Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-01-08
FIREMEN HURT
At the Saturday Morning Blaze
At Portland.
Unusually Heavy Casualty List and a
Very Heavy Fire Loss.
The Total Will Reach About SI25.OOO. With
About 100000 Insurance.


early morning fire which threatened to
be sweepinSly destructive was confined
to the building where it originated
The firemen under the direction of
Chlef Eldridge fought for hours, con
stantly exposed to danger, and almost
constantly in peril of their lives. The
badly injured are:
Lieut.. Stickney of engine ). slipped
on the ice and was very badly injured
Hoseman William Cannon of hose s.
big piece of coping fell on him. He
received a bad scalp wound, and it is
feared that his right leg is broken. He
may also have received internal in
juries.
Hoseman John Lombard of engine l.
injured about the legs.
Driver Fowler Of hose ?. kicked and
hurt by a horse.
II. II. Leighton of hose u, was struck
on the head by the falling coping and
was cut.
w. A. Meserve fell from a ladder and
was injured about the head and Shout
ders.
Hoseman Saunders was injured
about the head and face.
Fred Walton fell from a ladder and
dislocated his shoulder
Hoseman Cannon, who was pinned
down by the falling coping, had his
right hip crushed and will probably be
cripple for life.
Hugh f. McDonough. night watch
man, discovered the fire on the Mar
L. s.;I % h.
cupied by the F. O. Bailey Co. as a
carriage repository. At the point
where the fire was discovered there is
an elevator we'll The furnace is in a
corner near it. How the fire started
no one knows, but the flames shot up
the elevator well through the five
stories of the building.
Capt. Butler of the chemical. re-
sponded to the first alarm. but could
do nothing. +. II. Josselyn of the city
government, and a member of the fire
committee. was the first to reach the
scene. ana lie pulled the second and
general alarm. Chief Ildridge then or
dered out the entire department., and
the fight began in good earnest.
A vast amount Of property was in
great danger. The post office is direct
~ opposite. and in a few minutes the
big marble building was full Of smoke,
nearly forcing the clerks tn leave their
work. Postmaster SWEET arrived. and
ordered wagons to hc ready t. remove
the mails. and. as fan as possible. the
other property For hours the building
was in danger. and Postmaster SWEET
STAYED there through the night.
hp In
to aid the department. and a long line
of hose was laid from the water to
Middle street.
The first attempt vas made TO keep the
fire confined to the lover story. and Fire
man Clarence Hart nearly lost his life
He crawled through the SuftocatlnS
moke and flame into the building. hpS'
pipo in ms hands. His raEpIrator was
dIslodg4d ana with the greatest difficulty
he cri.gled Oh III, hands and knees 70 the
door. He fell lust before reaching 1t, but
was taken out and revived, and insisted
on doing his full duty.
The problem chief Eldridge had t.
solve was how 70 keep the ire c"nilntd
to it's original space. The Bailey building
was A mass Of flames from top to bottom,
but the strong retaining walls between y
ana other buildings helped the iiremrn.
They could not prevent great loss To the
other buildings from smoke ana water:
When Hoecmau Cannon was struck 10y
posed position. ana when he was carried
into the post office it was at hrst sup
posed that he was dead. Drs. Thompson;
Hanson and Cammett attended him, ana
he was taken home.
To add to their troubles. the ilremrh
had to work in darkness except when the
flames burst through some portion 81 the
building. Chief Eldridge was forced to
order the electric lights To be smut OIL. N"
high voltage putting the life Of every
man in danger. Janitor Brown q tht
II, an
lights across Market street above the
armOry, and they did good service: ne
tiremen fought from O'Clock until after
daylight. ..
The = 0. Bailey 90. building was GIT
ted, and is practiclny ruined. The build
ing is owned by the Black estate 81 Bos-
ton. ana was insured. The loss i eSll1
mated close to S2n.wo and may 20 beyond
The i. o. Bailey co. stock was worth
b.twe,l sl0.ooo ana $4,000. and is a com
plete loss. The firm carried an insurance
for 50. 600. J..
ana manufacturers of clothing. say tn'lr
loss is almost total There was SIN ieet
OF water in their basement ana every lopt
IF their fiVc-stOrY building was wet uoM u
and was for hours full OF smoke. ~
had stock valued al 5000 aud estimate
that their loss will exceed $4,000. lheir
indirect loss will be very laIgt as I. hclf
advance orders cannot be hIled Ihe3
carry $50 900 insurance.
The damage TO the building owned by
the ST. John Smith estate is roughly eSl'-
mated at $1,000: insured.
John Trefethen. grain dealer, escaped
with a loss of only 800; insurer.
The loss OF the T. T. Beal CO., manu-
facturers of furniture, Will not tAeeeo
$500; insured. , nil,
exceed $4,000 BY some stranse f On ,6e
I'll, ,f the Lewis Hall * Co. DulldlnS