The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-12-12
DYNAMITE USED
To CHECK SWEEP
Of THE FLAMES

Wareham. Mass, Dec. i2.-From early
evening until well into the morning the
heart OF this town was swept by a fire
which, before IL was checked had de-
stroyed 10 buildings at a loss roughly es-
timated from $4,000 TO 100000.
The fire quickly gained the upper hand
and held 1t for over FIVE hours, owing 10
the towns lack of fire-hghting apparatus
or water works, and as a last resort. after
help from New Bedford. Onset, Marion
and Mattcpoisett had been summoned
dynamite had TO be used twice before the
boundaries of the devastated district
could be marked out. No lives were lost,
although at first II was reported that an
elderly lady. Mrs. Lilly 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: Boston
Meat Supply company's store and barn;
Angus Nickerson's house: Benjamin wa
ter's drug store and barn. Dr. Charles
f. Morse's house and barn: DR.. Sawyers
house and barn: A. b. Makepeace's mouse.
The blaze started in shed belonging 70
the store OF the Boston Meat supply COM
pany, from some unknown cause. high
wind was blowing at the time and the
flames spread quickly through the store
to the company's barn. When the serl-
business OF the situation was seen en-
ployes OF the New Bedford and onset
Street Railway company ran out their
hose, but il fell short 800 feet. and the
additional link was borrowed from one OF
the hardware firms of this town.
With this, coupled in the railway COM
pany's power house pumped sea water
distance of half mile TO the scene of the
connagration with but little effect and
the hosemen were driven back as the
flames leaped 10 the adjoining residence
fr,, her 70
BENJAMIN Waters drug store and barn In
a remarkably brief time. over tho drug
store was the telephone office and here
Operator William Nickerson remained at
his post summoning help from nearby
places until driven from the switchboard
by the smoke and flames. With the loss OF
the telephone office communication with
the outside world was had only by mes
senger.
In the meantime while New Bedford
was sending an engine and hose company
to the scene, the bucket brigade made up
OF townspeople and helped by the hand
tub from Marion were making a gallant
stand with these oldfashioned fire-fight-
ing methods.
Great credit is given the Marion tub
by the townspeople and TO the street
railway company which besides fur
nishing its line of hose, offered the
services OF it's cars TO the selectmen
town Special cars and automobiles
brought many of the New Bedford Ire
department TO the scene in time to as
sist in directing the progress OF tho
battle, but the New Bedford engine and
hose and the engine from Onset cii
not arrive until the flames were under
control.
From the Waters place the flames
leaped TO the barn OF Dr. Charles II.
Morse and quickly gained secure
foothold there and spread TO the ad-
Joining house. BY this time the buckeJ
brigade was nearly exhausted as Were
were working as they never did n
musters, and as II was feared the
fire would sweep through the south
ern length OF the village, IL was de
cided to blow up the house of Dr.
| sawyer, the next in the patti OF tce
fire. Dynamite was brought up sor
this purpose, but the explosion was
only partially successful
Enough of the. dwelling was left fer
the flames to gather In strength for
| jump to tho Makepeace house, the
| finest in the town. Seeing that this.
| too. was doomed the firemen dynamited
| this.
Here the bucket brigade and the Mar
ion hand TUB made their most gallant
burning from 9 o'clock in the evening un-
! I'll after o'clock this morning.
Mr.. Makepeace, whose house was val
ued at about $4,000, is one of the largest
| cranberry bog owners In the state, and
| had many valuable papers In his resi-
dence. but 1t is thought that he saved
| all OF them.
| The fire district was bounded by Main
| and Back streets, and the street leading
| up 10 the centre of the town from the
| railroad station. The flames were check
| ed at Huntley's residence.
| Within the past two years Wareham
| has been visited by three or four bad
| fires Each time there has been talk of
| establishing a fire department and build
| ing a water system. but at the town
meetings no action was taken in this di-
! rection. From opinions expressed by
! many OF the towns most prominent citi-
! zens, directly after this latest and most
disastrous conhagration, II is believed
| some steps will be taken towards provid-
ing the place with some kind OF fire pro-
| lection. The town has about 1000 popula-
! tion,