The Portland daily press., 1900-05-01
Several Other Building on Fire at
One Time.
A General Conflagration
Feared.
The Total Loss VIII Be About
$4,000.

A fierce blaze broke out In tue thriving
little village Of Yarmouth yesterday
afternoon, 1t ragged With vigorous force
for two hours and during that tine 1t
was feared that the flames would be COM
inundated to ths neighboring houses and
that big oonfsgration would surely re-
suit. As 1t was, sparks from the fire tell
on a number OF the stores, stables, sheds
and dwelling houses In the near vicinity
and at one time the roofs OF no less than
sixteen buildings we're abre. The tine
work Of the Yarmouth aremen, however,
under the direction OF Chief Howard
Gooding, prevented q threatened disaster.
1t was at about $40 o'clock that the
fire was discovered In the corn canning
factory and grain store, owned BY Asa
II. York, and situated near tire Grand
Trunk depot on lot Of land leased from
that road. Ihis establishment consisted
Of three wooden buildings, two stories
in height. The main building was used
for the storing Of grain and connected
With it was building used as "bsth
room" In the making Of cams. The third
building about fifty feet from the other,
was used as q store room for the cams
which were made In the factory. The
main building was sixty by eighty and
the "bath ROOM was about sixty By
forty.
SoutherIy Of this big plant Is the saw
mill of Clsaves s. Walker and sparks from
the chimney of bis mill were the cause OF
the fire. For long time 1t had been
prediotsd that fire would be caused on
this very aocoun {, and many times Mr.
York has given orders to his men to be
cautious In looking out for .blaze. Only
last Saturday sparks from this mill
lighted on one side of the "bath room"
but they were discovered In time to
prevent any damage. The nearest build
ing to the saw mill 10 the "bath ROOM.
The sparks lighted on the side Of this
building and before the blaze was dis
covered the fire was we'll under hendway
and Howard Eeeman, Harry Sawyer,
George York, Charles Ring and Watch
man Thomas Lucas, who were in this
part OF the building at the time, were
obliged to hustle to get out, Watchman
Lucas started to go out and then remem.
bered that he had left behind bis pocket
book which contained about Si7 in
money. He turned bsok to recover tn Is
property hut he had proceeded only few
feet when he was very willing to aban-
don his trip through the flames. He not
only lost his money but IN his efforts to
recover the valuables became quite Sc
verely, although not seriously, burned
about his facs and on one ,of his hands.
The sparks from the saw mill landed on
the roof and the Goutherly side CT the
bath ROOM"
People in the Vicinity, and soon all
in the town and village, rushed TO the
scene and quickly realized that this fire
was far from an ordinary one ana every
man, woman and oihld within o radius
OF three or four miles were soon on the
spot and lending help. Chief Engineer
Howard Gooding was one OF the frst to
be on hand and within o very few min
utss some forty meu were fighting the
flames. 1t was recognized that the
power from the stand pipe, three.quarters
CT q mile distance would hardly suffice
TO accomplish any good In this raging
blaze and word was therefore sent to the
Forest Paper company that help was
needed. This company at onoe set Its two
big fire pumps going and lines Of hose
we're laid from the river to the hydrants
In the village. Six lines were laid and
| the streams from the two and one half
inch hose, which were finely directed by
the tremen. proved power.
The firemen worked like beavers and
although doing the very hest that could
possibly DO done st was feared during the
frat hour they would be unable to stay
the progress OF the flames. Accordingly
an order was sent to Portland that Var
mouth might be In need Of an engine
from the city. The message reached
Portland at few minutes before four
o'clock and Engine Five from the depart
msnt was sent down to the Grand Trunk
| station. But after the engine had reached
the station the Yarmouth tremen sent
word that the fire was under control and
that help from Portland would not be
| needed.
The tremen continued ON In the hard
work and after having got the principal
blaze we'll under control, set ut work to
make sure that it should not spread to
any Of the nearby buildings. The
nearest building Is Q one-story stable on
South street. This was well soaked BY
the time the fremsn got through with 1t,
although before they had been able to
turn their attention to lit the flames
had burned q good part Of the rear and OF
the structure. This stable Is owned BY
the Forest Paper company and had the
flames not been checked there. 1t Is prob
able that many Of the houses In the prin-
cipal parts OF the village would have been
destroyed. Twice the awe and ene-half
story house occupied By Coombs Bros,
a. q residence and store, was lighted mp