Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-07-12
Details Of Wednesdays
Fire at Monmouth.
Volunteers Worked Like 1rojanS
81. TO Save the Town.
Manv Have to Leave Main Blaze to
& Save Own Homes.

Monmouth, Nc, July 1l.-With three
hitoric fires, two of which wiped out
the entire business section Of the town
Monmouth never had such scar" as
"wednesday afternoon when the ora
1pocca.in factory, corn shop ana latciy
= as a storchousc and Il lumber store
house. together with four loaded cars
were burned More than q doHcii
buildings in different parts 81 me VI
lagc were ablaZc at one tlll'' l. We
only by the hardest work 81 me l"cai
ynlunt nrr fire department ana tue S'o'
service Of the hand tub that the cntrc
village was saved from destruction.
Hclp was summoned from Lewiston,
hui by the time the city department ar
rived, the fire VA under central.
The losses are: Or. Fl. NJ. ana +. X.
Blake, sturchnusc ana contents, $t2Go.
Simon Clough, lumber and store
house, 500.
Luther Gordon. lumber yard. $50.
-Four Maine Central cars. $500; ~
tons of hay belonging to Joshua s'tnv"r,
George Perkins, G"Org" Merrill "l
Gray ana Jutu Frye of Portland, $3.50.
Il. c. Torscy. hotel shed and stable,
500.
There is no Insurance on any If tha
property.
The damage t. the half-doZ"u or :"
other buildings which caught fire will
j." slight. The total damage caused by
the fire WAS $500
tn" fire started in the two-anl-"no-
half-Gt,ry Stor" hnu.c u5rd by T.. X
Blake. 1t was 80 =. NJ. when tie first
alarm sounded. a crowd pushed ut once
to the scene, but when they arrived the
fire way in every part Of the building
ana III" roof was ready to fan ill., \
strong southwest wind was blowing
c1"ryirg clouds of sparks over th" Vii
hGc. Tile heat was unncarablr. With
in 10 minutes after tn" alarm tn" llnn-
Der stnr"hnuYc Of Simon CIuUGh and
four fright cars I"nd"d with hay and
sitting an the side track were on iir"
Tho hand tub was set lIp west of tn,
freight she'd ami a willing crew manned
t.. With the single stream from this
machine aud pals the local people
bravc!y fought tho fire. A first their
efforts wcr" diScnura @ng. The flames
spread more rapidly than they could
put thCm out and the heat WAS 50 in
. tense that they could not st near
enough 10 the buildings To- dn effective
work
While battling with III" main fire
against great odI.. word was brought
that buildings wcr" catching fire in
other parts IF The village. IL" hrat and
sparks had set fire to the roof of til"
shed connected with the hotel and u
mi IN. hot, 81 Ct,
was afIrc. Thcn q small Ii!a;:" wn& ;;'.cn
IN the drug store. Ladders wcrr being
raised to @crd.. the bucket brigade to
the roof of the building when another
IRE was seen on Woodbury. store. To
cap The climax messages were brought
to the firc,ncn who were fighting so
hard to save the property Of others,
that their own homes were On fire. AT
asole time six places were On FIRE on
/ Maple street. several hundred feet
n from the old corn shop
r The leaving Of mon To save and pro-
tect property in other parts Ct. the vii
stnSe reduced tho size of The crew At, the
#pAfn fire. but by this time word that
Honn"uth was burning had gone into
m" surrounding country. thanks to
SMiSS Laura Lord nf the telephone cN-
'hanS". and people wcr" rushing To-
inc village from al directions.
IN loss than half an hour after The
ir" started. a hundred mon from
N'Tth Monmouth, Leeds. T.itrhiipld and
wales were fighting if. Tie local pco-
vi" were also ably assisted by the
summer guests IT til" cottages on the
shore of Lake CorhncwaEln \ Maine
anu lhcN also gave valuable assistance.
with SO mny fires burning nj one
u>n" II seemed W. if the entire village
vas doomed. and help WAS summoned
from Lewiston.
me Lewiston department responded
0nlrhly. taking its engines un,l nrnara-
.'S from the street where they were
'"'ng Inspected ny the insurance un-
o'rwritcrS.
"A Maine Central fire special was ready
" pull out of the upper station as soon
- me apparatus was loaded. The run
~ Monmouth was made in record break
i"s umc. only taking about Il minutes Of
'c'ual running time There was Il delay
VI a"out three minutes at Leeds Junction
:" get clear track. Passenger and cx-
press trairs were side tracked for the fire
SPECIAL. When help arrived the local COM
fallS Lad the fire under control.
ilHec men were overcome hy heat.
S.'oke and exhaustion. They were Lewis
".er OF West Gardiner. Joseph Tufts
a"n Harry Western. Their condition was
.' 't serious and all were brought 10 hy
-" SNiiful work of Drs Randlettc. Blak,
and Marston.
hen the fire broke out the funeral of
- WIRED Robertson was being held
'Ne congregational church. Put at the
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