Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-11-26


can be expected.
The three large buildings were so
ciose together that they burned almost
us one. The large KclricK storchouae
was the first to catch from the shop.
us the wind drove the flames directly
onto 1t. 1t was filed with the largest
stock of finished furniture that the
fairfieid Furniture co. has bad on
mana Tor many years. BUSINESS WAS
rushing so that an extra large supply
was necessary to meet the orders as
they came. TIE crowd which had as
sufneu large proportions. turned to
willingly and rushed the furniture out
OF the burning storehouse as rapidly
as possible. No one held back or
thought of dinner. Business men. Wo-
men all hand hand. There MAS It
constant stream going in and out Of
furniture out Of the heat, where it was
taken by the women and carried fur
ther back out Of any possible danger.
Colby girl was among the number
working like a Trogan.
Every one worked desperately, bat
the fire gained so rapidly that on'X =
comparatively small part Of the con-
tents of the storchousc were rescued.
Men STAYED in the upper story until a
part of the roof fell II ana even then
the work continued on the first !loor.
The building WAS filed from the roof
TO the ground noGr with furniture Of
al kinds ana II vas Utterly impossible
to save ID All in the time allowed BY
the fire. The loss On this c1nno' be
accurately estimated as yet. Dat II viii
he very heavy. Most of the stuff res
eued is In good condition and viii only
need little touching UP 10 make it
as good as new.
Meanwhile the lire had worked lis way
into tie Puringtuu building. The loss
here will not be vrrl heavy. The store
house Of tie com ,nny II NJ behind thc
Maine Central freight house, ~ that oniy
y small amount of finished stock was I'D
the min. Most of tht machinery 10 thr
first floor was taken ont. a. the iirn.
working against the wind WAS not a~
fierce ana rapid as in the st"rehol<c be-
low. Much of tho machinery WAS tight
enough IA allow q good crowd ii men L.
tear it from its fastcnin=s ana hustle il
NbN hl ttHii~4 llt l4'.sth if'l l.'''HN WIZ
pulled qua vita horses. a. q was srmc
~ the more bulhv pieces wcrs destroyed.
Much W ih. stock "u the first floor va
saved MIR. Cotton hlI jISt sent an ui-
VcrtiScfn-nt a. n local paper Offering this
ht1ildiIl. ;,nd water r,y.rr Tor sale only
the power now remains.
The keurick office. which WIS directly
,,.rnss ib.. street from The. Puriugtutl
tuiiidIur was quickly .striuti,d uf its I'm
uishjnes II looked as If IL must go and
IL il did il was probable that the fire
votId snre;,d tn In, large. barn i'm In .
rear ami ther.. WIS no knowing wu.Tu
II might GO from that. Their. WIS sru All
haS.. connected with IL. office and this
WAS kent at work playing IN the front M
the hnildittg its tins stream locked very
the regular tire hose. hut ii saved III.
Office Just ~" same and probably Z NOR
serious spread cl thr ire. Tho books Hg-i
furnishings III tile office were loaded "n
IA wagon and hauled away L. Il place 81
safety.
Meanwhile tho fir" department had not
b~on idle. II responded with it's usual
promptncss To- tho alarm ard soon had
every available line Of hose in play. II
WAS thought that enough hydrantS had
been placed near thu mills 10 protect
them. but there were name too many.
saturday The power behind the ny
drantS was mot what il should have been.
The steamer was rapidly hustled into az
ton and there was no lack OF power IN
nFT SIFtIlftS. IN IL Ntis -itiA AllltN Nl4' q
was a perfect network Of hose in thu
street III trout IF III. burning building
aud nozzlcs were pointing i'm every dircc-
ton The fire was so fierce and hot. how
ever. that uttlc could be done bcyoii'!
keeping IL IN bounds. Tho fircTncn fought
hard and took desperate chances. but the
hlazc was beyond their control in a few
minutes after il started. The point "l
greatest anxiety was south If the store
house There was great danger there of
thr fir.. sl,re:dint: a. the shed used as Il
general storhoasc. hut This was nort
Thoroughly wet ana Jill not catch once.
The little .nZin. house ala catch but Juc
flames could get uu farther
a sprcad across tlt. street into thc lum-
b,r ward and IN, building there was ;llsr
nr,,rntrd -, that lh,. ftr,. did not get b,-
Vnnd th, three shops which were closely
connected I:y 10 th., three larc" build
iu..sS were in rains and tho fir, under con-
troll ANY one of the buildings alUu
wound have mad. q dangerous blaze. hu:
with the three burning At once il made "a
confederation that was soon beyond all
control.
II N rather difficult a. accurately eSli-
mate tho loss That ou the kcnricI1 SIM
ishcd stock v.u bc heavy. but inst hoW
heavy cannot ~ determined until an ac-
count IL taken ana ihr condition NJ that
saved ~ learned. Then the indirect luSS
viii br ,Ac greatest one business man
said that the. loss 10 him personally WI .
h. about = prr week. sonnet hing iil" 900
men and boys were employed IN the two
shops Aituuuch men are ITpor,cd 10 10
scarce. tnis is a particularly bad season
for them TO be thrown ont vf employ
mcnt Many of them are skilled work
~fa.-