Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-12-28

pitfalls. There was much suffering from
the intense cold until nearby residents
opened their houses to the unfortu-
nate victims of the fire.
The cause of the fire was not deter
mined tonight. 1t started in a meat
storage room on the first floor and
the fines rushed up a dumb waiter
shaft to the sleeping quarters. When
the firemen arrived the entire build
ing was ablaZe. Aid was called from
Somerville and Arlington. The struc-
ture stood on a hill at a considerable
distance from other buildings, and the
abserce of wind prevented the spread
of TIE flames to congested residential
district.
Sergeant John J.. Carney and Pa
trolman James Russell of the Cam
bridge police were among the first on
the scene. They raised ladder and
rushed up to the third floor. They
had assisted several persons to the
window when Russell was seen to
collapse and fall backward. Carney
and a bystander hurried up the lad
der and found Russell lying on the
floor close to the flames. They carried
ultlf uOAn the ana dllST ii lew
minutes he revived. Carney was bad
ly burned about the head and hands.
Patrolman Mcnamara also was
overcome by smoke while attempting
rescues and was carried out. He was
not seriously affected.
While the firemen and police were
assisting the inmates, Rev. Father
John r. McCool, pastor of st. Johns
Roman Catholic church, arrived. He
administered dissolution to several II
those most seriously hurt and later
accompanied them to the hospital.
Charles F. Goodrow, superintendent.
of the Home was absent when the fire
broke out. He was summoned by tele-
phone and when he arrived he said
that there were 23S occupants of the
buildings, including IS women and
nine children. In the confusion II was
impossible for some hours to deter
mine how many had escaped.
Mayor Timothy j. Good reached the
Home while the blaze was at it's
height. He quickly made arrangements
for the sheltering of the inmates In
wardrooms. armories and other city
buildings Meanwhile residents of
nearby houses had taken many per-
sons into their homes and had fur
nished blankets and mattresses for
others.
Saw Two Dying
An attendant informed the firemen
that he had seen a man lying on a
bed in a room filled with flame and
ha ioh nf
other falling to the floor in CORR
dor He had been unable to rescue
them.
Ambulance attendants said that so
women had been removed to hospi-
tails. Most of them were suffering
from shock and fright.
Sergeant Carney and Edward Fitz-
patrick, a customs officer who lives in
the neighborhood. had great difficulty
in rescuing from the third floor an
aged woman who weighed about 250
pounds They discovered her leaning
out OF a window leading to a fire es-
cape. They managed to help her part
way down the escape when Carney
slipped and fell to the ground He
was not badly hurt and in a moment
he was at her side. The two men
finally succeeded in getting the
woman down safely.
Mrs Kelleher, one Of the women killed.
had been confined to her bed for six
wears Several Of the women inmates
said that when the fire started they
thought Of her and hurried to her room.
On opening the door they were met by a
burst of flames and were unable to enter.
Father Mccooi entered.and- building and