Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-01-24
LOSS OF A MILLION
Big Fire in Portland To-Day Wiped Out Many Business
 Places.


 100000 early to-day destroyed tn
 city hall and police buildings and en
 dangered the lives of more than 70'
 persons. Although known as cit.
 hall, the building was divided be
 tween city and county offices, whil
 the police building sheltered the su
 preme, judicial and municipal court
 in addition to the police department The fire was the worst in the stat
 since the great Portland confagratior
 of 1866, when. the city's business ant
 residential sections were almost com pletely wiped out. / | Death was absent from the fire, |; fact considered very remarkable, a!
 there were more than 700 member
 of the Western Maine Knights O l Pythias jubilee gathered in the audi
 torium of the city hall when thu
 flames were discovered. Only few
 persons were hurt. Chief Engineer
 Melville N. Eldridge being the only one known to be seriously injured
 and he was able to direct the figh' | against the flames throughout being
 supported by two assistant.
 The financial loss is estimated al $1, 100000, but this sum will not cover the loss of the papers and docu
 ments in the registry of deeds where everything was destroyed. Other city departments were swept clear oi everything by the flames, with the exception of the city clerks and the city treasurer's offices, the money and securities in the latter being believed to be intact, although it will be al. most impossible to ascertain definite. ly until the vaults have cooled suffi- ciently for an examination to be made. One of the most valuable li- braries in the state, the Greenleai law collection, was completely des- troyed, with loss estimated at $10,- 900.
 The blaze originated in the city electricians office and was caused by crossed wires. The net work of wires controlling the fire alarm and city electric lighting circuits was soon missing and blazing, and it was inn possible to ring call for the fire de- partment in any of the boxes. The fire was discovered by news paper man on his way home, who no- ticed red glare, as of hissing wires. in the city engineers office. He tried to pull an alarm from a nearby box stationed outside fire station. The signal rang the station alarm and brought the firemen from that house tA hn lN,,t Fau rsth CTS who were summoned by telephone constituted the whole fire fighting force for half an hour. during which time the flames gained such headway as to become uncomfortable.
 Up to the time the full department was on the scene, the Knights of Pythias assisted the firemen in their attempts to subdue the flames, but their combined efforts proved of no avail, and when Chief Engineer FL drige arrived on the scene he gave up all hopes of saving the building, and confined the efforts of the depart ment to protecting surrounding prop erty.
 When the flames were discovered, William A. Turner, chairman of the meeting of the Pythian body, was met in, the hallway by three men who ac- quainted him with the condition of affairs. Gooly he entered the audi torium and ascended the stage, inter rupted the rites of investiture which were going on at that time. He calm ly told the assembled members of the existing conditions. saying there nd col supervising a system of orderly de- parture. which proved effective in averting a panic and in bringing out more than TOO persons without an injury Many left clad only in their light regalla, but later, when it was seen that danger was not imminent, some went back and secured their heavier garments. Earlier in the evening there had been more than L. 500 persons in the auditorium for the jubilee exercises, and had the fire oc- cured then, packed as the hall was, many lives might have been lost.
 Chief Engineer Eldridge sustained his injuries by the breaking away of a Siamese coupling of hose, which hit him in the stomach. He was able to the fire fighting opera tions throughout the entire duration of the fire, although two men aided him in getting around.
 When the flames communicated, to the police building, where the city jail is located, it was decided to libeT- ate the prisoners, and sthey were set free. These prisoners had been ar rested for only minor offenses. The building, which was a five story struc- ture. of brick. burned up and down i from the third floor. as did the fire in the city hall.
 Aid was summoned from Bath. | Saco. and Lewiston. but he latter was the only city to get its apparatus in the city before day-t break. When it arrived it was too ate to take any active work in the fight against the flames
 The city hall survived the great ire of 1866. although 1t was badly yutted at that time. It was first opened in 1859. and in 1867 was re- ,pened after alterations and repairs the fire sf the year before The building had a frontage of 15o eet a nd was 2S0 feet long Its cen ral dome rose 15o feet above its roof. The building was constructed of col lred Nova Scotia Albert stone.
 There is in progress of erection by he county a million dollar stone ,ourf house. which will be com ,Ieted in about a year. This will ake care of the eounty's needs later ln Meantime temporary arrange nents wiIl be made both for the ,ouuty and city Mayor Adam P .eiehton already has begun to look bout for ways and means for a new ,ufEding- It is more than likely hat the walls of the old building