Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-25
Damages Stores Of Perez
val Bros. and bIanchette.
Officer perham >Rescues Wom-
an Overcome With Smoke.
Contents Of Store Heavily Damaged
BY Smoke and Water.

FIRE, which was discovered at 40
last night damaged to the extent Of
between $1,000 and $4,000 the block
owned by the Augusta Real Estate Co,
on the upper end of Water street and
the stock in the stores Of Percival
Bros. and Joseph Blanchette. The
actual fire damage was confined to the
store of Percival Bros. in the base
ment of which it started and burned
up through the first floor. but the en-
tire store was smoked up and as it was
necessary to carry the lines of hose
through it to reach the fire in the base
ment there was also q water damage.
The damage to the tenement above
occupied by Peter Stewart and the
furniture store of Joseph Blanchette
was almost entirely by smoke.
The fire in the block was first dis
covered by the night police. officer
Pelham started to ring in Box 80 at
the railroad bridge, but for some rea
son or other the whistle failed to work
and only the bell sounded. He then
called down the street to Officer Fer
ran who sent man to Box So at the
corner of Oak street. This alarm
brought the fire department at once
to the scene and Chief Buckley soon
had several streams upon the building
in which the fire was located
The fire caught in the basement, but
from what cause is not known, as there
had been no fire there during the day.
Officer Ferran burst in the door lead
ing to the store and saw the smoke
arising thickly, accompanied by some
blaze from the radiator of the furnace.
l.;
also notified the family of Peter Stew
art who with his wife and six dodgers
occupied the up stairs tenement. that
the block was On fire. BY this time the
smoke was rolling up from the lower
part Of the store and Mrs. Stewart was
so overcome by the smoke that Officer
Perham was obliged to carry her down
stairs. She was afterward taken to
the house of friends across the river.
A big crowd gathered at the fire, but
the spectators were somewhat late IN
arriving. not being able to locate the
fire at first on account of the whistle
not sounding with the bell on the first
alarm. AS a fire it was not much to
look at, but the damage was consider
able nevertheless. The stock of groc-
cries and provisions carried by Per-
ciVal Bros, was in the neighbOrhOOd of
$4,000 and the $4,000 insurance carried
on it will hardly cover the loss. Joseph
Blanchette carries a stock of furniture
valued at not far from $500 and as
result of the fire will probably be
obliged to sell practically all of it at
smoke sale. He carries insurance OF
$4,000 The building is insured. but
the exact amount of insurance could
not be learned "Wednesday night.
The cause of the fire was evidently
rubbish in a barrel near the furnace.
towards the river. This barrel was sur
rounded by barrels of -four beef and
pork, which We're badly burned. The fire
spread along the basement ceiling and
also burned through trap leading to
potato bin directly under the office and
later when it was thought to have been
extngushed it broke out again in
locker on the south side of the store, but
this blaze was quickly put out with
chemical above and single stream of
water from below.
Percival Bros. will arrange with one of
the local grocers to take care of their
trade this morning and they hope to have
the insurance loss adjusted Friday so
that their business will not be interrupt