Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-05-02

tiles was directed today towards
| housing the homeless and feeding the
| hungry. Every householder in Ban
g"r whose home escaped destruction
opened his doors to his less fortunate
neighbor last night, but in spite OF
this. hundreds We're forced to spend
the night IN the city streets sur
re InGed by the few articles of cloth
ing and household utensils they mad
been able to save from the flames.
Many of these suffered from cold ana
exposure, as in most cases their only
protection from the rain was
blaEket, rug or coat snatched nur-
riedly from their burning homes.
More serious, however, than the
problem of sheltering the homeless was
the matter of feeding them. on account
of the destruction of food supplies in
the retail district. Every morning
train brought food to the city. but it
was some little time before the au-
thorities could arrange for its dis
tribution.
To aid the police in the protection
of the little heaps of furniture and
clothing saved from the fire by in
dividual householders, one company of
militia was ordered out for patrol and
guard duty. The militiamen patrolled
the burned district and effectually pre-
vented all attempts at loeting the
ruins.
During the eight hours that the
/ flames had their sway, from O'Clock
yesterday afternoon from an insignifi-
cant blaze from an unknown origin,
made a spreading torch of the hay
storeroom on Broad street of j. Frank
| Green, until they were definitely con-
trolled at about A. NJ. in the heart of
the city's best residential district de-
struction was great
After jumping across the Kendus
keag stream on the wings of a south
erly breeze the blazing sparks brought
the fire to Exchange street and the
| business section adjoining. Thence the
blaze was waited westerly again across
| the stream to a point further north
| on Broad street, where its most not
able prey was the post office and Gus
| tom house at West Market Square.
| Burning in this vicinity for some
time numerous dwellings and smaller
| business blocks were laid low, and
thence the fire fiend was detected
| from the corner of Franklin street and
| the stream across to Exchange street,
striking this time at more northerly
point. Soon this latest blaze was met
| by the advances of the eonfiagration
started earlier down stream. Merged,
| the flames cleared out rookeries on the
rivers edge and working back the
| flaming row of fire licked up some of
the most valuable property in the city.
The finest business block, among the
| best residences and a half dozen
churches were consumed within short
| time. The churches burned were ST.
Johns Episcopal church on French
street the First Baptist at Harlow and
Center; the Universalist on Park
street; the First Parish Congregation
al on Broadway; the Central Congre-
gational; the Advent Christian
churches and the Hebrew Synagogue
on Center street, within stones
throw of one another.
Beyond the churches the flames
swept through the residential section
Immediately behind, and going north
as far as Broadway Park, nearly half
a mile from the point of start, con-
sumed residence after residence
freak of the flames in this vicinity,
o1tOil nptiANd was TIC IdCl THAT
erous brick buildings were fire racke6
until only walls and chimneys were
left standing, gaunt and bare, while
several wooden residences were left
between, practically untouched.
On the Broad street, on eastern side
of the stream, the fire stretched over
an area one-third of a mile long and
about two blocks wide Here and
there, however, were blocks untouched
by the flame. From Exchange street
the fire extended back from two to six
or eight blocks and raked length of
more than half a mile.
Among the principal buildings de-
stroyed were the Morse Oliver build
ing, containing nearly all the offices of
the Bangor d Aroestook Railroad;
Hodgkins & Fiske block, Stearns Lum-
Der Cos. building. Stearns building
Nichols block. The Bangor Savings
Bank; Bowman block, j. F. Woodman
Co, East Side Pharmacy, the sub-sta-
ton Of the Bangor Railway & Electric
Co., the post office and custom house.
Among the residences burned were
those of john r. Graham, president of
the Bangor Railway & Electric Co. and
the homes of Drs. Chapman and San
ger.
On of the picturesque features of the
night was the use which was made OF
the Boy Scouts by Mayor Mullen. n
troops these Boy Scouts, which were
| organized in Bangor some time ago in
| many churches, offered their services
and were set to work guarding proper
! ty taken from Office buildings and
houses.
| The post Office building, which was
| built on an artificial island in the mid
| die of Kenduskeag stream and which
| also contained the custom house, went