The Somerset reporter., 1900-06-14
Two Fires In One Day.

Two fires Ia one day IL, fortunately, a
very uncommon occurrence IN our town,
but Thursday, presented this condition
of things.
The first was 10 the East end of the
building on the island owned by the
Milburn Company and occupied by the
Island Machine Company as Il foundry
and machine shop.
The fire was fret discovered on the
roof over the foundry and apparently
caught inside but it is impossible to
determine whether 1t caught on the
outslpe aud burned down into the roof
or inside aud burned up through the
roof.
Mr.. Augustus Gilblair, a member Of
the Island Machine Company. who has
personal charge of the foundry, inform
ed us that casting had been done under
his direction Just before noon and rs
usual, as a precautionary measure, the
roof was well wet down with hose
before the furnace was heated and again
after the operation was completed, so
that he thought 1t impossible Tor a spark
to set the roof on fire on the outside.
His theory is that a spark from the
furnace chimney by some means found
its way to the interior of the loft, where
were very large number of patterns
belonging to the owners of the foundry
and to others who were in the habit of
having casting made for their own use,
there, and stored their patterns in this
loft. R. L. Mitchell had number of
patterns destroyed also Lewis Anderson
Co. and other mill owners In town.
Aside from the burning of these pat
terms and other wood work in the loft
and the thorough wetting down of all
tools, lathes, machinery betting etc. and
iron castings in stock the damage was
not large, and the value of the patterns
destroyed cannot be accurately deter
mined but the loss must have been several
thousand dollars. The building is brick
walls with a wooden roof one story on
the westerly end, next to the street, and
two stories on the easterly end, near the
river. Almost one half the roof was
destroyed and part of the other some
what damaged.
There was no insurance on the build
ing or the contents. The Island Ma
chine Company carried an insurance
until about a year ago, but the rate was
very high and it WIS abandoned.
The alarm for this fire was blown just
before p. IN. The department respond
ed promptly and did good work in
getting the fire under control and ac-
complished 1t without great difficulty.
The roof of the car barn of the Show
hogan & Norrdgewock Railway Com
pany was damaged slightly by the fire.
This fire had but just been effectually
taken care of, when an alarm rung in
from box "a, the Post Office, because of
fire on Water Street In building
owned by r. II. Merrill & Son, in the
center of cluster of wooden buildings,
the most favorable place for large fire
In town. The hose was dragged from
the scene of the other fire, about one
tenth OF mile distant, and this and
other hose was laid and ladders run up
with expt dition. the steamer brought to
the front and in very short time seven
or eight lines of hose were playing on
the blaze and 1t was thoroughly drowned
out within few minutes.
The source of the fire is matter Of
speculation. Whether it caught inside
near the roof, from spark from the fire
to the windward, entering by an open
window, or whether it caught ON the
roof on the outside, 1t is impossible to
state. Mr.. Merrill is positive it caught
upon the outside of the roof from a
spark. The damage to the building
from fire was not large. A portion of
the roof was burned off but the building
was thoroughly drenched and the adjoin-
ing wooden buildings also owned by X.
H. Merrill & Son were damaged by fire
and water $1,000 or more. Merrill &
Son also suffered damage estimated at
fully 81 900 on their extensive stock OF
boots, shoes, etc. They had no insurance
on buildings or contents.
The others who suffered losses by
this fire were, F. w. Bowley, crockery,
tin ware etc, $500, to $500, insured
Miss Leora Wlthee, millinery, $500,
partially insured; George d. Arnold,
$50, insured; Frank LeClair, tailor,
insured; Miss Emma Tobey, dress.
maker, A. r. Shaw, barber, were
slightly damaged.
1t is fortunate that no other fires
caught from the sparks and that the
fire WAS checked promptly when IT
caught in the Merrill building.
Glorious News