Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-01-07
A BAD FIRE
Starts in Basement of Whitman
& Adams Store.
Their Stock Probably Total Loss
Building Badly Damaged.
Other Occupants Suffer from Smoke
Fircmen Do Nobiy.

An alarm from Box So, corner Of
Water and Oak streets, was runS in
at LIS, this morning, for Il fire in the
basement of the Whitman & Adams
store in Meonian Hall block. The blaze
was discovered by Officer Ward who
sent Officer Dutton to ring the alarm
Cushnoc Hose, Atlantic Hose and the
Hook and Ladder Company were
second alarm at 1.i5 brought the other
carriages.
At least seven streams were soon be-
ing played into the front windows with
three doing effective work in the rear
From the appearances through the
windows the entire basement was a
mass of flames and by las the flames
had burst through the floor into the
| main store under the stairway lead
inS to Meonian hall.
Holes were cut through the stairway
ana streams sent in through the store
doorway, holding the flames at check
at that point.
The smoke was very dense, making
it Impossible to enter the store and
obliging the flremen to % their work
from the outside. The entire upper por-
ton of the building was filled with
smoke, though ut the time of going to
press no fire appeared there and the in
dicatons were that the fire was under
control.
The rooms Of the First National
Bank on the north, as we'll as w. IL
Fishers and other offices were filled
with smoke. Mr.. Fisher and others
removed rart Of their effects, but were
obliged to stop work by the smoke.
The Nconian Hall block was occu-
pied on the floor above the Whitman x
Adams store by Allen 6; E,rright, mil
liners and dressmakers, L. w. White
house, lawyer, and others.
The building on The south was occu-
pied by +. W. Church, grocer. ard the
Collateral Loan Co.. with Il hall i'll tn.
upper story. These rooms We're also
badly smoked.
Whitman & Adams carry very
large stock, probably $4,000 or more.
They had commenced. Wednesday
night. to take their annual account of
stock. so are unable to say definitely
the exact amount. Mr.. Adams stated
to the Journal that their insurance
would not cover their loss. Inquiries
of Insurance agents indicated that
there might be about s3S. 900 insurance.
Chief Kicker ordered the second
alarm rung in at las. )
The weather. while not being 50 in
tcnsely cold as during the past few
days. was bad enough to Inconvenience
the fremen. the water freezing on the
sloping sidewalk and making it al
most impossible TO stand. The Cony
House sent pailful after pailful of
ashes to throw upon the sidewalk.
llt ubudI CIONu always Called
out by Il Water street fire was in at
tendance, many of them actively as
sisting the fircmen and others voun-
teerinE all kinds of advice. The po-
lice promptly roped off the street. Civ
ing the fircmen n good chance to work |
1t 2.45 the fire again broke through |
the floor into the main store and the |
entire basement was ablaze. The !
flames seemed to creep into the north |
wall and could be heard cracking |
from the National Bank
1t seemed to be working its way in |
to the next building and was particu-
larry fierce in the northeast corner and
smoke was pouring out of all the Win
dows in Union Hall block.
In this building, in addition to the A.
O. u. w. hall and others above men
toned are the offices Of a. NJ. Goddard
and Willard l.. McFadden. On the
Continued on page 81