Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-12-12
TOWNFIRESWEPT
For the Third Time in a Few Weeks Flames Swept Mas
 sachusetts Town
TEN BLOCKS BURNED

e Wareham, Mass, Dec 12.-From early evening until we'll into this morning the heart of this town was swept by fire which, before it was checked, had destroyed ten buildings at loss roughly estimated from $75,0O0 to $1O0.Oo0 The fire quick ly gained the upper hand and held it for over five hours, owing to the towns lack of fire fighting apparatus or water works, and as last resort, after help from New Bedford, Onset, Marion and Mattapoisett had been driven steadily back, dynamite had to be used twice before the boun- daries of the devastated district could be marked out. No lives were lost, although at first it was reported that an elderly lady, Miss Lily Washburn, was missing. Some of the homeless families managed to save the greater part of their belongings. The loss is partly covered by insurance.
 The buildings destroyed are: Bos- ton Meat Supply Co.'S store and barn; Angus Nickerson's house; Benjamin Waters drug store and barn; Dr Charles F. Morse's house and barn; Dr Sawyer's house and barn; A. B. Makepieces house.
 The blaze started in shed belong ing to the store of the Boston Meat Supply Go, from some unknown cause. A high wind was blowing at the time and the flames spread quick ly. Employees of the New Bedford and Onset Street Railway Go ran out their hose. but it fell short 800 feet and the additional link was borrowed from one of the hardware firm of this city. With this coupled in the rail- way company's power house pumped sea water distance of half mile to the scene of the conf1agration with but little effect. Over Waters drug store was the telephone office, and here Operator William Nickerson re- mained at his post summonfng help from nearby places until driven from the switchboard by the smoke and flames.
 A bucket brigade helped by the hand tub from Marion made a gallant stand with these old-fashioned fire fighting methods. Special cars and automobiles brought many of the New Bedford fire department to the scene, but their engine and hose and the engine from Onset arrived too late to be of service.
 Dynamite was brought up to de- stroy Dr Sawyer's house in an effort to check the flames, but the attempt failed. The flames jumped to the Makepiece house, the finest in the town. and the firemcn also dyna- mited this. Here the fire was checked.
 Mir Makepiece, whose house was valued at about $25,000, is one of the largest cranberry bog owners in the state and he had many valuable papers in his residence. 'but it is thought that he saved all of them.
 The fire district was bounded by Main and Back streets and the street leading up to the center of the town from the railroad station.
 Within the past two years Ware ham has been visited by three or four bad fires. Each time there has been talk of establishing a fire de- partment and building water sys- tenn, but at the town meetings no action was taken in this direction. From opinions expressed by many of the towns most prominent citizens after this latest and most dis astrous confagration. it is believed some steps will be taken towards pro- viding the place with some kind of fire protection. The town has about { 900 population.