Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-04-13

comprise tIc WOTkS, SlOTeu Luz Tic
most part with old rags and paper.
The exact cause of the fire is not
known, but it is supposed that spon-
taneous combustion among the rags
was responsible.
A high wind. blowing at As miles
an hour from the northwest drove the
flames from the rag heaps directly
upon the wooden buildings of the Bos-
ton Backing Co.
In the furious gales shingles, burn
ing paper and oil-soaked rags were
flung high into the air and went soar
ing over the city. Within half an hour
the Rosenfelt Bros wooden rag fac
tory or Maple street was in flames as
was the Chapman & Soden Roofing Co.
works. Tons of tarred paper stored in
the latter factory created dense
smoke. Soon a dozen factories and
cheaper tenement houses west of Ev-
erett avenue were in flames and the
firemen were utterly unable to cope
with the conflagration.
Realizing fully for the first time that
the city was doomed if the flames
could not be stopped at Everett ave-
nue., Fire Chief H. A. Spencer ordered
a general alarm of fire OF be sounded
and summoned help from Boston and
all the surrounding cities and towns.
Four alarms of fire were sounded in
Boston and all the available apparat-
TUG was sent A two-alarm fire in the
city Of Boston, however, prevented as
many engines being sent across the
ferry as would otherwise have been
possible. BY noon, however, help had
arrived from Everett. Lynn, Haverhill,
Wakefield, Salem, Maiden, Cambridge,
Winthrop and Revere.
The first evidence of the fire on the
east side of Everett avenue was when
the roof Of the Peoples M. E. church
on 4th street was seen to be ablaze.
The services were in progress inside
at the time and the congregation were
unaware that serious fire was rag
ing outside. Some one notified the pas
tor, Rev. Charles p. Watson, that the
building was in danger of burning. I'M
mediately the pastor turned to his peo-
pie and notified them of the danger
and advised them to file slowly from
the building. Twenty minutes later the
building was burned to the ground.
Heaps of burning embers, flying shin
giles, rags and a sufficient cloud of
dust, hurled down across Everett av-
enue, coupled with the intense heat,
drove even the firemen before it and
those families nearest the start of the
confiagration had only time to escape
from their homes and save their lives.
Forced back down Everett avenue to
the south the firemen bravely battled
with the flames in an endeavOr to save
the heart of the business section of the
city and to confine the fire to that Sec
ton of the city. Within the area of
half a mile square were several
churches and schoolhouses. One by one
they became prey to the flames. At
noon the tip of the steeple of the Pol
ism Catholic church on Chestnut street
caught fire and several pieces of ap-
paratus were rushed to the scene in q
vain attempt to save the building. The
loss en- the church is estimated at $751;
900. a hundred yards away at the cor
nor of Chestnut and 4th streets, the
First Universalist church caught fire
in exactly the same manner as the
Polish church. The fire fighters were
here greatly handicapped by the i'm
uISUSC ClOutlS u uuSL WIl1cH swept
down upon them.
By calling into reuuisition ambu-
lances from surrounding towns and
cities and calling into service all avail
able wagons and carriages, the inmates
of the Frost hospital and the Chill
dren's hospital were removed outside
the city limits to retreats of safety. 1t
was none too soon, for both hospital
buildings were shortly consumed.
The fire at the Fitz library marked
the limit of the burned area on Broad
way to the east.
On Broadway the Masonic Temple
and Odd Fellows buildings We're
burned and 10 to II business blocks,
mostly of brick construction.
In the meantime between Broadway
and the waterfront, the entire southern
section of the city was in flames. A fire
brand no sooner struck the roof
of a tenement or residence than it
would break into a blaze. No one knew
where the fire would spring up next
Householders were piling up their
goods in the streets and on returning
with an additional armful would find
a mattress in flames in the middle of
lItc street.
Tie greater damage was done when the
fire reached City Hall square. The First
Baptist church. lofty brick building
first caught fire on the highest part of
the spi:e. Soon the roof was in flames
and then the embers settled down on the
unoccupied church building of st. Luke's
Society and the quarters of the Veteran
Firemen's Association. The tower of the
First Unitarian church on Hawthorne
street then became enveloped in flames
and in the space Of few moments every
building in the square, with the excep-
ton of the City hall, was in flares
For n time it looked as if the magEifi-
cent City hall structure, built of brick
and separated from all other buildings
by wide area might be saved. The hope
was but momentary. however for about
9 O'Clock a tiny flicker of flames was to
be seen under the coping Of the cupola
Gathering Roadway in the high wind, the
flame licked the cupola, exposed the great
bell in the tower and crept down to the
main structure. Next the elements secur-
ed control of the interior of the City hall
and then the entire structure was swept
awsy and dozen buildings in the vicin-