Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-05-01

in on = trunk line. The telegraph CONF
panies' offices were 10th burned early
in the confagration, but later estab-
lished temporary offices outside the
zone and communications was restored.
Several alarms were sounded almost
simultaneously. In addition to the fire
at the corner Of Broad and Exchange
streets the firemen found q blaze In a
bicycle repair shop In the rear OF the
telephone office. Both fires spread with
such rapidity that the firemen were
helpless.
One Of the few buildings to escape
destruction was the city hall. This was
in the direct path OF the fire. but the
flames leaped over It and it was hardly
scorched. At this point the flames
along both sides Of the stream.
As 1t burned north, the path of de-
structlon grew wider. while sparks set
innumerable fires, many OF them a
considerable distance from the main
conflagration.
Help from outside cities began to ar
rive soon after o'clock, the Augusta
department being the first. and to 1t
was assigned the duty OF saving the
residential district II possible.
Oynamitina Without Effect.
Falling in their attempts to stop the
nre by tynamitinE the buildings at the
junction OF Hammond and Central
streets, the firemen took their stand
farther to the north and prepared to
blow up other buildings and make a
wider breach.
At 1890 the nrs was raging as fierce
ly as at any time since the outbreak.
and the firemen had no control. A
large part Of the wholesale district as
well as the entire retail district was
in flames, and few If any Of the build
angs seemed likely to escape.
In all sections Of tho city people were
moving out their belongings and hur-
rying to places Of safety. Many were
already homeless and with churches
and public buildings In ruins. there
were few places where they could be
cared for.
Telephone and telegraph operators
stuck to their posts and sent out In
formation and calls for help until they
had not moment to, spare to make
their escape. Tho Associated Press
operator in the Postal telegraph office,
sat at his key sending and receiving
messages while the fire ragged hardly
fifty feet away in the postoffice build
ing.
The Stearns building. Graham build
ing, high school, University, Central
and First Congregational Se Johns
Episcopal Advent ana ytFst BaDedst
churches NorumbegaN building. In
which was located the Gsisty thse4er.
tho Exchange building. containing the
University Of Maine school Of law, and
central fire station were soon added to
the list Of burned structures.
Rain Begins Falling.
About midnight a light rain began
falling and this combined with a shift
in the wind to the east enabled the
firsmen to check the progress Of the
fire altho it still burned fiercely In
many places.
The burned area, follows the Kendus-
keag stream for nearly two miles
north OF the starting point andspreads
out to a width varying from one-eighta
to q quarter Of a mile at different
points.
Most OF the residential section was
swept away when the fire left the bus
mess section It spread out like a
huge fan, with the widest part among
the homes. Just outside the fire zoEe
the furniture Is stacked along the curb
and guarded by the stricken househ o!d-
ers.
At midnight Mayor Charles W. Mul-
len. in reply to profter Of aid from
Mayor Fitzgerald. Of Boston. wired that
he believed the fire to be under con-
troll.
Thousands Of persons spent the night
in the streets, some from choice, but
many because their homes were either
burned or in danger. Outside the dam
ger zone they gathered about fires
built in the streets. and there camped
for the night, getting what little sleep
they could curled up In quilts and
blankets they had gathered up in their
hasty flight.
The fire Is considered by insurance
men the worst FIRE Maine has known
since the Portland fire in 1866, when a
large part Of the business section was
destroyed with a loss Of S1o,000.000.
Bangor has a population OF nearly
$4,000 by the 1910 census. and the lat
est figures show real estate valuation
Of S16.S9S 967.