The evening star and Newark advertiser., 1908-01-24
City Hall in New England
City DestrOyed-.POlice
Free Prisoners.
700 FLEE; SOME ARE HURT

PORTLAND, Me. Jan. PA nre
which caused a property damage of
$1,000, 900 early today destroyed the City
Hall and police buildings, and endan
gered the lives of more than 700 per-
sons. Although known as City Hall the
building was divided between city and
county Offices, while the police build
ing sheltered the Supreme, judicial and
municipal courts, in addition TO the
police department.
The fire was the worst in the State
since the great Portland conhagration
of 1865 when the city's business and
residential sections were almost COM
pletely wiped out.
That there We're no fatalities is re-
marbable, as there were more than 700
persons attending the Western Maine
knights of Pythias jubilee, gathered
in the auditorium of the City Hail
when the flames were discovered. Only
a few persons were hurt. Chief Engin-
eer Melville Eldridge was seriously in
jured, but he was able to direct the
fight against the flames throughout, be-
ing supported by two assistants.
The financial loss is estimated at
$1,000000, but this sum will not cover
the loss of the papers and documents
in the registry of deeds, where every
thing was destroyed. Other city de-
partments were swept clear of every
thing by the flames with the exception
Of the city clerks and the city treas
urers offices, the money and securities
In the latter being believed to be in
tact, although 1t will be almost i'm
possible to ascertain definitely until the
vaults have cooled sufficiently for an
examination to be made. One of the
most valuable libraries in the State, the
Greenleaf law collection, was complete
ly destroyed, with q loss estimated at
$40, 900.
The blaze originated in the city cleo
tricians office and was caused by
crossed wires. When Chief Engineer
Eldridge arrived he gave up all hope
of saving the building, and confined the
efforts of the department to protecting
surrounding property.
When the flames were discovered,
William A. Turner, chairman of tho
meeting Of tho Pythian body, was met
in the hallway by three men, who ac-
uuainted him with the condition of af-
fairs. Coolly he entered the auditorium
and ascended the stage, interrupting
the rites of investiture which were go
ing on at the time. He calmly told
the assembled members of the existing
conditions and thus averted u panic,
bringing out more than 200 persons up-
injured Earlier in the evening there
had been more than 1,500 persons in the
auditorium for the Jubilee exercises.
and had the fire occurred then, packed
as the hall was, many lives might have
been lost,
When the flames communicated to
the police building, where the city Jail
is located, the prisoners were set free
These prisoners had been arrested for
only minor offenses. The building,
which was a five-story structure of
brick, burned up and down from the
third floor, as did the fire in the City
Hall.
The City Hall survived the great fire
OF 1866, although it was badly gutted
at that time 1t was first opened in
1859 The building had a frontage of
l50 feet and was $50 feet long. It's
central dome rose 150 feet above the
roof The building was constructed of
colored Nova Scotia albert stone and
contained eighty rooms.