Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-11-26
FAIRFIELD FIRE,
Two Prosperous Industries
Consumed in 60 Minutes,
Fairfield Furniture Co. and Purington
4 Pratt Mill
DAMAGED TO EXTENT OF $50 0oo
SATURDAY.

two prosperous industries. The total
loss from the fire in round numbers
will not he far from 5O.oe0. and il an
happened in the middle Of the day ana
took less than 60 minutes. Few towns
during their existence escape a disas-
trous fire among their Old fashioned
wooden buildings. AS n rule. this is
done at one fen sweep. y fire starts
and the larger portion of the town rs
destroyed. Then the buildings are re-
placed by modern brick structures and
the town is the better for it, In Fair
field the old wooden mills have gone
ono by one. and those which were de-
stroyed. Saturday. were the very last.
The old ~riSt mill on the island is now
the only old mill left standing. All of
the large group that mace the town
famous have been destroyed by fire at
S4rcrcnt times. When the saw mills
went 1t was an almost crushing blow.
There We're three large ones just above
the shops which burned. Saturday.
They covered 4 magnificent water
power and always did 4 large prosper
Gus business. employing hundreds OF
men al good wages the year round.
When the river closed IN the fall the
men We're transferred 10 TIE woods.
They followed the drives down in the
spring ana on reaching the mills went
to work in them for the summer. a
hot box one day in the summer. at
noon. Smouldered Z while beneath one
OF the mills then unseen burst into .
tiny fame. This spread with the "a
rlI--eif-ie fire III, mill
doomed almost before people realized
that there was 4 fire. Two of the
three mills in the group We're totally
destroyed. while the usefulness OF the
Totman mill was lost and it never did
mulch business afterwards. The water
power remained idle for some time. I'M
TIL this year. when il was decided 10
build ; pulp mill on the site and the
i orl> or laying the foundation is now
in progress there. But il is specially
hard to SEQ two mills wiped ont while
ore is being built.
The story of Saturdays fire - but
repetition Of the saw mill blaze. 1t
was the same hot box at noon that was
the cause and the fire spread as rapid
" and with the same uverpoWcrinS
force. \ hoy in the engine loom 81 the
I>cnriCk Sh0p saw the smoulderin- box
in The rear 81 the mill almost stimuli
taneously with Mr.. Holmes. the truck
man. who was getting 4 load OF shaw
insS under the mill. II was then about
81 in the forenoon. The boy seized
a small hes. and attempted 70 sNtiI-
cuiSh the tirc while Mr.. Holmes rushed
uustairs 10 give the alarm. ~ that
time the box was just smouldcrinE-
~ the time Mir. Holmes had alarmed
the crow there was a raging blaze TN
der the mill. Water was being drawn
from the pip upstairs and the boy
could get no force in his hose.
Their. were three large buildings in
the. group known as the Shops" The
first an the LEFT going down WatcT
street was occupied ~ the PurinStoH
( Pratt Manufacturing Co. manufaet-
tssrs or wooden novelties Of al kinds
IN, building was owned BY the Maine
Manufacturing 10. ana was formerly
used b., John Cotton IS ! furniture
shs.p. Mr.. Cotton transferred his bus
mess IL New Hampshire some years
ago and the building of late had been
leased by the Puringtcn Company
This building was about iaxlaYs Ie.'t
IN size AMI two stories high DireGtiy
above aaL adjoining IS tfre FnlilipS
privilege where the Hex pulp rniii IS
being constructed The bulkhead at
the foot 81 what IS cOuiorl=' know as
tn, canal extends from about the cen
ter Of this shop up towards the pliddIe
OF the river y peut stock conveyed
the water for the wheels from TINS 10
tn, ryar of the shop and thence IN the
rear ID the Kenriek wheels
I'll. .?ext building south u the Pur-
iu-tou shop was the original shop ot
the Fairfield Furniture 60 This eoEn-
many originally consisted OF the keu-
rick brothers. John T and Edward r
Tire former = nov dead and the bust
ness has been carried on by Z 2 Ken
rick while the heirs OF his brother re-
rair..i their interest This building
was 7exf2A feet and also tvo stories
high. Next to this was building ot
tne, sfr,1a So formerly the Ctlley furni-
-,trr sf7oxJ. but of late years USED ~ IN
Fairfield Furniture 90 as store
y v-.S h,,ilt tor a mill hut most OF the
-,,.,,,rtfrarv WAS taken out when II -" a
purchased by the Ks1riek brothers
~, p7lrin-tcu and HeErfek buildings
vera separated by 4 sPs+cc not over
feet vile. while the Keurick shop and
Stareaor1ss we're separated oy q vide
drfvway which led down - tne Boiler
room Of the Keurjck shop, lust south
IL tra srorehouse there is 4 little srF1c-
rr,rs which was used for storing ben
zfr. and Other infiarnu1ah biz liQ'lleS-
Bsvoud This is L large sne'i USED as
Es-orehousa fer various things Eh@n
lame TIE Furtngtou dry house ana thea
the residences along Water street.
lust opposite TO the burlington and
r-.,,,r;..tz sg,e,yrs Is the heuricS office and
i, ~ raar OF that large barn Be-
rav- ana opposite the storehotlse There
.,-.a Sav-a-.,I small buildings used fof