Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-09-28
fire DESTROYS
LUMBER PLANT
OF OLD TOWN co.
Big McNulty-Whittier Co. Band
and Shingle Saw Mill a Total
L0ss-Estimate Over $4,000
will Be Rebuilt

oAu AoWIi, Nhc., ScpI. lt.-I ~ 2 "AASA
broke out under one of the machines
at the big band and shingle saw mill
Of the McNulty. Whittier Co, in Old
Town. totally destroyed that plant. in
the midst of busy season. Tuesday
evening, entailing loss estimated at
from $4,000 to $4,000, and throwing IS
millmen out of work. The plant was in
sured under the 80 per cent. rate and
as there is large quantity of logs on
hand, it will be rebuilt, is the general
belief expressed in and around Old
Town. The plant was owned by John
Cassidy of Bangor and operated by the
McNulty. Whittier Co.
The fire was discovered about z
O'Clock in the evening, by the watch
man of the mill, who found a small
blaze beneath one of the machines, be-
lieved to have resulted from a hot box.
He at once rushed out for a chemical
extinguisher. but before he could re-
turn. the entire mill was in flames.
and he raced to the boiler room, where
he blew the whistle furiously for help
The Saltwater company Of the Old
Town fire department responded at
once and did what it could to keep the
neighboring property from taking fire,
being very materially aided by the fact
that strong wind blowing in the aft
ernoon had died down and there was
only a gentle breeze which blew across
tho v1yoy. fnS aP "a
part Of the village. Had it not been for
this. it is believed that the catastrophe
of July /, 1901, which destroyed the i'm
mediate predecessor Of this same plant
and about 80 of the dwellings in Ward
S (StillwateD would have been repeat
ed. Anticipating a possible need, Chief
Roundy ordered the engine with a crew
of men to Saltwater, but it was only
precautionary and the help was not
called for.
The mill of the Saltwater company
was comparatively a new plant and a
considerable addition, built some time
after the original mill had been rebuilt
after the aforementioned fire, was
added few years ago, making it a mill
OF large capacity, with two band saws
and six Or seven shingle machines.
Millmen estimated that the original
cost must have ben above 100000 and
to replace it would be perhaps much
more than that sum.
The mill was equipped with one Of the
finest steam engines on the river. it being
Of 500 h. p. and a Corliss, installed a few
years ago, and giving to this steam mill
splendid efficiency in pushing its several
departments of lumber manufacturing.
AS soon as the alarm sounded, people
began to arrive from every direction by
auto, trolley cars and on foot, so that
soon there was big crowd present, but
1t was only about 20 minutes, according
to an observer, before the plant was fiat.
at least no more than a heap of blazing
timbers and with it's usefulness destroyed
entirely until it shall be rebuilt.
The sparks were blown across the Still
water river and toward the corner which
the trolley cars round in their trips be-
tween Bangor and Old Town, but the
breeze was so light that only small sparks
came across and there was but little, If
any, danger of the buildings catching fire.
The siding which runs from the Still
water branch of the Maine Central r. r.,
and which runs right alongside Of the
mill, held several fiat cars which were
being loaded with lumber when the mill
shut down for the day. Four of these
were burned, either partially or down to
the trucks, with their contents. The men
succeeded in hauling the other three to
safety.
Mr. Cassidy of the proprietors, John
Cassidy & Son. could not be located
Wednesday and SO no estimate of the
firms loss could be obtained from him.
Mr.. Whittier, managing member of the
McNulty-W Whittier Co., in which the Cas-
sidy concern has an interest, stated that
the corporations loss is comparatively
small and that pending conference with
Mr.. Cassidy he could not say whether the
mill would be rebuilt or not, but admit
ted that his company has large quanti-
ty of logs on hand for manufacturing.
The insurance on the plant was carried
in stock companies, with Bangor and
Old Town agencies.