Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-07-29
Leora M. ThurIow scorched.

| Augusta Lumber Co, wharf, was bad
| ly soorched and had narrow escape
| from being burned at the water s edge
/ Capt. Neldon Leonard and crew Were
| ct Bath and it was only through the
| efforts of volunteer crew headed by
| officer William Corbett of the Augusta
| police force and aided by the use of
9 meter boat commanded by Arthur
| White of HallowelI, that the schooner
vas saved. 9HatxlMM
TIE schooner was aground when tin
| fire broke out and brands from the
burning lumber piles quickly caught
the vessels rigging officer Corbett and
| his crew Of five piled on board over
the burning lumber when they saw
the plight of the schooner and after 4
great deal of hard work in which they
were aided by Mr.. White. who was at
the scene of the fire in his 20-fcot mo-
tor hcat, succeeded in varying the
schooner from the wharf and out into
the atream, where the fire in the rig
ging and on deck was extinguished.
TIE sehooner's sails and rigging are
burned ard the masts charred in
places. while slight damage was done
to the deck by planking.
deck of the Thurlow had narrow es-
cape from injury He was attempting
to put out the fire on the rigging. when
an iron block. weighing about %
pounds fell from one of the masts.
striking only asfew inches from the Of
fieer's head.
The Thurlow was built in Bath in
1891 and has a gross tonnage Of 21%.
On the wharf where the schooner was
loading alone vas 100000 feet of lum-
Der, piled solidly, instead of TERED up
with cross sticks. as in the yard into
this pile of lumber the flames simply
ate, instead of blazing up around it,
and n portion of this stock on the
south end of the wharf was saved.
Smith Randall Coolest Man at Fire.
Smith s. Randall. the treasurer of
the Augusta Lumber Co, was the cool
est man at the fire, directing the eff
forts of his own men, who assisted the
fire department greatly in the battle
with the flames and keeping familiar
with every detail of the situation dur
ING the progress of the fire.
1t was feared by Mr.. Randall that
the boilers might explode and cause
ing the fire until he learned from his
engineer that they were well filed with
water. which caused the steam to
quickly escape as soon as the pipes
wero burned off.
The danger from injury by live wires
was quickly removed by the prompt
action of the Central Maine Power CO.,
the current being shut off in the vi
cinity Of the mill within Is minutes
from the time the first alarm sounded.
Mr.. Randall informed a Journal re-
porter that the loss was about 100000,
but that it might total more. The loss
is about so per cent. covered by insur-
ance In companies represented in the
local agencies of Macomber, FAIR &
Whittier and c. f. Downing, as well as
in several lumber mutual companies.
About 100 men will be thrown out Of
employment by the fire and the sum
mer's run of the company, which
promised to be the best for many years,
will be spoiled. Mr.. Randall states that
the work of rebuilding viii probably be
commenced as soon as the insurance
can be adjusted and the debris re-
| moved
Ira II. Randall. the president and
general manager of the Augusta Lum-
Der Co, was at Squirrel Island and he
was not informed, Saturday night of
the destruction of the plant.
History of the Augusta Lumber Co.
The Augusta Lumber Co. is one of
the oldest and largest manufacturing
enterprises of Augusta The business
was established in 1863 by Sturgis x
Daily, who were succeeded in 1876 by
| Sturgis Lombard & Co. In 1878 the
mills were destroyed by fire.
| The Augusta Lumber Co. was in
corporated in 1883, the present officers
| being Ira II. Randall, president and
general manager; Smith S. Randall,
| treasurer, and Ira II. Randall Daniel
c. Robinson and Horace r. Sturgis.
directors.
The mills were fully equipped with
modern machinery. The daily capacity
was over $4,000 feet of lumber, 10000
| shingles, 1900 elapboards and 10000
laths The plant manufactured pine
and spruce boards, plank, timber, joisr,
clapboards, shingles and Jlaths and
made a speciality of dry kiln lumber.
| The large and well equipped planning
mill, which turns out all kinds of in
| terror finish, was among the buildings
/