The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1904-12-22
COburn Hall Block in Ashes.
The Losses by Friday Mornings Fire the
the Greatest in the Towns History.
CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATES PLACE THE LOSS IN MONEY
VALUE AT OVER Sl3O,OOO.OO



ammunition in Blunt's store there was a
succession of explosions resembling q
gattling gun in full operation or the
musketry fire OF sham battle in minia-
ture. Occasionally there would be a
louder defamation, probably arising from
explosive material in the paint and oil
stock. The walls of the building fell
outward for the most part nearly block
ing Water and Russell streets and crush
ing the wooden buildings on the west as
If they were made of paper. The wood.
burn Hall was owned by W. P. Ordway
and occupied IN the second floor by
brakes cigar factory and Fowler's paint
shop; on the ground floor by the Blunt
Hardware Co. as a store room and by
the repair shop of Webster Rowe. TIE
west wall Of the burning building fell on
this block AT about $50, crashing
through the roof and floors TO its serious
damage; fire and water followed for q
time and only wreck remains. On
Water street the adjoining property was
also owned by w. p. Ordway and occu-
pied by G. +. Jones' insurance agency
aud by Heald & Co., plumbers. The
wall at this end fell at $50 and the
wooden building adjoining ffered no re-
slstance, being crushed by the debris
thrnnnh m ha 10
aud left nothing of value of either build
ing or contents. There WAS an element
OF good fortune in the destruction of
these two buildings by the falling walls.
After the buildings were laid lat by the
bricks 1t was far easier problem to con-
troll the fire in that direction than it
would have been had they been left
left standing.
The east wall, which is also the wall
of the Ordway block, did not tall; it was
practically the limit of the fire. The
flames crept around under the roof OF
the Ordway building ard down into thu
Odd Fellow hall, but were discovered
just in time and extinguished. This
handsome building and its contents re-
| ceived some damage by water and smoke
aud the wall is deterorated somewhat
by the heat to which it was exposed, but
on the whole, it may be said to have es-
capped very fortunately. Smoke and
water penetrated the Dodge block
on the west, doing damage to the
stocks Of f. B. Curtis and Miss C. j.
Williams. There was also at one time q
blaze on the roof of the Merrill block
next to the Skowhegan Market and the
Skowhcgan House caught fire but was
quickly extinguished. The flames were
considered under control at O'Clock bat
streams of water were kept on the rains
all day, Friday, and during Friday night
another alarm was rung in on account OF
Il fresh outbreak in the ruins OF the
Ieai4 store.
he LOSSES.
The following estimate of losses is
based ON Information from the best
sources accessible, and, so far as oppor-
tuuty offered, verified by statements
from the owners of the property destroy
ed The figures given aim to represent
the actual loss or damage after deduct
ing the value of the property saved
The net loss of each person or company
may be found by deducting the amount
of insurance from the loss as here re-
',,,.,.,l.. Nm ,..-..-.... r.,.
''N own Sin. Ia" AsSoe'a''oh' 0oousn
Ian oioON' s55'ooo'eo
~ /, insurance yn3ial 10000 o.
W IL W niss' SO so u oiy sooas' i9'ooo'o'
-, i''u' "''0'' "o'ooN
pi"'' ii@'u""'e oo' s'oeN o' haia-
ware 1a...., .6o o'"0
II. ~, '''I p'l",-' $780, -.
i'''lN ~" pUO, NAM ''o1N u aiues'
s'S''1neiy' CO. i5'ooo'oe
O. - ', 81 io' ''o'ooG
has. 49, ral9' SIN VI e'o'nins anu
genus I r'. is 100000
,,....;l @l,y lnsu,e9. ..... e.,
Masonic OtugtS' ioags room lufn'sh,
insSi i"Oiu'i"s *fen' ieniPiais
tes"ias' o'ooo'oo
~. insurance nt S2'ooo:
'' 'i1' 'i
uniforms etc. 2oo'0c
~. 10 10, insurance
basket nali teams' oans' furniture ana
e'o'"l"s, 4o'o'
w 'i''ui "Hce'
- = io1'ei, J@n''o'' e'o'"i"s anu
Po'oOi,"' 0"eO's' o"'o0
- no 20, insurance
Town oi oko"heBah' once luthHute' 10000
No insurance
waiter l. Ord"ay