The Republican journal., 1903-09-03
A S., 900 FIRE IN BURNHAM.
The Village Narrowly Escapes Destruction.
Hotel a Total Loss.

The Village Narrowly Escapes DeSIfucClon
Hotel Total Loss.
On the night of August 1. 1902, Burnham
had one of the worst fires in its history,
and on the morning of August 3D. 1903 there
was another equally as bad on the opposite
corner from the first one. 1t was about
3 30 o'clock last Monday morning when fire
was discovered in the rear of the store of
Chute & Mitchell, grocers and provision
dealers. The blaze had attained such head
way that buckets OF water failed to subdpe
it and it quickly spread to the rest of the
store. There being no fire apparatus in
the village, the people turned at once to re-
moving the goods in the store Waterville
was telephoned for help. All the goods,
even the doors and windows of the build
ing, were removed. Dr.. and Mrs. Chamber
lain, who lived over the store, had some
rather narrow escapes in getting out their
furniture. The fire soon caught the Rail
road House, j. E. Hart, proprietor, which
adjoined the store, and the furniture, doors
and windows were removed. At s a. IN.
where the store and hotel had stood were
only heaps of smoking ruins. Chute Il
Mitchell say their loss is $4,000, with 81, 900
insurance. j. E. Hart claims loss of S.
500 with less than $1,000 insurance. DR..
Chamberlain had no insurance and lost
part of his household goods. With no fire
protection of any sort in the town, the in
surance rates are naturally pretty high SO
to carry a great deal.
About a. m. a special fire train arrived
from Waterville bringing the steam fire en-
gine and No. 2 hose cart with men enough to
handle them. Before sufficient head of
steam could be secured to do business the
fire in the hotel burst through the roof and
burned much more fiercely. The wind SEEM
ed to increase about that time also, and sew
eral of the adjoining buildings were in dam
ger. A good-sized field separates the hotel
from the next house south, and although the
sparks and cinders reached there, they were
watched SO carefully that they did no dam
age. The stable of the hotel is located
across the road and a little south, and when
the fire was burning tiercest 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
started on the roof of this, but was prompt
ly discovered and extinguished. Men were
placed on the roof and by passing up buck
cts of water the roof was kept well dampen-
ed and the sparks prevented from lodging
there.
ness, short work was made OF the fire. Two
lines were run and got into action just in
time to- save the stable and the next house
to it. The roofs of all the buildings were
wet with the rain that had fallen during the
night, and this doubtless prevented much
and vigorous that had the roofs been dry
they could not have failed to start fires in
many places about the town.
After two such disastrous fires as the
town has now had, action will no doubt be
taken towards providing some sort of pro-
lection, especially as the money paid the
Waterville department for its two calls
would make very good start. There
are excellent natural advantages, as
good-sized stream runs through the town,
affording an ample water supply for a
hand tub or engine. The Maine Central
maintains powerful pump on this stream
to keep the water tower supplied, and ar
rangements might be made for using this in
case of fire. With hose to be used with the
pump, a large section of the town could be
we'll protected.