Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-10-28
Over 100 Salisbury Beach
Summer Cottages Gone.
Several Small Hotels Burned in
Tuesday Mornings Fire.
Only a Change Of Wind Saves Entire
Southern Section.

and several small boarding houses at
Salisbury beach early Tuesday, indi-
Gated that the blaze was und1uotc lily
Of inceadiary origin. 1t was at first
believed that the blaze started i'll the
New Era house, but after Il thorough
Investigation the theory was advanced
Hat the flames had their origin III the
Ouartette house which VS. in the same
neighborhood.
Ii was due to fortunate shift of
wind from east to northwest that the
entire southern section of the beach
was saved, the direction of the fire be
ing changed from Il thic:ly settled sec
ton towards the beach front and the
flames and blazing fire brands were
tloWn oct to sea.
Nearly all of the houses destroyed
were owned by residents of Ne"bury-
rort, Haverhll, Amesbury and Law
rci.cc
Salisbury. Mass, oct. 27.-Thc great
er portion of the thickly housed sum
mer colony of Salisbury beach was
wired out early Tuesday in Il fire
which destroyed more than 100 cot
tages situated along the beach front
north Of the mouth of the Mcrrinlac
river. making blazing front of near
~ Il milo Practically all of the house ;.
had been abandoned for the season and
but few sheltered furnishings 80 mat
the dana Sc was estimated to reach not
lnOrc than 100000.
After the flames had ragged for three
hours without noticeable results to
stay their progress the combined fire
Of III -,
and Newburyrort, together with the
half dozen life savers from til" Sails
bury Beach station ard Il lttlc hand
of volunteers pulled down Il number
of cottages standing between the burn
ing area and the section in which are
located the larger hotels and dance
halls and in this way etfectuully IRE
vented the fire from reaching that see
ton. The number of cottages burned
includes but a few of the hotels OF the
resort and all of these are small ones.
The burned area extends for about q
mile on both sides of the tracks Of the
Boston & Maine Railroad the fire hav-
ilg crossed the tracks after burning for
several hours on the ocean side Tues
day the entire section of the beach
fronting on the Atlantic ocean is 4
scene of ruin, the only parts of struc-
lures standing being the charred sap
ports of the destroyed cottages
1t was in the New Era cottage owned
by Former State Treasurer F.. b. Shaw
that the fire had it's inception shortly af-
ter l o'clock. Its origin is unknown and
the extent of the destruction of tbs cot :
tage will probably prevent its neing ever
found out. The flames had already COM
municated to several of the closely ad-
joining cottages before being discovered
and the small band of volunteers which
We're then mustered could do but little to
stay its progress. The houses. all small
frame structures. closely packed togeth-
er had not had time to absorb the rain
Of the early evening and the timbers.
dried through the long drouth. proved
easily infammable under the heat of tho
wide tongues of flame.
Approaching the danger of the situa-
ton help was summoned from Newbury-
port, Salisbury and Amesbury, but al
though men We're sent from the former
place immediately. apparatus did not ar
rive until more than an hour later and
then was of but little aid as the mains
had been closed at the low water stage
from the ocean front but this proved I'M
successful. Although not summoned. the
little corps Of lifesavers from the station
on the beach early appeared on the scene
and the hardy seamen assisted greatly
In each of the numerous efforts to stop
the fire
During the first hour of progress the
IRE destroyed nearly 80 cottages and in
The next two probably half that number.
Shortly after 8 o'clock when it was be-
lieved that it would be controlled soon,
The flames were waited by wind which
carried them upon n rambling section of
hitherto untouched cottages and these
rapidly followed in the way of those
burned earlier. At this time, however,
the decision was made to fell a line of
about half dozen cottages on the north
Continued on Page Twelve)