Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-10-23
was the next witness Made a tour
of the mill after aitsS shut down.. Lett

of the mill after "a shut down. Lei
| the mill at SO standard time. HAD
driven two miles in team before nc
heard the alarm of fire. Witness was
10 minutes drying back to the mill.
Capt. w an ]. Baker of Pittston
testified tl..tt he could see the South
Gardiner ice houses from his residence
| Witness was at home at the time OF
the fire. The wind was southwest as
| witness could determine by the course
of the river and direction of the smoke
Saw blaze the size of bushel basket
before the alarm sounded. Witness
testified that he could not see the run
| from his house because it was too low.
| Charles S. Cobb of Livermore Falls
| testified that at the time of the fire
he was chief engineer for the Interna-
tional Paper Co. at South Gardiner
Witness was then I'd engineer of the
Gardiner Fire Department, which gave
! him charge of all fires at So. Gardiner
Witness testified that he had received
complaint that cinders from the In
ternational Paper Co. mill had injured
the fields of the American Ice Co
Witness had experience with horizon
tai tubular boilers and had frequent
ly visited the South Gardiner Lumber
Co. mill. Had noticed the burner and
smoke stack and had seen sparks
coming from the burner but not from
the smoke stack. The sparks from the
feet.
George A. Spencer, engineer of the
South Gardiner Lumber Co., testified
that when the mill shut down on the
afternoon all the drafts were closed.
Witness testified on croSS-eXamnation
that he did not use edgings or slabs
to start the fire after the break down
on the afternoon of the fire.
Ernest W. Burgess of South Gardi-
ner testified that he worked in the
fireroom of the South Gardiner Lum-
Der Co. on June q and that he closed
all the drafts and hampers when he
left the mill on the afternoon of the
fire.
Thomas Mcclure of South Gardiner
testified he was formerly in the en-
ploy of the American Ice Co, and mad
never known the roof of the ice houses
to catch fire.
Harry Mclaughlin was recalled and
dSkeu IL he Ildu ever hIlOWH SUI "
gather in the burner and become foul
so that it was necessary to wash it
out with hose. His reply was that
it had been done.
A. L. Artz of Somerville. Mass, a
fire inspector for the past 10 years,
testified that he had examined the
plant of the South Gardiner Lumber
Co, in regard to fire conditions and
had found that the area of the stack
was adequate for the size and f1ue
areas of the boilers. Mr.. Artz is ex-
tremely hard of hearing and it was
only with difficulty that the testimony
titled that the question was one of the
area of the stack rather than it's
height '"Tha larger the stack, the
less the velocity" said the expert, and
then he presented and explained in de-
tail a diagram of a cross section
showing the point at issue. Witness
testified that spark arresters at the
top of the stack would be useless and
would kill the draft. 1t would also
be a source of danger on account of
SCOT collecting. Several hypothetical
questions in regard to burners and
spark arresters were asked the wit
ness by Attorney Heath. On cross
examination Inspector ArtH testified
that he advised the South Gardiner
Lumber Co. 10 years ago to cover the
roof of it's plant with some non-com-
bustible material
The first witness called at the OPEN
ing of the afternoon session was Dan
iel LongfellOw, treasurer and Secre-
tary Of the South Gardiner Lumber
Co. Witness testified that he had spent
the greater part of the time in the mill
Office since his connection with the
lumber business there in 1877. Witness
in all that time had never seen sparks
coming out of the stack. Witness had
written letters to Manager Ballard of
the American Ice Co in regard to COW
ering the roof of the Ice Co. buildings
with ruberoid. Mr.. Longfellow admit
ted on INSTRUMENTATION that letter
dictated by him to Mr.. Ballard con-
tanned the statements that the lumber
company was using it's refuse burner
consequently there was great danger
from the sparks coming from it catch
ing on the roof and that the mill roof
ndu DeeI dllIe TWO OF IIlIee llIIleS anu
the small rigging shed twice in one
day.
James w. Parker, president of the
South Gardiner Lumber Co., testified
that he had the mill property inspect
ed by two different inspectors and
used all possible precautions against
fire. Witness testified that he had new
er seer any sparks come out of the
burner.
Attorney Johnson-"Did you ever see
any cinders come out?"
Witness-FI should say that l had"
President Parker stated on cross-eX-
animation that he saw only copy of
the letter which Mr.. Longfellow wrote
after it was sent to Manager Ballard
of the American Ice Co. The defence
closed at $50 p NJ
Manager Ballard put on in rebuttal,
testified that there was a depreciation
of about so per cent. in the value of
tools and the same amount in the real
estate of the Ice Co.
Attorney Johnson-"Does the same