Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-01-28
FIRE Loss A million
ZOO lives IN peril
PORTLAND, ME-, CITY HALL ANr
POLICE HEADQUARTERS
DESTROYED.
THREE PERISH IN
BALTIMORE BLAZE

.a y Il
BALTIMORE BLAZE
Firemen's Lives the Price of confla
grafton RivaIing That of 1904 -chiet
Horton Receives Injuries, Supposed
at First to Be Fatal.
Portland, Me-, Jan. 25.-A fire which
caused a property damage of 81 100000
Friday destroyed the city hall and pc
lice buildings and endangered the lives
of more than 700 persons. Although
known as city hall the building was
divided between city and county of
fees, while the police building shell
tered the supreme, judicial and mu
nicipal courts in addition to the police
department. The fire was the worst
In the state since the great Portland
confiagration of 1885, when the city's
business and residential sections were
almost completely wiped out.
Saving of Lives Remarkable.
That there were no fatalities is re
markable, as there were more than
700 persons attending the Western
Maine knights of Pythias jubilee gath.
cred in the auditorium of the city hall
when the flames were discovered. Only
few persons were hurt, Chief Engi
neer Melville Eldridge being the only
one known to be seriously injured.
and he was able to direct the fight
against the flames throughout, being
supported by two assistants. The fl
nancial loss is estimated at $1,000,000,
but this sum will not cover the loss
of the papers and documents in the
registry of deeds, where everything
was destroyed.
Believe Cash Intact.
Other city departments were swept
clear of everything by the flames with
the exception of the city clerks and
the city treasurers Offices, the money
and securities in the latter being be-
lieved to be intact, although 1t will
be almost impossible to ascertain
definitely until the vaults have cooled
sufficiently for an examination to be
made. One of the most valuable Ii.
braries in the state, the Greenleaf law
collection, was completely destroyed
with loss estimated at $4,000.
Engineer Is Injured.
Chief Engineer Eldridge sustained
injuries by the breaking away of
siamese coupling of hose, which hit
him in the stomach. When the flames
communicated to the police building,
where the city Jail is located, the
prisoners were set free. These pris.
oners 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
Aid was summoned from Bath, Bid.
deford, Saco and Lewiston, but the
latter was the only city to get its ap.
paratus in the city before daybreak
Aid Comes Too Late.
When it arrived it was too late to
take any active part in the fight
against the flames. The city hall sur
viyed the great fire of 1866. although
1t was badly Quilted at that time. 1t
was first opened in 1859. The build
ing had a frontage of $50 feet and was
$50 feet long. Its central dome rose
$50 feet above the roof. The building
was constructed of colored Nova
Scotia Albert stone and contained 80
rooms.
Three Dead in Another Fire.
Baltimore, Md, Jan. 25.-Fire Fri.
day took heavy toll of the members of
the fire department of this city, three
being dead and 16 others more or less
seriously injured. The list of the lat
ter includes the name of George Hor.
ton. chief of the fire department. He
has badly lacerated scalp and inter
nal injuries. The first hasty examina-
ton indicated that his skull was frac-
tured, but more careful investigation
showed this not to be the case. The
dead are: Lieut.. Frederick Hartman,
William B. Pugh, Charles Frliman, all
fremen.
B, Damage Placed at 100000.
The financial damage is estimated
by Mayor, j. Barry Mahool, who was
on the scene, at 100000. The blaze,
which is the worst that has occurred
in this city since the calamity of 1904,
started on the third floor of the build
ing on the southeast corner of Ho1li-
day and Saratoga streets. The fire had
apparently been burning some time
before it was discovered. The first
alarm was quickly followed by a gen.
eral alarm, which brought most of the
fire apparatus in the city to the scene
"A strong wind from the northwest and
q very low temperature made the work
Of fighting the fire more than ordinari.
ly difficult and the flames spread very
rapidly.
Wall Falls on Firenen.
Without warning large section of
the north wall of the building fell. It
was this that scattered death and in.
juries amonlg the firemen, who were
working close to the building. The
rain of bricks also put out of commits
sion an extension-ladder truck, upon
which some of the men had been work.
fng. Saratoga street at this point mar.
rows sharply. A fraction of minute
before the wall fell a hose burst,
sending a number of policemen and
reporters scurrying east on Saratoga
street. But for this number Of them
would almost certainly have been in.
jured by the flying bricks.
Burns Fatal to Two.
Bartlettsville. Okla, Jan. 25.-While
burning brush on their farm in the
Usage nation, three miles west of
Bartlesville, Friday, Mrs. George
Meyer, aged 65, was burned to death,