one or both sides of Water
street.
The large brick structure, the Electric
Light Station, took the brunt Of the
heat and formed barrier to further pro-
gress of the fire, but at the cost of seri.
GUS damage to that structure and con-
tents.
1t was fortunate indeed that the town
got out of the disaster at no greater loss,
heavy as it was.
The loss aud damage from this fire may
be summarized as follows:
The Electric Light building and
machinery, including shaftng and gears
and all machinery connected with
wheels, $35, 900 to $4,000; insured for
100000.
The Weston saw mill property, includ-
ing machinery complete for manufact-
uring long and short lumber, planer,
sawdust baling machinery, etc., $4,000
to $4,000; no insurance.
H. S. Stewards building in which was
his l25 h. p. wheel to run the Island
flour mill, a building "a x 30 it,, two
stories, also about 125 feet of shafting
with shed covering the same, with
damage to gears and machinery about
81 500; no insurance.
L. W. Weston & Co.'s building,
40 2S IT,, occupied by Adams & Cas-.
GET INSIDE.