The Portland daily press., 1901-02-16
Another House in the
Rear Also Caught.
The Loss Will BE Quite Large
With Little Insurance.

bIazin9 ike q torch when the fire depart
ment reached the spot on an alarm from
box 81, about half past twelve o'clock last
night. Before the flremen got this fire
under control the house In the rear,
fronting on Stevens place got to going |
nsrcely in the upper story, having caught
from the first house, and between the
tuo bu ildings both OF which were burn
ing at the same time ths firemen had
about all they wanted to attend TO.
1t was hard nrs to fight, because 1t
was difficult to get at the buildings, and
because there were many wooden houses
crowded in pretty closely together. For
slime it looked as though the whole block
would 30, sut the wind died out at about
the right time to give the firemen
chance to get In their work.
A Boston and Maine watchman dis
covered the fire when coming up YORK
street. He said thatwhen he glanced up
the hill he saw the flames coming out OF
tue second story rear windows OF the
three fat house and began to shout the
alarm. Il. L. Mcclellan, on his way
home was near box 81, and pulled in the
first alarm. The alarm rang in 81 in
some of the fire houses and 81 In others
ana a part of the department went
astray.
The three flat house Ia owned by J. b.
Brackett and was occupied by B. New
stead ON the first floor, Mrs. Martha w.
Howe on the second tloor. and Hugh
Gray on the third floor. The families Ia
| this house were awakened by the shout
ing OF fire by people on Park street, many
of whom were on their way home from
| the High school cadet ball. A general
scramble was made TO get out OF the
house, and the women and children wsrs
bnhdled out without having time TO
A-a-- Sortunatelv tha-a ware no sleep
ing rooms In the rear OF this house
where the tire seemed to be the hottest or
some OF these people might not have got
| ou. at all. The flames worked their way
up from the second into the one above
and then TO the first floor. The locality is
so cut up with fences and with so many
three fat houses and wooden buildings
jammsd in within few yards of one an
other that First Assistant Thomas Payne,
VINO was in charge, the chief being oon-
fined to the house By sickness, deemed 1t
advisable to ring in the second alarm and
1t was good thing that he did, for with
the wind which was then blowing IL
looked for time as though there would
be trouble and plenty OF it. The second
alarm was rung in from box "a and with
the additional help which arrived the fire
men were able to Go effective work. The
rear end OF the fiat house is within few
yards of two story, old fashioned wood
en- dwelling which faces on Stevens place,
The roof OF this house caught fire several
times, but was extinguished with ease,
but finally some of the sparks from the
burning fiat house got into the attic
window OF the house facing on Stevens
place. and In a few minutes the whole |
attic OF this house was In blaze. This
house on Stevens place was occupied by
four families. Eugene PushArd, Mrs. |
Mary Drisooll, Mrs. Wethsrbes and
Patrick MoDonough. This building is
owned by Stevens and Gerrish and is
fully insured. None OF the occupants OF
this house on Stevens place had any In
surance and their loss will bsquite large |
The building also suffered good deal.
The occupants OF the three fiat house |
were all insured enough to cover their
loss with the exception OF MIR. Newstead
who occupied the first floor and whose
property was ali moved out without be-
ing much damaged. MIR. Brackett carried
enough insurance to cover his loss. The
fat house was badly damaged, especially |
in the rear.
Because of the diftioufty OF getting at
these burning buildings the firemen had
a pretty hard time OF 1t for awhile. 1t
was almost impossible to get many
streams concentrated on the burning
buildings so contracted was the space In
which the tiremen had to work and SO
hard was it to approach near enough to
accomplish anything.
1t was impossible to ascertain with any
degree OF accuracy last night the total
loss from this lire, hRt il was not as largs
as it would have been had the wind been
blowing freshly.
Fireman Greene of Engine rs com-
pany was quite badly Injured by chin
ney falling on him. He was taken to his
home on Pine street in a carriage.