Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-04-27
4as:.s. = QsH.fiEKViEsttEl.. e. :. 80 %.
STUBBORN FIRE
Does Heavy Damage 10
National Wooden Co. Mill.
Firemen Hampered by Dense
Smoke But Do a Good Job.
Loss Estimated from $4,000 10
$40, 000--.Covered by Insurance.

pioyinent by the fire which broke out
in the National Wooden Company mill
formerly the Chase mill on Western
avenue, Tuesday morning at 5.l5. car
fylng with 1t Il loss of about $4,000 on
machinery and building
The fire was discovered by pasSer-
by who instantly pulled in an alarm
from Box 80 near the bridge. Hose
anG ana Hook & Ladder Co. No.
| responded quickly. only to find the
building enveloped in mass of dense
| smoke. Captain Berry of Hose | real :
izing the necessity of getting men and
| apparatus almost as soon as he
| reached the scene, pulled in a second
| alarm from the same box bringing
| every piece OF apparatus, excepting the
| steamer. 10 the scene,
| The stronghold OF the fire was most
difficult to locate. as the building from
top to bottom was filled with smoke.
making it almost impossible for anyone
to enter the building. Four lines of
hose We're laid 10y the first companies
| to reach the fire and when Hose Com
panies :; and arrived two more lines
We're stretched. When the! smoke lift
cd sufficiently 60 as t6 reveal the loca-
| tl''i VI iDt IRE, t!tf iiftTiitH SET 10
| work to cheek its progress. n Fl ht't
| The fire. which has starter from
| Spontaneous cosnh,.strs,lr4 in the cS.tl
| bin, under the office in the north cor
ner of the building: gained rapid prog
| ress through the partitions and worked
| its way to the upper floors and
throughout the easements The dry
wooden building. with the oil of the
| machinery, made excellent material for
it to feed uoon.
| The nOrtherly part of the mill was
| then the point of attack, to prevent the
| fire from reaching the adjoining stock
house OF the mill. This was gained by
| going through a narrow stairway and
over the small narrow planks to tie
| vicinity of the WaterWheel Here, fac
| ing the smoke and intense heat, the
| firemcn played on the real blaze, while
| iipeS from the interior prevented the
| blaze from spreading in either direc-
ton. Several times the firemen We're
driven back by the smoke from the
| burning wooden goods, hut they stuck
| to their post until the blaze was COM
pletely drowned out
For three hours the firemen remained
| on the scene and several times it was
| necessary to quelch several small out
breaks Several of the companies were
| returned Ia their respective houses,
| but men remained until late in the
| rSorning to make sure that the fire
| WAS killed
The upper floors of the mills were
| completely flooded by water which
| poured IN from the many lines
The automatic fire protectors, were
| arranged on all floors. did not work,
| owing to a disarranged pipe in the
| mill yard. short time ago this sign
| pipe was repaired by the Water Com
/ pany and the reading signs became
| twisted in the work. The pine read
| open" when it was shutof and vice
| versa. This condition was not noticed
| by those in charge until ii was found
| that the automatic caps had melted of
and no water came from the pines in
| the interior Of the building The mat
| ter was Investigated aftcrward With
the above result.
| No Waterman has been kept at the
mill for a week or SO. rhis was OK
planned by Supt Small after the fire
| He said that according to the terms of
| the fire insurance policy it was not
| i'm the Writer only for their own con-
| vcniencc. This fact was somewhat
commented upon but the insurance
| agents stated, exactly as did MI. Satall.
| No one worked haEder during: the fire
| th@n did Mr.. Small, the; superintendent.
| who several times .3rafter arrfv-
ing attempted to enter the, office. of the
mil to procure valuable papers and
! payrolls. The floor in the office was
| completely burned and the safe. deck
and other fixtures had gone to the
| basement and he was unsuccessful in
| saving anything of value. Supt Small
assisted the firemen in directing the
| fight and was Of value as he was able
to tell Just the Whereabouts of the
stairs and passages.
/ Later in the morning a communica-
| ton was sent to Manager Noonan at
| his home in Petersburg, \. H., and Mr.
| Noonan arrived in TINS city last even
| ing John N. Weber, president Of the
| Peoples National Bank which owns
| TIE mill and leases to Mr. Noonan. was
at the scene early in the morning. but
Was unable to give any estimate OF The
| loss until thorough investigation OF the
machinery and material.
Just what the damage to the cards
| and looms and other machinery VIII be
| is not known. but the loss figure will
reach higher than the damage to the
| bnilding All the machines We're
soaked in water and the betting is we'll
used up. The windows We're all shat
| tered either by the water or heat. An
estimated damage given by one of the
| insurance adiusters was from $1,000 to
s2o. 900. This is covered by insurance to
| the amount Of $4,000 carried by the
l.. Il. Roothby & Son agency.
The building was constructed in 1862
by the Chase Manufacturing Company,
! which a few years ago suspended bust
! ness. The mill was reopened by Mr..
! r. w. Noonan of the National Wooden
| Comrany about two Years ago and
since that time has been running
steadily and for a long time operating
at night.
| Il is generally understood that the
mill will be repaired and work re-
surned as the location, with its own
water power from the Messalonskee
| ls.r2