Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-05-02
Fire That Wiped Out Busi-
ness District and Resi-
Dental Section Caused
Loss Of Over $4,000, 900.
HUNDREDS SPENT
NIGHT IN STREETS
Added Discomfort Caused
By Heavy Rain, But This
Proved Providential In
Aiding to Subdue Flames.

Bangor, Maine, May Homeless
wet, hungry and exhausted by the lone
nights fight with the flames which las!
night destroyed practically third OF
the city of Bangor, thousands OF per
sons today faced the problem Of pro
viding themselves with food. shelter
and clothing, while city and state au
thorities began the consideration OF
plans for rebuilding the city.
When dawn broke over the stricken
city, hundreds of groups Of men, WON
en- and children could be seen mud.
ding around smouldering bonfires and
stretched along the edge of smoking
ruins. endeavoring to war mand dry
themselves.
Although the rain brought discom
fort to the homeless, it was the means
of bringing under control the great
confagration which ragged for more
than seven hours last night at time
when the battle of the flremen and
hcuseholders against the flames
seemed hopeless. At this time. a provi
Dental shift of wind >and downpour
of rain drove the fire back over the
burned district and drowned out the
flames which had just started in. un
burned property.
extfnknisl1ed. One-tfird OF the city has
been destroyed, including some OF the
finest homes in the residential part OF
Bangor, all OF the public buildings
with the exception OF the city hall, and
the greater part Of the retail section.
Estimates Of the probable loss varied
but it was generally thought that al
least $6,0O0.000 worth of property had
been destroyed.
Thousands In Streets.
The loss OF life, 80 far as known this
morning, was confined to two persons
and only half dozen injured had been
admitted to hospitals. The rain and
change of wind having solved the
problem Of controlling the fire. the at.
tention Of the authorities was directed
today toward housing the homeless and
feeding the hungry. Every householder
in Bangor whose home escaped des'
truction opened his doors last night to
less fortunate, but in spite Of this
thousands were forced to spend the
night in the streets, surrounded by
the few articles Of clothing and house
hold utensils they had been able to
save from the flames. Many Of these
suffered greatly from cold and ex
pOsure.
More serious, however, than the prob.
lem Of sheltering the homeless, was
the matter of feeding them, on ac'
count Of the destruction Of food sup.
plies in the retail district. Every morn
ing train brought food to the city. but
It was some time before the author,
ties could arrange for it's distribution
To aid the police in the protection Of
the little heaps of furniture and cloth.
ing saved from the fire by individual
householders, one company OF militia
was ordered out for patrol and guard
duty.
Forty Blocks Destroyed.
The fire started near the corner OF
Broad and Union streets, in the vicin-
ity of the city hall at 8 o'clock yester,
day
Famed by a high wilma the flames
swept along Broad and Exchange
streets in a northerly direction on
either side Of Kendusxege stream a
small river which flows into the
Penobscot. Most of the public build
ings and banks we're in the path of the
fire, and with the exception of the city
hall, which was saved after the hard
est kind of fight, all three structures
were destroyed. The burned area in.
eludes about forty city blocks.
Among the principal buildings de-
stroyed were the following:
Bangor high school; Bangor Public
library, in which was located the
banking rooms of the Bangor Savings
bank; Central fire station; U. S. Gus.
tom house and postoffice: Uni.
versalist, Central Congregational,
First Congregational, st. Johns Epis.
copal, First Baptist and Advent
churches; Norembega hall, including
the Gaiety theater; Exchange build,
ing. in which was located the law
school of the University of Maine;
Windsor hotel; Tarrantin club; Morz-
Oliver building; Haynes and Chalmers
building; Smith block; Strickland
block; Stearns building; Graham
building and Kenduskeag building.
When it was seen the fire was out
of the control of the Bangor fire de
partment, assistance was asked from
q number of Maine cities, and Port
land, Lewiston and Augusta sent men
and app