The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1911-05-05
$6,000,000 fire
SWEEPS BANGOR
The Entire Business Section OF
Maine City Wiped Out.
DYNAMITE TO CHECK FLAMES
Martial Law Declared by Mayor-Ald
Rushed from other Cities by Spe-
clal Tralns-Postoffce, Banks
and Churches Destroyed.

Bangor, Me.-Fire starting at 4 p.
m. on Broad and Union streets, close
by the junction OF the Penobscot riv-
er and Kenduskeag stream, which di-
vides the city, swept northward, fan
ned by a stiff southerly breeze, wip-
ing out practically all the business
and public buildings, and consumed
the best residential district on the
northern side.
! The efforts of the Fire Department
! from the time the flames started at 4
| o'clock in the afternoon were abso-
! lutely futile until midnight, when rain
somewhat checked the progress Of the
flames. The fire swept north along
Broad street, then jumped the Ken
duskeag stream, running along on the
western bank along Exchange street.
Dynamiting was resorted 10 in vain
TO check the flames, but about mid
night light rain began to fall and
this combined with shift in the wind
TO the east enabled the firemen to
check the progress of the fire.
The burned area follows the Ken
duskeag stream for nearly two miles
north of the starting point and
spreads out TO a width varying from
one-eighth to quarter of a mile at
different points.
Thousands of people spent the
night in the streets, some from choice
but many because their homes were
either burned or were in danger. Many
camped out for the night getting
what little sleep they could curled up
on quilts and blankets that they had
gathered up in their hasty flight.
Every fire fighting apparatus for
miles around was hurried here in the
hope that the rush of the flames
would be checked.
Many persons are reported missing
and are feared to have met death in
the ruins. The hospitals are filled
with injured.
The city has been placed under
martial law by Mayor Mullen.
Following is a partial list of burned
buildings: Morse-Oliver building,
Stevens building, Postofiice, Norombe-
ga building, Windsor hotel, Bangor
high school, First Universal church,
First Baptist church, st. Johns Epis-
copal church, Jewish synagogue, n.
Il. Telephone and Telegraph, Western
Union Telegraph office, Postal
Telegraph office, Smith Strickland
block (dynamited), Haynes & Chal-
mers building. Hodgkins block,
Fiske building, Fairbanks Il Co.'S
building, Public library, Bangor Daily
News, Robinsons drug store, Finne-
gan Bros undertaking rooms, c. j.
Lynch's market, University OF Maine
Law school, Exchange building, East
Side pharmacy, Scott tea store, Ban
gor Cigar Manufacturing Co., Benoit
Latneau Clothing company, Farrar
Furniture company, Luplein's candy
factory, c. II. Glass printing office,
Kane's restaurant, Brown & Whites
carriage repository.
Company G of the second Maine
regiment and the Cadet battalion from
the University of Maine at Orono are
on guard with loaded rifles to pre-
vent looting. There are several mil
lion dollars worth Of securities in the
vaults Of the banks which have been
burned.
Fire companies from Portland, Au-
gusta, Lewiston, Waterville, Bucks
port and Oldtown arrived here on spe-
cial trains, but the firemen were pow.
erless for hours to check the onward
rush Of the flames.