The Somerset reporter., 1909-01-07

was, a line of handsome business
structures, making a compact 'front.'
age, except for narrow alley way
on either side of the Milburn Block
as far as Patten Place, opposite the
Merrill Block. These business places
extended back toward the Kennebec
river, and on the river bank, and in
the space between the river and the
rear end of the business blocks, were
dwellings, Btorehouses, Etc. The
space at Patten Place, between the
river and the rear of the business
| blocks il of considerable width but
this narrows up, owing to the turn in
the river, until the location of the
First National Bank building is
reached, this structure having the
foundation for its wall we'll out onto
the ledgy bank of the river.
Two handsome buildings fronting
on Water street, the Hotel Oxford
and the Milburn blocks, were COM
pletely destroyed, leaving a vacant
space from the First National Bank
building to the Philbrick block, dis
lance of about 1876 feet. Every struc
ture in the rear of the blocks just
mentioned is entirely destroyed and,
on the river bank, the flames CON
tinued on in northeasterly direction
as far as Patten Place, following a
line of dwellings, although the bust
ness houses on Water street, parallel
to them, were saved. The Kennebec,
as it passes this locality, has very
steep banks, making it impossible to
get at the structures situated along
its borders, except from the front
side. The distance from the build =
ings on the bank of the river to the
rear of the stores was 80 slight, in
most instances, that fire could readily
communicate across it, these consider
ations adding to the difficulty in an
atte mpt to check the flames,
1t was just a quarter to nine, last
Thursday evening" when p. j. Shana-
han, superintendent of the Skowhe-
gan factory of the Commonwealth
Shoe & Leather Company, for long
time boarder at the Oxford, left his
room and stepped down to take look
at the weather before retiring. AS he
stepped onto the sidewalk, something
odd, which he at first took for slowly
drifting snow, attracted his attention,
close to the ground, under the show
windows of the Delano confectionery
store. A moments investigation de-
veloped the fact that it was smoke
and he lost no time in shouting the
alarm of fire up the stairway to MIR.
Goodrich, the proprietor of the Ok
ford. Mr. Joseph p. Oak, who hap
pened to be near the Oxford at the
time, heard Mr.. Shanahan's shout of
fire and made all speed TO the Post
office, ringing in the alarm from the
station at the entrance, No "a.
The fire companies were on hand
promptly and in the few minutes be-
fore their arrival, several fire extin-
guishers from Bucknam's and the
City Drug store were used on the fire,
through the basement windows,
seemingly with complete success.
There was lots of smoke and suGges-
ton of flame left however, and the
hose from the steamer, which took its
position at the reservoir in front of
the Fred G. Dow clothing store, was
directed into the basement with the
thought OF drowning out the last yes
tige of the flames. This was the de-
cisive moment of the whole matter,
Had the steamer been at it's usual ef-
ficiency, there is little doubt but what
the fire would have been confined to
the basement of the Hotel Oxford
block and the damage would not have
exceeded 5000.
Sad to relate, however, the steamer
worked badly, SO poorly that the hose
was quickly changed to the hydrant
of the city force pump across the
street. The pressure from the force
pump main was better bpt even this
was below its usual standard and the
time lost in t angling to it and its in
efficiency the eater, worked together
TO sacrifice the fayora Die moment to