Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-05-09
Trying to Save Own and
Neighbors' Homes.
Plymouth, Mass, Forest Fire
Extends Into -Four Towns.
Thousand Men, Including Firemea, pa'd
Men and Volunteers at Work.

Plymouth. Mass. May S.-Onc thous-
and men, including trained lirem'al'
paid laborcrs. and volunteers. who are
lighting fer their own and their nciSh-
hos homes. struggled, tonight, with
The forest fire starting near here 1our
days ago, had extended :Eto four towns
and shifting frequently with the wlhu'
threatened first one settlement an"
then another.
Tonight, the front Of the fire extend
ed for two miles Will" its side lines eE-
tended six miles in the rear. 1t WAS eStl-
mated that IS square miles had beeh
burned over and the fire was by no
mcana under control. Nothing but a
soaking rain will, the fire fighters say,
permanently stay the progress of the
flames. The land burned over included
valuable tracts of standing TIMBER anu
thousands of cords of cut wood Some
small buildings We're burned but so FAR
the work of the fire fighters aided by
favorable winds. has saved the villages
near the fire zone. The loss Will be
great.
A northeast wind that. early today,
saved Rock Nook. a settlement in the
eastern part of Kingston, turned tn"
flame. backw ird. driving them again
through Kingston into the town of
Carver At noon, the wind changed
southwest. and the fire turned again.
finally cncirclinE Indian pond. between
the towns of Kingston and Plympton.
and reaching to the very door steps OF
- bones at Indian Pond village.
Here the hardest battle of the day
was fought. The villagers had removed
their household goods and prepared for
fight An hours work. however, saved
tie houses. though The lawns about
them had in the meantime been burned
black
The mon. who fought the fire, all last
night. were relieved. ills morning. by
others. and systematic tuuis Of the zone
arranged.
The fire DEPARTMENT at Kingston and
Carver were joined by hundreds of vol
untccrs. and at noon. hudred lahnrers
secured in Boston, reached here. Wher-
ever possible hydrants were used and
in other instances. back fires were re-
sorted to. Some buildings in the path
of the flames were saved by plouGhing
the ground around them.
The first serious advance Of the fire.
today. was near the Carver boundary
line. several miles dis,an. and in di
rcction opposite the poirt where it died
DOWN, last night The fire. wardens sue
rnodcl in staying the flames after 4
stretch of two miles along the Snappitt
road hal been devastated. only to tin1
a more threatening blaze to the north.
The reed of help vas urgent that
4 I,n nf .h.a E,Ny High school WcrEH
dismissed to aid the fircm"n.
4 n,rrsace was sent To Boston asking
for 100 paid 1aborTrs to leave for tn"
scene ut once with shovc!s and plouChs.
The men arrived none too soon. for the
fire va. close upon tho saw mill prop
crty of Clark & Cole Some Of the men
bcot back the flames with shovcls while
others hurrict;ly plougncd wide burrows
around the piles of lumber.
At Indian Pond the fire reached its
height On the Plymptol shore of tn
rond a cottage owned by George Ran
dali. was destroyed. Wien the fire was
driven toward Indian Pond village. a
settlement Of 100 people on the King
stone side of tie pond. the Kingston an!
Carver fire departments were called to
the scene. The houses and fields wer"
well wet down. but tho inhabitants he
came so frightened that they packed
their household goods in readiness to
fec. Though tho fir" spread over the
yards it finally died out at the very
door steps of the homes.
At sunset the fire had encircled the
Ia &c pond ana was burning most fierce
ly in wood land owned ';y cobb & Drew.
Here HaIvator Turtuson lost cram
berry house and a large portion of the
bog was burned over. benjamin At
wood of Whitman. and Fred Brackctt
nj Kingston, were also heavy losers of
cut wood. some 1000 cords having been
destroyed.
The swamps in tn" valleys i'm this To-
ralit.- served as barriers to the flames. |
and as the wind was hauling to the |
north. the fire fighters were confident |
ut midnight that they would be able |
10 keep the fire within bounds. tonight |
were made for the fight Of |
tomorrow. when it was expected the |
flames would burst forth with renewed |
fury.
DWELLINGS THREATENED