Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-07-10
Score Of More Tenements, with
rs Families Homeless.
Man Returning 10 Portland, KILL
ed by Falling Under Cars.
Aged Woman In Critical Stals--
Blocks VIII Be Rebuilt.

Biddeford. Me. July 9.-The fire
which for several hours last night
threatened to wipe out the business
section of the city repeating the disas-
ter which befell the sister city of Ban
gor short time ago was finally de-
elared out at o'clock this morning
ard a conservative estimate of the
Losses keeps the figures well down to
100000.
The city lost half a dozen wooden
business blocks, but today. it was
claimed that all would doubtless be re-
built Immediately and under the city
laws the new buildings must be of
brick The score or so of tenement
blocks threw IS families out and today
all were located in vacant tenements
Citizens saw that there was no suffer-
ing or hardships preventable.
One death resulted indirectly from
the fire. Charles McCrosson, aged &c
years OF Portland, fell from freight
he boarded to return home after the
IRE and was run over and killed near
Saco
That the fire may result fatally for
Mrs. Anna LeClare is feared. She is 20
years of age and had just submitted
to an operation. 1t became necessary
TO remove her during the fire as her
home burned and she is in a critical
condition al the webber hospital.
Conjecture is rife today as to the
cause of the fire, which was thought to
have started in the Brunette Brothers
wood yard. Early today, Joseph
Irouix. who lives opposite the wood
yard. told the police that shortly be-
fore the fire started. he saw man
enter the Brunette stable and come
out again quickly. Within a few min
utes hames broke out from the stable.
me police are investigating on the
theory of incendiarism
The volunteer firemen who were
hurt during the progress of the fire
were resting comfortably tonight with
no serious results anticipated.
The fire started just before IL o'clock
IN the woodward OF Burnell Brothers. near
the corner of Main and Elm streets. and
spread in both directions. while sparks car
rled the tlsze over into Center street. some
~A'NN"eS away anu started several houses
there.
brisk breeze which spraug up half an
nour after the fire started gave the city
Dad scare. but the timely arrival of the
outside firemen prevented a disastrous CON
Migration.
The IRE was confined to the triangle
bounded by Main. Elm and Center streets
hut did not destroy all of the buildings in
this territory.
Inc cause of the fire has not been as
oertained When discovered the woodward
was already a flaming mass and there was
no nope of saving it. SO far a. is known
there was nc one in the yard at the time
ana no hres burning in any of the build
inss' and the most popular theory is that
someone earelessly threw a match or Gig
arctic over the fence as they passed or
that tramps sleeping in the yard accident
ally set the fire.
Two persons, volunteers who were as
sislting the fireman. were injured by bot
air explosion which wrecked the Goodwin
BLOCK the most imposing structure which
was burned.
FROM the woodward the blaze commupi-
Gated 10 row of two-story wooden busi
ness buildings on Main street, including the
restaurant of n. p. Dion, grocery stores
of Simpson Brothers and Brunette Brothers
and the garage of Bullock & Goodwin ALI
on Main street and all of which were soo,
consumed
On ELM street a of tenement bouses
took Are and were destroyed with all their
contents. many of the occupants having dim
Guilty in escaping with their lives and bav-
ing no opportunity to dress
Fire Chief Edward ]. Sullivan sent the
first call for help to Saco aud before the
arrival of the companies from across the
river another call was sent to Portland for
help. Half an hour later Chief Sullivan
again called upon Portland asking for
more men and apparatus Meanwhile the
private IRE fighting apparatus of the Pep
perell Co. and the Diamond Match Co. had
answered of their own accord and were
giving valuable aid.
Next to the wooden buildings on Main
street. which were the early prey of the
names. are several three story brick build
fngs used for offices and stores. and sew