Daily Kennebec journal., 1900-08-06
FIRE AT SOUTH GARDINER.
seedIe's Woodworking Mill Guited-Loss.
About S600o-s Slight Blaze at Lawrence's.

Gardiner. Me-, Aug. 5.-(SpeciaD.-
At about o'clock, Saturday evening.
an alarm was sounded from the fire
whistle and the fire department very
quickly responded. The cause of the
alarm was from South Gardiner. from
whence was announced to the chief en-
gineer that the Beedle mill was on fire
Knowing that the condition of things
at that place, he at once had the out
of-town alarm sounded and then or
dered the Cobbossee steamer and hose
wagon to the scene, also the Eagle
Hose Co. and the Hook and Ladder Co.
AS the distance is over three miles, a
few minutes were lost in adding an
extra set of horses to the apparatus.
and despite this. they arrived on the
scene inside of 80 minutes after the
first alarm was sounded.
At a few minutes before l. some men
We're sitting near, the Beede building
when sound, similar to that of pis-
tol was heard. They at once saw that
the whole of the mill was on fire and
gave the alarm. The steamer is sta
toned near the fire and that was at
once hauled onto the wharf back of the
buildings and started.
The International Paper Cos. pulp
mill is quite a ways from the Beedle
mill but the men soon had a line of hose
strung from their pump and had water
upon the flames in few minutes.
The scene of the fire is just below the
railroad crossing and the houses are
rather thick and near together. The
occupants at once removed their fur
nishings but this was not necessary.
as the flames were soon under control
Owing to the infiammable material and
the dryness of everything, the fire
spread through the mill with great
rapidty and was soon a mass of flames
The firemen at once went to work to
save surrounding property and were
successful in this. Though several of
the buildings caught several times, the
flames were at once eXtinguished with
out loss except for the scorching.
Upon the arrival of the apparatus
from Gardiner, there was nothing to
do except to extinguish the burning
piles of rubbish that remained and
none of the apparatus was used.
When the Hook and Ladder Co. ap-
peared. it We're stopped above the fire
but were soon ordered below, ont of
the way. When the truck was passing
by the flames. the roof fell in and this
famed the flames into the street and
onto the men and horses. Nothing was
noticed at the time but it was soon
found that both the nigh horses We're
badly burned on the sides and head
and that the driver. Fred Burns, had
suffered painful wounds on the face
and arm. Other firemen on the truck
were also badly burned, and the truck
was scOrched.
AT about $50 o'clock. all the appara-
tus was sent home, except the City of
Gardiner steamer. and she worked on
the flames all night. until they were eX-
tinguished.
The building was owned by Van r.
Beedle and used by him as a wood
working shop, he making the most of
the wood work for the Morris chairs.
The building was filled with raw ma
terial and much finished stock. the lat
ter being mostly removed. The machin
ter being mostly removed. The ma
chinery was almost all new and modern
and will be a total loss. The store
house and office were saved. Mr.. Beedle
could not estimate his loss, but it will
be near $4,000. He had some insurance.
but was unable to state the amount.
He will not rebuild at once.
The cause Of the fire is not known,
but it probably started about the boil
er room. that being the only place about
the establishment where there was any
fire. When discovered 1t was all
through the upper story.
Great credit is due the firemen of
South Gardiner. for the prompt way
they turned out and the effective work
they did There is also much due the
men from the pulp mill. and to them
is due that no larger loss was incurred.
About 10 men will be thrown out of
employment by the fire.
At about midnight. there was anoth-
er alarm OF fire. This time it was
blaze at the Lawrence Bros saw mill.
1t was discovered in time to be extin-
guished without any loss, though it was
a narrow escape.