The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1916-11-01
SEVERAL BUILDINGS
BURNED LAST NIGHT

Tower And City Stables.
Following closely upon the fire
Sunday night, two other fires were
discovered in Cambridge last night
The first one was discovered in the
third floor of Phillips Hall, about
half-past seven o'clock, and was east
| ly extinguished. When Chief Edw-
ard L.. Bramble, followed by Mr..
Harry G. Orem, burst into the room
where the fire was, they were amaZ-
ed to find that it was in a mattress
which had been split open the burn
ing mattress was quickly pitched
| through the window 20 the street,
ana the fire was over
The second fire was much more
disastrous. The alarm was sounded
around haif-paSt two. O'Clock, and
when the fremen reached the scene
they found the livery stables in the
rear of Phillips Hall enyeloped from
one end TO the other in flames. The
fire spread quickly 10 me lower OF
Rescue Fire Company's engine house,
III winch was The fire bel, and With
in u few moments it Was seen that
the tower was doomed. Tie flames
also spread to the stables in the rear
of the City Hall, and these were
com Dieteiy destroyed.
The blaze coming at the hoar OF
the morning when it did was eX
tremely spectacular. The tower,
which was erected about fifteen years
ago, was high above the surrounding
buildings, SO erected that the clarion
n q nf % n +
ferent portions Of the city might DC
heard in every direction. On ac-
count OF the suc.!on through
shift extending from the floor OF The
81. CINE h0Iae 10 the top of the tower,
there Was practically no possible v ~
in which the flames cCu.d lie nXt.Ii.
guished, once go fond lcGgeHle-,
in the upper part Of it. The o!,,:G
could be seen for miles, as the heavy
seasoned framing sicvI, uaL--- 80.
thousands of persons were un3er \"
IL. .,.-l.. ION tn-t I great "1hti2 grafton
was taking place. The fire ourred
To- ger in he tCF'pr than most rer-
sons imagined it would, this fact be-
ing due to the heavy lumber that had
been used in building it, and also the
further fact that the platform unnn
which the bell rested was specially
braced.
At the same time that the fire
spread to the tower, it also spread to
the stables and storage buildings OF
the city of Cambridge, which were
directly across an alley in the rear of
the burning stables. These stables
and sheds We're burned, together
with a number of articles which were
stored in them, including the street
sprinkler, the street sweeper, the
street repairing outfit, and consid-
cradle quantity of hay and straw.
That Phillips Hall, the City Hall,
Gators Hotel, and other nearby
frame dwellings were not burned, was
due to the splendid work of the fire
men, who had seven streams of wa
ter working on the fire and the ad-
joining property.
Mr.. Phillips lost about $1,000
worth of hay and straw, and build
ings which ne estimated to be worth
between $500 and $4,000. He also
lost several secondhand vehicles,
considerable harness, two valuable
calves, and other articles.
Rescue Fire Company lost its tow
er and bell, the fall from the tower
cracking the bell and rendering 1t
useless, and about 1000 feet of hose.
which had been hung in the tower
ito dry In addition to this. they losr
the Old Fire Eng ine, relic Of byr
gone days. The engine was stored
in the city sheds in the rear Of the
City Hall, and while not completely
destroyed, was badly burnsd. Lest
some persons should misunderstood,
this was not the engine that was used
before the new engine was purchased
a few years ago, but the old hand en-
CINE, which had been doing service
for over a hundred years, having
been purchased, second-handed, by
the Fire Department of Cambridge
more than a half a century ago.
That the horses belonging to Mr..
Phillips and the city were not burn
ed was due to the personal bravery
of Mr.. Thomas Patchett, who resides
on Muse street. He was awakened
and saw that the buildings were
burning, and, unassisted, ran, bare
footed, into the buildings and got
the horses out, the handsome white
horse belonging to Mr.. Phillips be-
ing very hard to get OUT as he re-
luScu W IuOfe, anu IL was ouiy ny
throwing blanket around his head
and pulling him along that he was
finally gotten out of the stables.
During the progress of the fire.
Mrs. T. B. Gator very thoughtfully
served coffee and sandwiches to the
firemen, and that the brave men, who
were jeopardizing their lives and
safety in order to protect the proper
ty of others, appreciated the fact, was
shown by the many expressions of
gratefulness that were heard on all
sides. After the fire was gotten un-
der control, members of the depart
ment kept streams playing upon it
until the noon hour today, to make
certain that the flames were com
pletely extinguished in the hay and
straw.