Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-09-01
FIRE AT BURNHAM.
Second Disastrous Blaze in
About a Years Time.
Chute & MitcheII's Store and the
Railroad House in Ruins.
Loss from $4,000 to $1,000 With Only
Partial Insurance.

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On the night Of August !, 1902, Burn
ham had one of the worst fires in its
history and, on the morning of Aug
ust b. 1903, there WAS another equally
as bad on the opposite corner from
the first one. This strange coinci
dencc seems to be sufficient warning
TO the town, so that before another
August arrives some protection will
be afforded. The fire. this morning
started in the shed at the rear of the
store OF Chute & Mitchell and rapidIv
passed beyond control. 1t was discov-
cred about 80 ana by o'clock this
ana the hotel, the next building south,
We're only heaps of smoking ruins.
Inc loss is estimated at from $4,000
to $1,000 and is only partially covered
by insurance.
The cause of the fire is somewhat
uncertain, although it is generally be-
heVcd to have started from some ashes
IN barrels i'll the shed. The hotel al
fTloSt s1oined the rear Of the store, there
DelnS but Il small space between. and
as there was a fairly strong wind blow
ing IN the right direction, both build
inass Were soon doomed. Starting so
early, there We're few people about and
the i!aiIes made good Roadway before
being discovered. A good number of
the people living in the immediate Vi
cinity soon gathered and devoted their
energies to saving the contents of the
buildings as there was no hope of saw
ngAthe buildings themselves with only
buckets to work with. Almost any sort
sof fire apparatus would have been suf-
hclcnt to squelch the fire at the start
but as i was, it was beyond control in
It very short time.
The people worked like Troians and
succeeded in cleaning out both build
In%s before the fire drove them away
even the doors and windows being
ripped off and carried to places Of safe
~ Dr. and Mrs. Chamberlain. who
lived over the store, had rather narrow
escapes. as in their anxiety to get as
much as possible of their furniture out,
they remained as long as they possibly
could.
After the fire in the store had gotten
well under way the heat was SO great
in the space between it and the hotel.
owned by john f. Hart. that it was
impossible to get near enough with
buckets to do any good. SO the north
wall of the hotel was soon in flames.
This fire burned very soWly, however,
at the start and again if there had
been any apparatus at hand the hotel
might have been saved. AS soon as il
WAS seen that the fire was beyond
control, q call for help was sent to
carrying the steam fire engine and the
Hose . cart with mon enough to han
die them arrived about o'clock
Before Il sufficient head of steam
could be secured to do business. the
fire III the hotel burst through the roof
and burned much more Gcrcely. The
wind seemed to increase about that
time also. and several of the adjoining
buildings We're in danger. A good
sized field separates tn" hotel from the
next house south, and although the
sparks and cindcrS reached there, they
We're watched so carefully that they
did no damage. The stable of the
hotel is located across the road and Il
little south, and when the fire was
burning fcrccSt it looked as if this
would go, too. The next house south
of the stable on the same side Of the
street is also owned by Mr.. Hart and
is occupied by Station Agent Bartlett.
A small fire started on the roof of this,
but was promptly discovered and cX-
tinguishcd. Men were placed on the
roof and by passing up buckets of
water the roof was kept well dampen-
cd and the sparks prevented from
lodging there.
AS soon as; the engine got down to
business. short work was made of the
fire Two lines We're run and got into
action just in time to save the stable
and the next house to ii. The roofs
of all the buildings were wet with the
rain that had fallen during the night,
and this doubtless prevented a much
worst fire. The sparks were so num-
erous and vigorous that had the roofs
been dry they could not have failed to
start fires in many places about the
town.
Both the store and the hotel are Il
total loss. Chute e Mitchell had just
fairly started in business, and had Il