The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-01
Residence Sections and Bus mess Blocks Razed By
 $6,OOO,00O Fire,
HOMELESS PEOPLE
 PUDDLE IN STREETS
Bremen Fight Fire With Dynamite and Every Other Way, but High Winds Drive Flames Stead
 fly Onward

Bangor, Me, April s0--One-third of the city of Bangor, Me, is in ruins lVoV uersons homeless and a property loss es- tinated at s6ooo,0oo was sustained as a resu,t of a confiagration which ragged for hours tonight. Starting in nay sheu on Broad street, the fire swept along Broad and Exchange streets, through the heart of the city, leaving resloehces' churches. business blocks and all the public buildings, with the exception oi the city hall, mass of smoking ashes' For many hours the firemen of Bangor assisted bv men and apparatus from oth- CT Maine cities battled against the blaze before they conquered it. Dynaini'e proved of little avail. Buildings were blown LID but the flames easily leapeo the chasms thus made and it was not ,,ntil the wind, which had been blowing almost a gale during the night, shilteu and a light rain fell, that there was any indication the firemen would win. Cheereo hv the help from this unexpected quar- fer the fire fighting force was concen- trated near the corner of Hammond and Center streets nearly two miles rom the start of the blaze and there the spread or inc flames was checked at midnight.
 Rut while the rain and the shifting or the wind to the east saved the rest or 'ne city from destruction, it only added to the discomfort of thousands who had seen their homes go up in flames and who were huddled together in the streets The burning of the churches and public buildings left many of the unfortunates without place of shelter
 Three lives are known to have been lost although the names of none of the vic- tins are known. A fireman was injured by a falling wall and died on the way to the hospital, an unknown young man was crushed to death when one or the churches collapsed and an elderly man from Brewer, who had crossed the river to watch the fire, also was buried ne- meath the falling debris.
 The problem of housing and feeding the destitute must be met at daylight ana will be serious one, for public build ngs, the usual places of refuge In such isasters are in ruins, and there Is hard an eating house Or bakery left stand se Already offe~s fo- help have been Iee vad bs Mayor Mullen, but the prof ered aid cannot be expected to arrive time to prevent suffering.
 Mayor Mullen called the local com jany of the National Guard and placed he city under martial rule.
 At midnight large portion of the business section had been destroyed and kreat inroads had been made in the iesidence part of the city.
 Famed by Wind
 Tanned by high wind, an insignificant Ire which started near the corner Of Broad and Union streets, south of the .ity hall, about 5 o'clock tonight, wiped put practically ali the business section f the city and swept uncontrolled in- 10 the residential sections. Half an hour liter the first alarm had been sounded ,early a dozen buildings were in flames tnd the fire was eating it's way north ID Broad and Exchange streets on either ide of Kenduskeag stream.
 In it's pathway were banks, office build ngs, the public library and other struc- ures, all of which were reduced to ashes. he city was soon shut off from tele- thone communication by the burning of he central office of the New England Telephone and Telegraph company and akls for aid from Portland, Lewiston nd Augusta were sent out by the wire hief of the company, who climbed ,olle and cut in on a trunk line. The tele- ,rlaph companies offices were both burned turing the early stages of the confiagra- idn but they later established temporary offices outside the zone and communica- ,itn was resumed. There are varying reports as to the kxact spot where the fire originated. Sew kral alarms were sounded almost sim lhltaneously. Tn addition to the fire at the Norner of Broad and Exchange streets, Ehe firemen found a blaze in bicycle fepair shop in the rear of the telephone office. Both fires spread with such rapd- lty that the firemen were helpless.
 lone of the few buildings to escape de- ptruction was the city hall, at the junc- sion of Broad and Hammond streets. 1fhis was in the direct path of the fire. hut the flames leaped over it and it was hardly scorched. At this point the fdames crossed the Kenduskeag and con- 4inued along both sides of the stream. ] As it burned north the path of de- btruction grew wider, while sparks set lnnumerable fires, many of them a con- Siderable distance from the main con 4agration.
 Buildings Dynamited
 | An intellectual attempt was made to Stay the progress of the flames by dyna- hitting several buildings. including the Smith and Strickland buildings. located xn triangle formed by Hammond and Central streets and Kenduskeag stream, but the fire bridged the chasm and con- &inued with unabated fury.
 " Help from outside cities began to arrive boon after O clock the Augusta depart tnent being the first to arrive and to 1t Twas oBG1Qk the duty of saving the resi- Aenti3l 1ct if possible.
 Anfd buildings burned during the | enr(1 of the Are were the Haynes ( ybuilding, the Hodkins block, | lth< building, Fairbanks & Co.'S . fbuI the Bangor public library. |VTh ed the telephone office, the K od 6&cl Xthe Morse-Oliver block, ee 6tX structure in which was To- ei offices of the Bangor and K66ZQ railroad; the Windsor hotel &ey6kl churches.
 \ An their attempt to stop the
 2kof the flames by dynamiting the
 R at the junction of Hammond
 fal streets, the fremen took their
 68 the north and preparations were
 blow up other buildings and
 wider breach.
 o'clock the fire was raging as
 at any time since the out
 he firemen had absolutely no
 A large part of the whole
 tire retail district was in
 few, If any of the buildings,
 to escape.
 ns of the city people were
 air belongings and hurry
 safety. Many were al-