Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-11-19
The Family Barely Escaped.
RESIDENCE OF WILLIAM ii. STILES
BURNED SATURDAY MORNING.

The house of William II. Stiles in
South Paris was practically destroyed by
fire Saturday morning, the family get
ting out of the house without having
time to dress fully, and only some half
dozen pieces of furniture being saved.
Albert P. Abbott's house was scOrched
but not extensively damaged.
The Stiles and Abbott houses are the
only two on what has been termed Stiles
Street, which is short spur running of
Pine Street at right angles. The houses
are only about twenty feet apart.
In the Stiles house lived Mr.. and Mrs.
Stiles, and their daughter and her hus-
band, Mr.. and Mrs. Samuel p. Hill, who
have young child. Mr.. Hill drives a
team for A. w. Walker & Son, and has
to feed his horses early in the morning.
Early Saturday morning he got up and
built fire in the kitchen stove, and
then left for Walkers to take care of his
| horses. He fixes the time at which he
left at ten minutes of five.
Very shortly after five o'clock the
occupants of the house were awakened
to find the house full Of smoke. Mrs.
Hill and her child got out in their night
clothes, and in five minutes more would
have been unable to get out of the door
of the room, as the flames would have
cut them off. MI. and Mrs. Stiles were
in the front part of the house, and far
Their from the region where the fire was
worst, but they were able to get only
partly dressed before they had to get
out.
1t was evident that the fire started
near the chimney in the ell, and it was
all through the ell and rapidly spreading
in the rest of the house when discover
ed. Mr.. Abbott was aroused, and after
seeing that the people were safe, ran
across the gardens to the Congregational
church and rang the bell. 1t was four
minutes past five when the alarm struck,
and at that time the fire had gained
such Roadway that those reused by the
alarm, in any part of the village, had
only to look in the right direction to see
the bright light of it.
As prompt response as could be ex-
pected at that early hour was made by
the tiremen and others, and line of
hose was laid from the hydrant in Mar
ket Square across the fields to the Stiles
house. II produced stream which,
from the edge of the street, would just
about reach the ridgepole of the one
story house, but, although the front of
the house had not vet got very hot, it
was necessary to shield the nozzle hold
so they could get near enough to throw
water on the house at all.
Soon another hose was laid from a
hydrant on Main Street, and two nozzles
we're siameSed on to this. The pressure
improved somewhat, and the three
streams could be used at good advantage
on the low buildings, so that the fire
was soon under control.
A small hen house and wood shed
which formed the rear portion of the
Stiles buildings are standing, and some
portions of the walls are left, but in such
shape that the building is practically a
total loss. The windows in the side of
Mr. Abbott's house toward the Stiles
house were all broken by the heat, and
the wall was scOrched, one corner of the
buildings being on fire at one time,
though the blaze was quickly subdued.
A bed and four or five other articles
of furniture were all that was saved
trotu MT. otites uouse. uo Iah'y "ISo
lost most of their clothing. A quantity
of furnishings belonging to Mrs. Han
nah Holt, stored in the house, were also
lost Mr.. Abbott's furniture was most
of it carried out, but was soon after re-
turned, when the fire was seen to be
under control.
Mr.. Stiles buildings were insured in
the agency of W. j. Wheeler & Co. for
$500, which will fall considerably short
of the loss. There was no insurance on
furniture or clothing.
Mr.. Abbott's damage is something
like $50, which is covered By insurance.
Infants Body Found in Moody Brook.