Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-03-06
STUBBORN BLAZE
Causes a Loss Of $685.
5000 Monday Evening.
Heavy Damage in Dry Goods
Store Of Russell & Weston.
Other Stores in Vicinity Filled With Smoke
Insurance Covers Loss.


ces troyed. ana although the building in
which The fire started last night was
not destroyed, the da mage to the goods
CONTAINED in it and in the adjoining
buildings. viii amount far into the
thousands. Had the fire occurred in
the hale hours Of the night the loss
would have been far greater, but luck
lily il came soon after l!.n snppcr hour
ami plenty of help Was soon at hand
Ii Was bad cnoush. however. as it was.
as by it one OF III" largcst stocks Of
dry goods III tn" city was practically
ruines. Whir those in other stores in
the vicinity We're damaged to Il great
er or ,2SS extent.
lii" alarm VAS rullod in from box
81. at The corner of Water ana Oak
streets 1T G.:"1i%. ana was in" to thu.
discovery of saoh" is:;.iinG rrCm around
tn" clItr:tEt" If thr Russell ~ Weston
store. and from the hallway which adj
which the store is lncntcd The Two
horse hos. teams. 40. and No. 9
We're quick IL respond to the call. ana
linHS %! hos" Wer" soon strung from HE
Eydrant in front Of Turner's ern.,.rv
store. the one near the foot of Bridge
street ana the one IN front of Good
rich'S drug store. Lines Of hose were
also strung from the hylrant in front
of til" Whitman & Adams cos. store.
bui III" hydrant ~as found to be stuck
nj first "nd valuable time was lost y,
changing the hose to another hy,rant
on to.n:nricial street, but were not
used.
chief Engineer Haskell was among
the first 10 arrive. ana realizing the
seriousness of the situation. sent in. ten
minut'S later. another alarm calling
out all tie apparatus in the department
with In" exception of the steamer
Meanwhile The fircmcna were working
hard /" get AT the blaze, which was in
tn" baScncn, Of the store, and was
difficult to locate. \ basement fire is
one of the worst types with which the
fremCn have to contend, and especially
the easements on the West side of
Water street, as in that section of the
street the buildings are all set into the
bank and the level of Commercial
street is almost on a. level with the
second floor Of the buildings and the
fire mas to be fought from the cellar
windows on Water street.
Russell & NVcstcn's store. in the base
ment "f which the fire started. occupies
two buildings, the south building being
owned by the firm and the north by
the VI Y. T.. Chase estate. AS near as
could hc located, the lire caught around
the. furnace. The first known OF the fire
was When +. \. Dennis who had been
into Eennctt's restaurant to supper.
came out. and on reaching the Russell
& Weston store. srelled smoke and
saw the light Of the fire through the
narrow glass lights in the stairs which
lead to the second floor Of the building.
Mr. Dennis at once gave the alarm and
started down the street for the box.
j. y. Jones was coming across the
bridge, and on learning where the fire
was. and knowing that Allen II. Jcwett |
occupied rooms or the third floor of the |
building i'll which the tlre was rushed |
up the St2irWay 10 give the alarm. be- !
ing joined by others Mr.. Jewctt and |
family had just sat down to supper !
thor,' being present besides himself and i
wife ana their daughter. Miss Vera |
Jrwctt. Il young lady friend of their |
daughter, Miss Brown. who Was |
taking tea with them.
Mr.. JcWeit heard the cry Of fire, ana |
on going to the door found the hallway |
full of smoke. Little time was lost by |
the family in seeking a place of safety. |
and managed by keeping hold of the |
stair rail, To reach the street. but the |
smoke in the hallway was 50 sitting |
that they had the utmost difficulty in
finding their way TO the outer air. and
1aCC
Jewett being so much affected that he
fell or reaching the foot of the stairs.
They soon recovered on reaching the
outer air but il WAS 4 very narrow
escape.
The nremen succeeded in keeping the
fire in the basement where it started,
but i: proved To be the hardest fight
that they have had for long time.
Ii WAS impossible to get into the has
ment on account of the dense smoke,
or to work their hose from the outside
in way that was effective After
some time. when they had succeeded
in getting some of the smoke out of
the store. they were enabled to cut
holes in the floor and fight the fire i'm
that way. but it had worked its way
up on to the floor timberS, and was
even then ont Of reach
1t took long time to kill the fire
out. but it was not on account of the
lack Of effort on the part of the fire.
men, Tor in the early stages Of the fire
n number of the boys forced their way
into the store and the sitting smoke. |
and several of them We're nearly over
como. and had to be helped out by
their comrades.
SO dense was the smoke that it
forced its way through the walls of the
adjoining buildings and filled the diff
ferent floors. The store of Mrs. f. c.
Leighton, which adjoins on the north.
was filled with smoke. and some smoke
worked into Benefits restaurant On
the south side of the building where
the fire was. the stores of T. c. Buck
ley. F. L. Hersey and L. +. Davis &
Co. also filed with smoke, and all will
suffer more or less loss thereby. as