The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1904-12-22

morning, fire was discovered in the up
per floors of Coburn Hall block, toward
the west end, and in less than three
hours Skowhegan's finest business block
was completely destroyed. just what
originated the fire will never be known
and the differing impressions received by
those who first saw the flames levea
even the exact locality somewhat in
doubt.
Joseph GARNER, night watch and CIR
cleaner at the Maine Central railroad
station, was the first or among the first
to discover the fire and rang in the alarm
from the station at the post otiice AZ
eighteen minutes past two. When he
saw the flames they had alrt ady made
considerable Roadway and were breaking
out of the upper half of the west win.
dow on Russell street. Warren futile
discovered the fire at about the same
time and started for the post office to
ring in the alarm but GARNER was there
before him. He was awakened by the
glass which fell from the windw to the
street when the flames burst through.
Others who saw the fire very early,
among them George N. Page, are con-
fident that the flames first made their
appearance from the upper floor, break
ing through the second window from
the east end, from the old Odd Fellows
hail. recently used by the basket ball
teams as practice room.
The High school team had>made use
Of the room Thursday afternoon, but
left the building at five o'clock ard re-
port that the small stove, which WAS
sometimes used for heating, contained
almost no fire and was tightly closed
and in proper order. The members OF
the "Skowhegan" team did some prac-
ticing there in the evening. They had
an oil heater. lighted part of the time
and extinguished it just before leaving.
They are cor fldent that it was entirely
out and that the stove before mentioned
contained no fire at the tine they left.
I
They left their practice hall at 9 10 and
it is not known that anyone visited that
part Of the building afterwards G. C.
II zier, the janitor, visited his heating
was the usual steam pressure and no
smell of smoke or anything to indicate
the calamity which was soon to follow.
The fire alarm failed to give the Gus.
tomary signal, but blew three blasts
only. Bells were Immediately rung, but
there is no doubt many precious minutes
were lost because the alarm could not
be sounded in the usual manner.
The fumes spread so rapidly that no
attempt was made to remove anything
from the building except in the stores Oh
the ground floor, and even in them there
WAS but little time 10 work But
little WAS rescued from the store OF
w. II. Wildes. The Blunt Hardware Co.
got out about $500 OF their goods, and
Mr. Bucknam saved one show case oil
| leather goods, two sets of scales, his
cash register and prescription flies, ali
amounting to. about $1,000. The clothing
stock OF c. F. Ward was situated IN the
east end of the building, farthest from
the origin of the fire and several thou.
sand dollars worth of his goods were
saved
By the time the first stream OF water
was turned on there was little hope of
arresting the flames in the block where
they originated and no one dared TO
predict that they would be confined
there. Word was at once wired to
WaterVlle for aid and everything that
SkoWhegan has at at hand for fire appaT-
atus was called Into use. The steamer
took up its station at the reservoir near
Merwin's cigar store and supplied two
good streams, with some few interrdp.
tions, until the fire WAS under control.
1t handled many times the contents of
the reservoir, but the supply was kept
fairly constant by the turning in of two
streams from the city water works. The
city water works supplied four streams
most of the time, with varying pressure,
in addition to the two used 10 refill the
| cistern for the steamer. The force
pump, owned by the corporation and
located at the pulp mill, was started but
would give but forty pounds pressure
and did practically no service.
The special train from Watervile ar
rived at 4 40, with steam fire engine
and Hose Co. No. of the Waterville de-
partment, with twelve men. The appar-
atus was not unloaded as 1t did not seem
likely at that time that it would be Of
use. The train WAS held, however, until
all danger OF further spread OF the fire
was past.
1t was spectacular confagration.
The flames leaped upward from within
the four walls OF the burning building
to great height and clouds Of embers
rose directly overhead, probably as high
as 500 feet, where they seemed to strike
current of air moving toward the
southwest and the part of the town lying
in that direction received continuous
shower of them for hours. Some fell as
distant as Mcclellan street, and in the
vicinity of Pine street the snow was
quite thickly sprnkled with them. Only
the fact that the roofs were generally