Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-04-24

1t was evident from the first that no
fire apparatus could save any part of the
building in which the fire started, but
some of the people entertained false
hopes of combining it to that building. 1t
required only few minutes to remove
those hopes. The factory was full of
kiln-dried lumber and goods in various
stages of manufacture, together with
considerable quantities of paint, varnish,
paphtha and other inflammable SUBJ
stances, which made one of the hottest
blazes this fire department ever got up
against.
In very few minutes several streams
were playing on the burning building
and on the others which were in danger.
In addition to the hydrant streams, the
old Pacific hand tub was brought down
and set up just across the street at the
end of the dam. At first there was some
trouble in working it, but it was soon
Strengthened out, and for two hours or
more did good service.
In about half an hour after the alarm
was given the roof of the building began
to fall in, and fresh supply of some
kind Of fuel in the interior sent the flames
booming up through with redoubled
force. The wall of Maxim's mill toward
the fire, on the other side of the stream,
was blazing, and it was very quickly seen
that nothing could save that. The heat
had driven the firemen away from every
part of the building where the fire started
except the front wall, and it began to look
as if there was a fierce fight ahead on
each side of the river.
When the danger began to be apparent,
the Norway fire department was sum-
moned by telephone, and the Lewiston
fire department was asked to send a
steamer. The steamer was got ready to
ship, but by that time the fire was seen
to be under control, and it was not sent.
There was nothing hysterioal about
these calls for help. When they were
sent in there was about as good chance
for a genuine conflagration as ths place
ever saw. 1t was so hot with the fires
on both sides that there was no getting
across the bridge for some time, and it
looked as if the fire might sweep both
sides of the street on both sides of the
river for long distance. The planking
on the bridge was considerably burned
on the side toward the mills, and it was
necessary to turn the hose on it a num-
Der of times.
The Maxim mill burned very rapidly,
and was fiat before the other one was.
Only the hardest kind of work saved the
saw mill of l.. S. Billings, across the
street from the Maxim mill. The front
of the mill smoked for long time, and
the only way it was pc ssible for the fire.
men to work on it was to use doors as
shield against the heat of the Maxim
mill. These doors were almost con-
tinuously on fire, but the Billings mill
was saved. 1t was so hot that punches
of green pine shingles piled against the
front of the mill were charred in spite
of all the water that was put on.
The house Of Walter p. Maxim stood
up the street from his mill, the rear end
of the house being only q short distance
from the mill. 1t was not long before
the front of the house was on fire, and
although most of the main part OF the
house and a portion Of the ell is still
standing, it is practically wreck. The
house had been cleared before it caught
When the fire in this house was got un
der control, the course Of the flames or
that side Of the river was stopped.
At half past six the Norway fire de
| partment came in with the "Oxfort
Bear hand tub and plenty Of hose, ant
was greeted with chea Az the mail
part of the grist mill building had theI
gone down, so that the intensity OF tn
heat was little less than 1t had been
thew made a run across the bridge ant
Joined the fight on the east side Of tn
river. The engine was set near tn
other one, and in very short time wa
throwing water. 1t was we'll manne'
from the start.
i On that side of the river too the fire
men had plenty of work cut out for them
In the beginning there had been an al
tempt to clear out . lumber shed whicl
stood near the south wall OF the burning