Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-07-21
HEAVY LOSS.
Most Disastrous ConAagration
Since Opera House Fire.
Nearly the Entire Plant Of Weber &
Gage Destroyed.
Firemen Have a Five Hours Fioht-
Partial Insurance.

The most disastrous fire that has Wis
tied this city since July 4, 1886. when
the Opera house was burned, occurred
Saturday evening. AT 721 the ffremen
were aroused by an alarm from Box
2, on Mt. Vernon avenue, near the
mill of Weber & Gage, door, sash and
blind manufacturers. Soon from all
parts of the city the smoke could be
seen rolling up from that vicinity and
in few moments the flames appeared.
The people soon realized that a large
conflagration was in progress.
The fire was discovered by G.. Ed
ward Abbott. Abbott is engineer for
the company and resides in a house be-
longing to the concern at So Mt. Yer
non avenue, but a few rods from where
the larger mill of the plant was To-
Gated. He had been standing near the
stable talking with a neighbor and as
he came toward the house he saw
smoke issuing from the southwest cor
ner of the big mill. AS he rushed to-
ward the fire alarm box he could see
the reflection of the flames upon the
windows. By the time he had rung in
the alarm, which was but very short
space of time, the flames had broken
out and in an extremely small space
Of time they had spread through the
entire building. Before the firemen
could arrive the building was doomed
to certain destruction. From this
building the fire spread to the smaller
of the two mills and it was soon seen
that this must also go.
The firemen directed their attention
now largely to preventing the fire from
spreading. The buildings were dry and
filled with combustible material from
which large pieces of burning shingles
and other debris dropped on the build
ings for many rods around. Shortly
after the first alarm the whistle sound
ed 10 blasts to summon the whole de-
partment. Citizens pulled off their
coats and went to work. A spark would
fall upon a building and soon little
smoke would be seen arising from the
spot. 1t was impossible for the fire
men to attend to all these and citizens
with pals of water climbed to the
roofs and extinguished them. A stable
on the opposite side of Bond brook
from the mill caught and at one time
the roof of the house occupied by Mr..
Abbott was on fire in as many as 90
places. A hand hose was called into
play here and with the assistance of
stream which was now and
then taken from a nearby lumber shed
the dwelling was saved. Just north of
the property, owned by Weber &
Gage, is the grist mill, stable and store
houses owned by the 3. F. Parrot Co.
These were wet down in order to keep
them from burning.
The fire was a warm one. At one
time it was thought it would be i'm
possible to stop the fire until all the
buildings nearby were destroyed. Con-
sequently the books and papers of the
firm We're removed from the office and
taken to a safe place. Men who did
this work We're unable to bear their
hands upon the windows in the office
building al the time.
On the opposite side of Mount Yer
non avenue are located the gas tanks
Of the Kennebec Light & Heat Co. The
fire was 50 hot that it was feared that
an explosion might be the result here.
Supt. w. H. Williams was on hand
warning the people to keep away from
them. The boilers in the mill Were
filed with water and as the fire APP
preached the boiler room steam was
so that an immense pressure
must have been excited here also and
it was feared an explosion might Oc-
cur But an outlet for the steam was
found through the whistle and the
danger averted.
The buildings destroyed constituted
the larger part of the plant, owned by
the firm. The one in which the fire
started was 1S0x5O feet and consisted
of a basement, and two stories with
an attic above the ground. All these
were occupied in the manufacture of
doors. sash and blinds. AT the north
west corner of this building were the
engine house and the dry kilns. These
were constructed of brick but the in
terror of both was badly burned. The
second building to collapse was
smaller building, 40xG0. used in the
manufacture of window frames. A
lumber shed extended from the north
end of this building and it was in this
shed that the fire was stopped in its
progress. There are now left standing
upon the property, two lumber sheds,
besides that which was partially de-
two dwelling houses, the small
office building and stable.
Chandler Weber, senior member of
the firm Of Weber & Gage, stated.
yesterday. that he was unable to def
nitely estimate the loss to the com
pany. He thought it would be between
SIS 900 and 20.00O The buildings were
a small part of the loss, for in them
was considerable machinery which was
a total loss and which could not be re-
placed without parting with good
sized sum of money.
Nearly all the men employed in the
building will lose more or less. The
heaviest loser will be Frank Ellis, one
of the best workmen in the employ OF
the concern, who had a/kit Of tools
which was valued at about 800. Mr..
Ellis is deaf and dumb and learned his
trade in a school for deaf mutes. He
had made almost the entire lot of tools
with his own hands. The other men
will sustain losses under $1G0 each and
some of them a very small amount.
The conflagration will probably repre-