The Portland daily press., 1900-12-28
Truck Three Went Over a Six Foot
EmbankmeRt.
This Happened Foot of
State Street.
Neither the Driver or the Horses
Were Much Injured.

The alarm of fire from box 30 at a few
minutes past eight clock last evening
called the department to the grain store
OF Matthews ana Huston at the corner oil
Kennebec street and Forest avenue. The
blaze was about a part of the ridge pole
and 1t is thought that IL was caused by
sparks from a locomotive passing along
Kennebec street. MIR. Matthews says that
everything was all right when the store
was closed and that the only fire was In
the stove In the office on the ground floor.
For upwards of an hour the hremen
worked about the caves. putting up three
or four ladders and wetting down all
places where the fire might spring out.
Mr.. Matthews said that he had an In
surance of about $50 In the agencies
represented by Prentiss Loring 81 Son
and HerbaIt A. Harmon. There was lit
tie stock In the attic, but the water COM
ing down to the first floor soaked some OF
the grain TO such an extent that MIR.
Matthews thought that this amount OF
insurance would not cover the loss. In
the establishment there is n stock OF ma
chinsry valued at about $4,000.
The "all out' was sounded at shortly
after nine clock.
But the sensational feature of this fire
was the disaster to the BrackeEt street
ladder truck which after terrible plunge
over a six foot empankment at the fooi
of State street landed against two trees
in that part of the Oaks which the deer
park once occupied. Fortunately neither
the driver, the few men on the truck or
the horses were injured in this awful
jump in the dark,
The regular driver of the Brackett
street truck 10 on the sick list, and an
extra driver, Charles Sanborn. handled
the ribbons last night. The horses on
the Braokett street. truck are about as
lively q pair as there are In the depart
ment and are hard to handle. In going
to box 81 truck three went down State
street to Portland. The grade Is steep.
the street not brilliantly lighted ana to
make matters worse there was fire en-,
CINE right ahead going at full speed ana
leaving a long train Of smoke and cinders
behind 1t. The intention or the driver
was to go over Portland street to Green.
Driver sanborn on the ladder truck was
half blinded by the smoke ahead OF him,
and besides this had q had pair Of horses
to control and an unweildlly piece OF ap-
paratus to swing about sharp corn er.
He tried-to make the turn but only got
part way round and then with a crash
and oIatter the two big horses went
plunging over the six foot embankment
on the north side of Portland street with
the big truck swaying from side to side
at their heels. 1t was terrific jump but
Sanborn chung to the reins and did his
best to control the fiery stesds. With
crash that was heard for a long distance
away the big truck brought up against
two trees and partially turned over on
its side The driver was thrown from
his SCAT but the other men ON the truck
had dropped off at risk of breaking
their neoks, before the crash came. San
born was only scratched and bruised a
little ana the horses were not much in
jured. The truck Will go into the repair
shop. 1t was very narrow escape from
n fatal df aastar