Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-12-13
$1,000 FIRE,
Continued from Page One.)

to- the store of the Boston Meat Supply
Co. from some unknown cause A high
wind was blowing a t the time and the
flames spread quickly through the
store to the company's barn. When the
seriousness of the situation was seen.
employees OF the New Bedford and On
set Street Railway Co. ran out their
hose. but it fell short 500 feet and the
additional link was borrowed from ono
of the hardware firms of this city
With this coupled in the railway COM
pany's power house pumped sea water
distance of half mile to the scene
of the confiagration with but little eff
feet and the hosemen were driven back
as the flames leaped to the adjoining
residence of Angus Nickerson and
from there to Banjamin Waters drug
store anG barn in a remarkably brief
time. Over the drug Storn was the tel
ephone Office. and here Operator Will
liam 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
messenger.
In the meantime While NV Bed
ford was sending an engine and hose
company to the scene. the bucket
brigade made up of tOwaSpeoplc and
helped by the hand tub from Marion
were making a gallant stand with
these old fashioned i'r'' fighting
methods. Great credit is given the
Marion tub by the townspeople and
the street railway company. which be
sides furnishing it's lire of hose. Of
fered the services of It's cars to the
selectmei, to bring w help from out
side the town. Special cars and auto
mobiles brought many of the New
Bedford fire department to the scene
in time to assist i'm directing the pro-
gresS of the battle. but the New Bed
ford engine and hose. and the engine
from Onset did not arrive until the
flames We're under control.
From the Waters place the flames
leaped to the barn of DR.. Charles f.
Morse and quickly gained secure
foothoId there and spread to the ad-
joining house. BY this time the bucket
brigade was nearly exhausted. as were
the brakemen on the handtubs, who
were working as they never did in
musters, and as it was feared the fire
would sweep through the southern
length of the village it was decided to
blow up the house of Dr. Sawyer, the
next in the path of the fire. Dynamite
was brought up for this purpose, but
the explosion was only partially sue
cessful. Enough of the dwelling was
left for the flames to gather in strength
for jump to the Makepiece house,
the finest in the town. Seeing that
| this. too, was doomed, the firemen dy-
namitcd this. Here the busket brigade
and the Marion handful made their
| most gallant stand and the fire was
| checked after burning from o'clock
| in the evening until after O'Clock
this morning.
Mr.. Makepiece, whose house was
| valued at about $4,000. is one of the
| largest cranberry bog owners i'm the
state and 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 The flames
were checked at Huntlcy's residence
Within the past two years Ware
ham has been visited by three or four
bad fires. Each time there has been
talk OF establishing fire department
and building a water system. but AT
the town meetings no action was TAX
Ell in this direction. From opinions
expressed by many of the towns most
prominent citizens directly after this
latest and most disastrous confIagra
tioh. II Is believed some steps will he
taken towards providing the place with
some kind of fire protection. The town
has about 1000 population.