Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-10-12
Home Of Rhode IsIand's
War Governor Destroyed.
William Sprague's Residence,
Canonchei, Burned to Ground.
Many Valuable Furnishings De.
stroyed-..insurance $4,000.

| Ndrragansett Pier, Oct. 11.-With
ttrcmbling steps Rhode Islands aged
war governor, William Sprague, was
| led from his famous home Cdnonchct
early today and with his wife turned
! to see one of the most magnificent
private houses i'm the state, and th@
! home on which he had lavished more
than half a million dollars, fly sky
ward in smoke and flames. Faithful
servants and willing neghbors drag
1 Ged out many pieces of valuable fur
initure, paintings and other household
1 goods before the flames reached the
i lower floor, but nothing above that
i was saved.
| The great homestead was built Of
| wood many years ago and was four
stories in height. During the height
of his career Governor Sprague filled
the house with the choicest specimens
of antique furniture, valuable hang
| ings, rugs and paintings. Canonchct
4 was one of the "show" places of the
state, and occupying slightly posi-
ton not far from the bay, it was the
1 object of interest for nearly half a
jcentury.
1t was the hope of the governor and
i
| the remainder of their days in the
home which they loved so well.
/ But in the dark hours of the early
morning one of the servants heard
the swapping of flames and saw the
4 reflection on the ground outside. The
1 household was quickly aroused and
| the aged governor was led down the
stairs through the gathering smoke by
hi In fJn ai,rI,-
| borhood had been aroused and the lit
Il tie town of Peacedale, three miles
away, was called upon for help. The
response was the entire fighting force,
l consisting of small chemical engine
| and two hose wagons. Before their ar
| rival the great building was firmly N
4 the grasp of the flames, so the firemen
4 turned their attention to the out
Il buildings and saved the big barn and
several smaller structures.
i The governor, after gazing ruefullv
i at his disappearing home. was taken
/ to a neighboring house and made COM
1 Portable
/ Governor Sprague says his loss will
| reach 81 600, 900 There was 500. 900
| Insurance on the property, but like
| the fire which destroyed Governor
Diapers house in Boston last week
| the personal loss far exceeds the
! financial
| Later in the day former Governor
Srraguc said that his loss would be at
least $1,J00, 900. The house cost $500, 090
| to build. the furniture, the greater par.
| Of which was made to order abroad
and imported, cost $@j0,o0o, and the oil
| paintings, including Corots, Michael
| 4
easily valued ut 100000. In addition
to these there was q large oil paint
! ing Of the war governor by Il famous
Swiss artist painted soon after the
| Civil War which was to have been
given 10 the state upon his death.
There were also thousands of Civil
War relics, including important docu
:nents which historical societies would
| have paid thousands Of dollars to Sc
| cure. While these have no real intrin
sic value other then from historical
! standpoint, they We're priceless.
| All investigation this afternoon Gis-
! closed the rcScucr Of Gov SpraSue.
Michael Allen, a coachman in the fam
| lily for many years, rushed from his
quarters in the stable when the alarm
was given. Gov. Sprague had insisted
on going back to procure some private
papers and had not returned.
| Alien ran up the front stairs but soon
| found that the smoke was too much
| for him. Staggering to the bathroom
On the first floor, he tied towel soak
| ed in water about his head and half
blinded by the smoke, which became
very dense, climbed to the third story
| A hurried search disclosed the GOV
ernor in pitiful condition. unable to
make his way out of the burning house.
Allen took the old man in his arms
and struggled through the smoke to
safety.
1t was also learned that when a log
in a fireplace was ignited today spark
flew up the chimney, rested on the roof
of the house and started the fire.
| The history of the famous mansion
| is filed with romance from it's very
| beginning. Soon after it was built
came the Sprague failure in 1873, one
of the largest individual crashes in the
history of the country. All of the
| Sprague property, consisting of seven
or eight mills, extensive holdings in
banks and Narragansett park, their
private trotting park, were wiped out
| in the failure.
| 1t is claimed that the ex-governor
and his son William, Jr., declared that
they would not give up Canonchet to
the creditors and when men were sent
to take possession they were warned
away with shotguns.