Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-12-27
ESTIMATED LOSSES WATERVILLE
FIRE.
ock-Wsre Estate and Mrs. II.

8ateryille, Me, Dee. 26.--(SpeciaD
Fire. which is thought to have been
caused by an explosion of gas in the
furnace in the Wardwell- Emery Com
pany store basement almost practi-
cally destroyed the building, and to-
tally destroyed the stock and fixtures
of the store, the stock of Samuel Nit
chell, tailor, the dressmaking estab-
lishment of Mildred A. Real the books
and papers of the law firm of Pat
tangall & Plumstead and the house
hold furnishings of Louis Butler. The
block burned is located at $3.50 Main
street on the western side 1t was
three stores high and one section was
built entirely of brick. while the other
part was OF wood The total damage
at d late hour. Tuesday evening, was
estimated at about $4,000 with in
suranco which will probably cover
about two thirds of the loss.
The first notice of the fire was when
people walking along Main street saw
smoke coming out from the coal hole
in the sidewalk. Almost Immediately
an explosion was heard in the rear OF
the store and a perfect sheet of flame
lis said to have been seen by several
people living in the vicinity of Charles
street, to come out of the basement in
the rear and ascend nearly to the top
|of the electric light poles. At once
an alarm was sounded from the box
located near by and when the first of
the department arrived the fire had a
brisk start and was burning fierce
~. Chief w. w. Berry saw that the
department was going to have a hard
fire to fight and within eight minutes
turned in a second alarm from the
same box. This brought out practical
ly every piece of apparatus and every
call man in the city.
Companies were set to work fightint
the fire from both front and rear and
within u short time there were nine
lines OF hose laid and while the fire
gave the men a hard tussle and it wa;
about three hours before it was undei
control it was only a matter of time
before it would be out with the prob
abilities that it would be confined II
the block where it started. The bloch
is situated in the very midst of tbs
business section and the adjoining
blocks constructed with brick walls
and this helped the firemen in theii
efforts to keep the fire under control
Three lines of hose We're kept doing
nothing else but wetting down tn,
walls between the block occupied by
f. A. Lovejoy on the northern sid,
and that occupied by Snith-Loud Co
on the south side.
Efforts We're made by the occupant
of the building to enter their places o
business in attempts to save paper
and books of value but the effort
were in vain and they were forced t,
stand by and see the fire consume ev
erything. +. C. Wardwell of the firm
OF Wardwell- Emery, was one of thu
first to arrive at the fire Coming 81
soon after closing of the stores man,
Of the clerks had hardly reached ther
homes and as soon as the news of the
fire was spread there was an immensC
crowd of people on the scene. II was
Just about 6.30 O'Clock when the fir,
was discovered but it was not unit
after . o'clock that the fire was under
control and by $50 o'clock it was prac
tically extinguished although Their,
was some fire in the roof. But tn,
basement where the fire started wa
nearly filled with water, there bein,
about three feet on a level.
Just what caused the fire will prob
ably never be discovered and Their
are several theories advanced. AT frs
1t was thought that defective wirin,
might have started a blaze but tn
theory given by II. l.. Emery, one o
the members of the Wardwell- Emer,
Co, seems to be the most probable
I'm my opinion" said he to the Jour
nal. there was an explosion of ga.
from the furnace in the basement
Everyone knows that the part of tn,
building near any furnace is Away.
as dry as a finder and / think tina
when the gas in the furnace blew on
some flame also was thrown out and
the fire started from that. The Goa
bins are all on that side of the build
ing and lead from the sidewalk back
People saw the smoke come vi
through the coal hole and l believ,
that the reason | gave is the cause.