Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-08-07
They Had MOI Even Hand Pumps
To Put Out First Small Blaze.
Night Waterman Sounds Alarm
And Entire Population Turns Out.
Water Hauled In Barrels from Brook
Quarter OF Mile from Fire.

Bingham, Me, Aug. 5.-tSpeciaD.
fire which under ordinary cireum-
stances with at least the smallest fire
fighting apparatus, would have caused
only few dollars damage. destroyed
the better part of the business section
of Bingham. Saturday morning. 1t is
estimated that the loss will be s65. 900.
L&boring under the supposition, be-
cause Bingham had not been visited
by fire for many years that it was i'm
mune to it. the town had no fire de-
partment and not even hand pump
to contend with the flames.
About o'clock Saturday morning w
j. Carl night Waterman. was making
his beat along the main street and
when near the Moore & Lander block
lie saw a bright light in an upper story
window of the Thomas Cahill tsne-
ment house. known as the old Baker
hotel It took him but a short time to
realize that the building was afire He
gave the alarm by crying at the top
of his voice and it was but a short
time before the whole village popula-
ton was out. Before anything could be
done in the way of coping with the
flames the fire had broken through the
roof and the tenants had some difficult
" in getting out. George Burke when
he aWoke saw part of the floor above
him falling and the partition all afire
In the house there lived Theodore
Bunker and family who lost nearly all
their furniture suffering a loss of
about $1,000. Mr.. Burke. chauffeur for
Mr.. Cahill, lost large part of his per-
sonal effects. Mr.. Crimea suffered a
loss of about $500 The building was
valued at $4,000. with an insurance of
1920
BY the time the fire had broken
through the roof nearly 1000 people had
gathered with all the teams tina
could be hired and for four hours wa
ter was hauled in barrels from a brook
about quarter of mile distant. and
with only pals, every body fought the
names. 1t was but short time, now
ever, before the fire reached the Lam
der Il Moore block and il was soon
found that it was impossible to save
the building. E. w. Moore. who occu-
pied one side of the block as drug
store and jewelry store was able 10
save about $1,000 worth of his stock.
his loss is about $1,000, he having
about $4,000 worth of stock. with $4,000
insurance. The other half of the build
ing was occupied by John Lander as
hardware store. He was the owner
OF the block and ii is estimated that
MS loss on his stock was $1,000. with
S5o00 insurance. His insurance on his
olock and stock was $4,000 Mr. Lam
der was the heaviest loser from, tho
nre' his entire loss being estimated be
tween $4,000 and $4,000. II was
thought for one while that this bIock
might be saved but the fire soon
caught in 1t and a tenement bouso
owned by Mr.. Lander was soon oil
afire. In this house lived David Rovd
who suffered a loss of 1880. with s1o0o
insurance. Frank Noddin lost ali NJ
his furniture, his loss being estimated
at $1,000. There lived over the drug
store Herbert Pierce, who suffered q
loss of $1,000. with no insurance.
Next to the Lander Moore block wa
wooden building owned by f. w
Moore and occupied by F. S. Hume.
well as a grocery store Mr.. Hume
wells loss is estimated at $4,000 with
insurance Of $2100 The loss to Mr.
Moore was about $4,000. with an insur-
ance on the building Mark McCollar
with his family occupied the upstairs
rent Part of his furniture was saved
1t was with a great deal of difficult
Continued on Page Four)