Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-12-16
ALMOST WIPED OUT.
Bowdoinham Loses Business Section
But Is Not Discouraged.

Bowdoinham, Me-, Dec. 15.-(Spec-
iaD.-This pretty little village suffered
Z blow, early Sunday morning, by fire
from which it may be many years in
recovering.
Fire swept through the business
section and with houses and stores Il
total of Is buildings We're destroyed,
with Il loss of almost 100000 and an in
surance of only about $4,000.
Fortunately no loss of life or serious
accident occurred. though many of
Bowdoinhams gallant men are now
nursing scorched hands and blistered
faces, honorable wounds received in
fighting the fire fiend.
Breaking out from some unknown
cause, though presumably a defective
chimney, in the building owned by
burlington & Hinckley at the corner of
Bridge and Main streets, it swept its
way, famed by Il brisk northeast wind,
through the business section of the
town at d rapid gate.
The first intimatiOn that anything
was wrong was had by Ira Williams.
the night Waterman at the kindina
wood factory He saw the flames
bursting forth from the building and
Immediately tied down the whistle
cord, so that the people soon reanzed
something was wrong.
AS the same whistle had sounded at
5.45, Saturday morning. for a slight
blaze in the tower of the kindlng
wood factory. all hands were naturally
somewhat anxious to know where the
fire was and III hopes that no indus
tries of the town was to be lost. But
they were ill-prepared to face the
calamity that was about to befall them.
In the next building to that which
the fire originated, Mr.. Rideout re-
sided and his first warning of the dam
ger was the breaking of his window by
the terrific heat. He had the misfor-
tune TO lose about $500 in money ant
checks, which he had taken from his
store to his room and placed in his
bed for safe keeping.
The flames were quickly famed by
the wind to a degree which laughed ut
the snow covered roofs and jumped the
street to the opposite corner, and swept
down the street, on both sides nearly to
the railroad track.
Then, in order to do well it's work.
the fire crept over on Elm street and
took a couple of residences and jumped
that street to the only hotel in town,
the Stinson house, an old land mark
which soon lay in ashes.
At this point. the great fight of the
night was made. All the available wa
ter power had been used. but when the
men, determined i'm their desperation.
formed that bucket brigade, tore up
and hung the carpets on the StinsOn
house stable, pouring water by the pail
full and many of them on the smoking
building and fabric, the fire fiend had to
yield. At that point it met its defeat
and at that point the fire was stopped.
On Elm street, its progress was
checked at the handsome residence of
T.. p. Kendall, who, fortunately had
ladders enough and n water system
which allowed him to run his garden
hose out of the chamber windows and
keep his house wet down, saving it
from the intense heat of the burning
Sampson house, next door, and the fly
ing embers from the great fire.
Thus the fire was fought to a stand
sun, HstNilS pTetctlCdliy DuflleQ llSelI
out on Main street to the eastward.
When the alarm was first given,
Deputy Sheriff H. d. Cornish was
promptly on the scene. He soon saw
that the fire was going beyond the con-
troll of the local department and he
commenced telephoning to neighboring
places for assistance. Before he could
accomplish much in that effort, how
ever, the telephone wires We're render
ed useless and all outside commune
cation was done by telegraph from the
Maine Central station.
Augusta very promptly replied, and a
special train was started, with a
steamer and 10 men, only to be stopped
below Gardiner, as the fire was under
control.
Bath also answered the appeal for aid,
without waiting for a meeting of tbs
city government. and sent a steamer and
% men in charge of Chief Morse. They
arrived at 40. after the fire had practi-
cally burned itself out. but whatever
Bath and Augusta want of Bowdoinhanl
hereafter, they can have.
The fireunap Wero taken of at K OF