Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-03-10
Little Gladys Written Suf-
tocated in Burning House.
Fatal Fire on Bridge Street
Early Wednesday Morning.
Damage to House Small and
Covered by Insurance.

hre which was in itself Of small
proportions but which was accompan-
led by one of the saddest fatalities
winch mao occurred in this city for a
long time claimed the attention of the
augusta hremen Wednesday morning
anu gave them stubborn fight of
nearly an hour before it was finally
subdued
Inc alarm was pulled in at ST. from
Box 81 at the corner of State and
Bridge streets and was due to the dis
covery of smoke issuing from the small
story-and-a-half house on the south
side of Bridge street, numbered "a and
owned by E. II. Doe of Chapel street
The house was occupied by Arthur A.
Written, who is a sashmaker in the
employ of the Lawrence, Newhan &
Page Co. on Maple street. Before the
alarm was sounded telephone call
| was sent in by Mrs. H. w. Plummer,
who lives across the street from the
scene of the fire.
The department was soon on hand
and few of the members who CHANGED
to be in the vicinity when the fire was
discovered arrived before the alarm
was sounded. The fire at that time
was making good progress in the walls
| of the house, especially in the upper
part and the three rooms, two of then
very small. We're filled with denst
smoke which rendered them untenabe.
The origin of the fire was easily trac-
ed to an overheated stove in the kitch-
en-, the heat Of which having extended
to the funnel, set fire to the woodwork
around the funnel hole in the chimney
From there il made its way through
the walls to the upper part of the
building.
Mrs. Written was at the nome of a
nearby neighbor at the time that the
fire was discovered. having gone over
after breakfast, and had left her baby
daughter, Gladys Lillian, aged l!
months, sleeping in one of the rooms
upstairs, but as some of the men who
| were first on the scene had searched
| the rooms as well as they could in the
smoke and had found no trace of the
| little one there was some confusion
regarding the report Among those
VINO made their way into the rooms
was Second Assistant Engineer Mars
| ION. who was obliged to crawl on his
| hands and knees on account of the
smoke but finding nothing he made
| his way out.
| Soon after it had become definitely
known that the child was in one of the
small rooms upstairs, and First AS
sistant Engineer Hunt entered the
room from ladder and found the lit
tie body on a bed. It was quickly pass
ed down the ladder and carried into
an adjoining house. but life was eX-
tinct, death having been due to suf-
| location. ard it was the general opin-
| ion that the little one mad probably
died even before the first alarm haG
been sounded. The remains were
| slightly burned in a few places. After
| the examination they were taken across
| he street ~ die TrCuant & Bates un-
dertaking rooms 20 be prepared for
burial
| The damage to the house was not
| heavy, and the estimated loss Of about
| $500 is covered by insurance in the
Macomher Farr & Written agency
1t was not learned that Mr.. Written
carried any insurance. The about
| sounded at O. 10 A. NJ.