Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-07-14
AROUND BRUNSWICK.

Brunswick, Me, July 13.-The fire
has broken out again near Ketchel's
Mills and the sky is black with the
dense smoke which is rolling toward
to fight it. The fire on the Merrill lot
in Topsham has broken out again and
threatens to do serious damage.
The home of Andrew Thomas be-
tween Brunswick and Bath on the Bull
Rock road is seriously endangered by
fire at neon today. The fire is being
fought pcrsistently by a big crew of
men in both the Cooks Corner and the
Thompson's Hill ncighborhoods. The
fire gained a footing south of Thomp-
soE's hill during the forenoon and is
now eating up the undcrbrush at a
rapid rate.
The members of the Brunswick fire
department and hundreds of volun-
tcers worked from early morning to
midnight yesterday fighting the forest
fires which threatened to burn the
homes Of CYRUS Ridley, Charles Walk
er and Mrs. Clara Dunning and the
hall of Drigo Grange.
In spite of the efforts of the men the
fire reached a wood lot near Cooks
Corner which had been stripped of its
trees two years, leaving the ground
covered with the highly inflammable
tops and smaller limbs. From there
the ftmes leaped the main highway
Ept T2r11ncyyjrlx R1th and
swept the strip of wood land between
the highway and the tracks Of the
Maine Central Railroad.
A Brunswick bound car was wait
irg on Cooks turnout when the fire
struck into the cut down and was
compelled to return to Bath to escape
destruction A Bath bound car which
should have passed the other on the
turnout could not get through and re-
turned to Brunswick A few moments
later six poles were burned and traffic
was stopped for the rest of the day.
The Charles Walker house caught
fire several times but the two hand
tubs from this town, by pumping tan
dem. succeeded in getting water
from small pond a quarter Of a mile
away and saved the buildings.
The smoke from the fire at Cooks
Corner hung close to the ground and
caused much discomfort in the cillage
while there were hundreds of volun-
teers at work on the fire. many de-
clincd to leave town. declaring that it
was unwise to withdraw all protection
Lincoln II. Colby, chief of the Bruins
wick fire department, has been at
work almost constantly during the
past week and is nearly exhausted.
The present drouth and numerous
forest fires mean a great loss to the
people of this town. The crops have
suffered greatly. Hay will fall way be-
low the average small crop. Pasturage
has been destroyed and the cattle are
being fed grain the same as in the
winter. On this account milk will soon
be advanced to seven cents per quart.
Other crops are suffering in the same
manner. But this condition is the same
all around the neighboring towns. One
loss which Brunswick will suffer, and
which many other towns will not, is
the loss of the BURBERRY crop.
Brunswick is the best town in east
ern Maine for blueberres The crop
is estimated at between $4,000 and
$4,000. This is a complete loss. This loss
is severely felt by the poor people, for
many of them depend upon the blue
berries for their winters supplies
The entire commons of q thousand
acres are usually covered, but this
year there is scarcely any at ALL
Many have been destroyed by the fires,
and many more have been dried up.
There are at present practically no
berries in Brunswick.