Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-01-27
Will Not Exceed 100000
on Portland City Hail.
City and County Officials All
In Temporary Quarters.
ThoughtIess Boy Nearly Causes
Panic In Theatre.

Portland, Me, Jan. 26.-Owing to the
reasonably good condition in which the
walls have been found and the saving
oe a small portion Of the county side
of the building, it is now estimated that
the loss by the burning of City hall
will not be in excess of 100000. and
possibly will be less The principal loss
in the destruction OF records was in
the probate Office.
The fire was eXtinguished and the
last line OF hose withdrawn Saturday.
Immediately the work Of removing rec
ords, papers and other contents OF Of
fees not burned was begun. The prin-
cipal city offices have been located in
Court Square block, a newly fitted Of
lice building, in which the first and
third floors were leased.
The mayors office, in the east wing,
ground floor, was merely blackened and
larched by the smoke and heat. The
city clerks office. from which Mr..
Cummings at great risk succeeded in
saving valuable records. was badly
damaged and the aldermanic and
council chambers are in ruins.
Far more of the public records stored
IN the building were saved than was
ut first supposed Practically all Of the
city records and those in the offices Of
the clerks of the courts were saved.
An index system representing four
years OF work was wiped out. and
more than one fifth Of the Greenleaf
law library was burned.
Portland has come out Of this dis
aster much better than / had expect
Cd" said Mayor Leighton.
An army of workmen are still en-
ployed searching the ruins Of City hall
for valuable documents and books
which were buried by the falling tim
beers and the wrecked walls. The eX-
terror Of the building is covered with
ice, as are also the big pillars which
still guard the main entrance, giving
the ruins the appearance of crystal
palace.
The city and county offices
in front of the building were NOT
visited by the fire, and their contents,
soaked with water and bcgrined with
smoke, are safe and not badly injured.
The valuable portraits in the mayor )
Office have been located in the basement
of the Curtis gum factory, where they
were transported in the excitement
while the fire was in progress. The
aldermen's chamber and the common
council chamber are roofless and floor
less wrecks. In the city treasurer
Office the documents in the vaults are
safe but the articles which were left
without are destroyed.
On the county side it was definitely
ascertained this afternoon that the
records Of the register Of deeds, the
clerk Of courts and the county commits
sioners are safe. though damaged by
smoke and water. The probate records
were consumed by the great heat which
surrounded the stone walls of this de-
partment and only few of them have
been found which can be of use.
The county officers voted this after
noon to locate the county Offices in the
new Atwood building, on Center street
near Congress
The superior court will hold its SEES
sion in the Jail Monday morning and
afterwards in the new county quarters
The supreme court will continue ths
trial OF a case which was under way
the day before the fire. in the fedora
court rooms
The fire alarm system has been tenn
porarily connected uD and quarters
are now being fitted for it in the base
ment of the Union Mutual building
For the time being they are in Il hist
lily constructed building on Congress
street opposite the ruins Of City hail
Experts who have examined tht
walls of City hall say that they nave
not suffered materially and that The
proposed new building can be con-
structed with them. Three walls pass
ed through two fires but seem to be as
strong as ever.
The estimated loss is SS50,000 to the
building, and the insurance was only
SS0,500.