The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-25
A DISASTROUS FIRE
PoRTLAND,s HANDsOsfE CRY HAxx
BURNS no TO THE GROUND.



Portland, Me-. Jan 2a.--A IRE which
caused q. property damage OF 81. 900, !.
600 early today destroyed the. city
Hall and police building. and endan-
Rered the lives of more than 700 ner.
sons. Although known as City Hall,
the building was divided between city
ard county ofYicers. while the police
building sheltered the supreme. judicial
and municipaI courts, in addition to the
police department.
The fire was the worst In the state
since the great Portland conda grafton
of 1885. when the city's business ana
residential sections were almost COM
pletely wiped out. That there were
no fatalities IL remarkable. as there
were more than 700 persons attending
the Western Maine knights OF Pythias
Jubilee being held in the auditorium
OF the City Hall when the flames were
discovered. Only few persons were
hurt. Chief Engineer Melville EldridEe
being the only one known to be sert-
oualv injured.
The financial loss IL estimated at
100000. hut this sum win 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 excep-
tion Of the city clerks and the city
treaaurer,s ONCE, the money and Sc
curfties in the latter building being
believed to be intact. One OF the most
valuable libraries IN the State. the
GreeuIeaf law collection. was COM
pletely destroyed.
The blaze originated in the city cleo
trician,s ONCE. and was caused by
crossed wires and this made II irnpos-
sible to ring a call for the IRE depart.
ment IN any Of the boxes. The fire
was discovered by a newspaper man on
his way home. who noticed a, red glare
as Of Kissing wires. in the city engi-
neer's ONCE. He tried to pull an alarm
from a nearby box. stationed outside q
fre station. The signal rang the sta
ton alarm and brought the firemen
from that house to the scene. but they
ana a few Others who were summoned
nv teIephone, constituted the whole
0re-fiebting force for half an hour.
during which time the flames gained
such Roadway as to become uncon-
trollable. When Chief ENGINEER Eld-
ridge arrived on the scene, he gave up
all homes Of saving the building. and
confined the efforts Of the department
! to saving surrounding property.
When the flames were discovered,
| Wm. A. Turner. chairman OF the meet
| ing of the Pythian body. was met in
the hallway by three men. who ac-
Ouainted him Win IHS VI 90
| fairs. CooIly he entered the audito-
rum ana assembled the stage. inter-
rupting the rites Of investure which
were going on at the time. He calm
w fold the assembled members of the
existing conditions. and thus averted
a panic bringing out more than 700
persons unln1ured.
Earlier in the evening there had been
more than 1900 people in the audito-
rum for the jubilee. and had the fire
occurred then packed as the house
was, many lives might have been lost.
chief engineer EIdridge sustained in
iuries by the breaking away OF siam
ssa coupling of hose. which hit him In
tha stomach. When the flames com
munIcated to the police building. wnere
Abe citv Jail is located. the prisoners
| wsra set free. These prisoners had
nan arrested for minor onenses- the
bntldinR. which was fve-story struc-
tnre OF brick. burned up and down from
the third floor. aided the rre In the
city hall. 1..L p,Sa
ford. saco and Lewiston. but the latter
was the only city to get It's apparatus
IN the city before daybreak.