The Somerset reporter., 1905-07-27
4 BIG BLAZE.
SUNDAY MORNINGS coNFLA0RA-
TON DESTROYS PROPERTY TO
THE VALUE OF $4,000.
List of Losses and Plans
for Rebuilding


About two-thirty, Sunday morning,
fire was discovered in the carriage re.
pository of L. w. Chase and adjoining
buildings on Water street, it having
made such progress at the time of dis
eoyery as to seem very uncertain
where 1t originated. just who first be-
came aware of the fire is Uncertain but it
is likely that James Harmon, who lives
on Cross street and Joseph Provincial,
who lives on Water street next to the +.
p. Moore carriage repository, discovered
the flames at about the same time. The
members of these two families commen-
ced to arouse the neighborhood at once
and twenty minutes later the alarm was
rung In from the station at the Postoffiee,
number "a, by Walter Benson. John
Reilley, the night watch, reached the fire
alarm before Mr.. Benson, and had opened
it but did not sui ceed In doing the right
thing TO the mechanism to make IL 20.
This undoubtedly caused from five to
ten minutes delay. 1t was early appar.
ent that the fire would require the SER
vices of the whole department and the
steamer WAS ordered out by second
alarm but few minutes after the first.
When the fire WAS discovered the
Chase carriage repository was all abb ze
and the flames had so far Involved the
carriage shop of F. 2. Moore aud the
blacksmith shop of j, w. Delano that
there WAS no hope of saving them, so
that the efforts of the fire department
were directed toward saving adjoining
property. Seven streams from the city
water works were brought into use and
two from the steamer. The water works
also furnished stream through line of
hose without nozZel to maintain the sup
ply of water in the cistern at the Rail-
road crossing for the use of the steamer
and everyone In the vicinity that had a
garden hose and sillcock or faucet where
it could be attached made use of all the
water that came their way, and to good
advantage.
The Chase repository, Delano's black
smith shop, the store house in the rear
of the Moore carriage shop and a stable
IN the rear of the Fletcher block were
burned fiat within forty minutes after
the first alarm. The department sue
ceeded in stopping the progress of thu
flames in the Fletcher block, the brick
building on Water street, just to the east
OF the Chase repository, although very
little is left of 1t but the walls. The old
tenement property in the rear of the
Fletcher block known as the Morrill,
rouse was on fire for quite a time
but the department finally succeeded in
checking the flames and saving quite h
portion of the building. Many other
buildings caught fire, some of them sev-
eral times but sharp watch WAS kepl
and the damage was slight outside of the
buildings already mentioned.
The Chase carriage repository was
built In 1881 by A. IL. Fletcher and was
FIRST occupied as livery staole by join
.. Haines and the same business was
carried on there by Mr.. Haines' success.
sors for quite part of the time until April.
1904, when it WAS purchased by Mr..
Chase who built an addition to the rear
end and fitted it for his carriage ware
rooms with paint shop and carriage re-
pair room occupying part of the secona
hoor. The building occupied by MI.
Moore WAS also first used AS a livery
stable and afterwards by John Yosmus
and his associates for wool store house.
1t became the property of F. p. Moore in
1855.
The Fletcher block, sometimes called
the old Bakery" has been owned b,
K. W. Brown for about fifteen years
1t was one Of the oldest of Skowhegan's
business blocks and, as the street front
had remained AS first built, it was the
only place of business that remained tt
show the method of construction of sixty
or more years ago. So far as we art
able to learn it was built by Amos
Fletcher in about 1915 and the streel
floor was used as a bakery by Mr.. Flet
cher and his successors for nearly twenty
years. This Is not its first experience
with fire as it WAS badly il ured in about
1863.
BY good lively work on the part OF
those who first arrived at the fire tifteel
carriages were taken out of the Chase
building and a large part of Mr.. Moore,
stock was also saved. Mr.. Moore occu-
pied a room IN his building but knew
nothing of the fire until he was awaken.
ed by parties outside. His first thought
was of his horse, and he was inst n time
to get him, but so close were the flames
that Mr.. Moore WAS burned about the
head and neck before he got the animal
TO place OF safety. Peter Lessor lost
his stock Of leather aud tools in the
cobber shop in Mr.. Moore's building, his
sewing machine aud bench only being
removed. In the upper part of the
Fletcher block Mrs. Henry Dillingham;
conducted a lodging house on the east
side and Mr.. and Mrs. Walter Benson
had few dodgers In the part rented by
them. The occupants of these apart
ments had hardly time to dress and saved
very little Of their narannal effects