Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-02-27

About 1.3O o'clock in the morning,
flames We're discovered in the cellar of
George Joffie's grocery in the Pike
building on Fourth street between
Vine and Walnut. An iic@r later there
was an explosion supposedly from
liquors in storage and the flames
soon afterwards shot up through
the roof of the sx-story front building
From that time on for several hours
the fire was beyond control. The Pike
building was Totally destroyed, includ-
ing the office of the United States Ex-
press Co., the Adams Express CO.,
Whites restaurant owned by Maynard
e Ker Geo. JofIie's grocery, John b.
Martins restaurant Empson confec-
tionery, Henry Strauss cigar store,
and the offices of the Pike Theatre Co.
on the first floor. The Pike theatre
auditorium and green rooms and other
offices on the second floor and all of
the offices on the third, fourth and
fifth floors.
The Seasongood building adjoining
the Pike building on the east owned by,
the l.. B. Harrison estate and occupied
by the Robert Clarke Co., publishers,
and Duhme Bros, jewelers., on The first
IlODT anu OUTFITS III tUc upper sui
was totally destroyed.
The Fosdick building on th6 east of
the Robert Clarke and Duhme Hros,
and occupied by the Norfolk & West
ern Railroad and others was badly
damaged while the Carlisle building,
occupied by the Southern Pacific Rail
road and Smith e Sons, and the Gin
cinnat Trust Co, on the first floor,
and very many offices on the other
five floors was damaged.
The front stone walls of the Pike
building and those of adjoining struc-
lures owned by Robert Clarke & Co.
and the Duhme Bros. jewelry store. and
of the Seasongood buildings withstood
the heat and did not fall. The rear
walls of these structures, however,
which are of brick gave way with the
falling floors, the fire swept across the
alley known as Baker street and
burned the large publishing house of
the American Book Co. at the corner Of
Baker street and other property along
Baker street and did damage to other
property so that telephones were cut
off for. some time.
All the guests in the Burnett house
Vine street just across from the tele-
phone building were called out of their
rooms as were those at the Gibson.
the Emery and Stag hotels which were
in close proximity to the fire. The
Kanllakee building which is diagonally
across from the Seasongood building
and the Opera house is occupied by the
Western Union, The Associated Press,
the Big Four and other offices was
threatened and the wires of the West
err Union for hours were in danger
but escaped damage though narrowly.
1t was not until after daylight that
the fire was gotten under control and
the danger of general confagrat ton
was over.
There Were many narrow escapes.
Night Watchman John Agin and Mat
Garrettson ard Harry Richardson.
doorkeepers, saved six lives by entering
through the smoke and entering and
rescuing dodgers. Five men We're asleep
in rear room of the Pike building
- when they were rescued by having
their doors broken in. All escaped in
their night clothes. Agin, Richardson
and Garrettson ran through the build
ing giving the alarm to all until they
We're helped out of the structure them
selves.
Capt. ]. C. Glannon, head of detec-
tive bureau. who was asleep on the
third floor, was awakened and escaped
in his night clothes. He lost all the re-
cords of his office. Nothing was saved
from the upper floors.
AS 400 different persons or firms suf-
fered losses it is impossible at present
to estimate total losses. The fire was
still burning at 8 O'Clock with little
prospect of control in the territory
bounded by Walnut, Vine. Fourth and
Baker streets and the loss was then es-
timated at over S3,000,000. John