Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-07-18
A HOT BLAZE
In S|eepers and Wood
Back Of Colby Ball Field.
Difficult Job For Firemen Be-
fore Blaze Is Exiinguished.
Only One Hose Co. Responds, Others
Not Hearing Alarm.

| Fire was discovered about 80 o'clock
yesterday afternoon by employees of the
| Maine Central in large pile Of sleep
ers and wood just beyond the oil house
and directly back of the Colby baseball
ground The fire had attained good
Roadway when discovered and was in
| great danger of igniting the hundreds
of cords of cut wood which was very
| close at hand. An alarm was imme-
diately sent in from Box AZ and Hose
Co. No. l was promptly on the scene.
The driver of Hose No. was out on
| the sprinkler and was at the upper
! part of College avenue and consequent
| ly did not hear the alarm. Hose was
! laid from the hydrant at the corner of
/ Ash and College avenue and 1000 feet
! was necessary to reach the blaze. 1t
/ was hot one, most of the wood being
| very dry and it burned like paper. The
| tiremen at first directed their attention
| to the saving of the wood which was in
| close proximity and then made short
work of the fire.
Close to the large pile of sleepcrs was
| a fat car which was also laden with
| ties. This was a mass of flames and
| the smoke which ensued made it eX-
tremely difficult for the firemen. The
wood was mostly pine and the heat
was intense. The Maine Central Off
Gals had a crew of men on hand to
assist the firemen, who together with
the hook and ladder members pulled
over the huge piles of burning timber.
1t all had to be replied before the fire
was all cut and this took considerable
time.
The water was shut off twice in or
der to allow the men to place the hose
under the tracks and not hinder the
trains. This gave the flames a fresh OPP
portunity and they leaped into the air.
The grass in several places caught but
was quickly stopped by the action of
the firemen.
All Of the sleepers were SO badly
burned they will be useless to the COM
pany. The woodwork on the Maine
Central fiat car was all burned off and
is about a total loss. The officials are
extremely thankful that the fire did
not gain any Roadway in the huge pile
of cut wood, for if it had, with the gale
of wind that was blowing there is no
telling where it would have stopped.
The fire was supposed to have been
SET by lTdInpS, lOI dCCOIuili6 ~ oiC VI
the yard foremen large number were
seen in that vicinity during the MORN
ing. They make their headquarters
near the bank of the river and it is
supposed that they were smoking and
threw an ignited match into the extra
dry timber.
The non-appearance of Hose Co. No
4 caused considerable discussion among
the business and fire officials 1t was no
ones fault. Hose No. 4 horse and driver
were d. work on the sprinkler and
were beyond hearing distance of the
bell Hose No. was far from their
house at the time and likewise No. 2
was in a place where it would have
taken some time to have gone to their
house and changed to the fire wagon.
This is often the case, and the rest
dents of the different sections are put
ting up strong arguments why the
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still 1871 II5y butIu1