Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-06-11
STABLES AT
ElMWOOD
TOTAL LOSS

IOIHkIUVS
The Elmwood stables, situated in the
rear of the Elmwood Hotel, were To-
tally destroyed by fire which broke out
early Sunday morning and had OBTAIN
ed great Roadway before the alarm
was sounded Some 80 horses stabbed
there were saved through the splendid
work of the firemen and the names
were confined to the stable ltseH
though it sets in close proximity TO
other wooden buildings. The loss on
the stable which is owned by the Elm
wood Hotel Co. will be several thou
sand dollars. while the loss to H. T.
Stevens. the lessee Of the property will
be smaller, both covered by insurance
Walter McAlary, a member Of Hose
l. was slightly injured by the falling
of a door. but was able to keep on
with his work. Nal Stevens, who was
in charge of the stable. was penned in
by the flames and had to jump from
Q window, breaking his right leg. and
a hostler employed there was over
come by the smoke and rendered tenn
porarily insane and had to be remov-
ed to the hospital. No serious results
We're expected from his experience.
1t was shortly after II o'clock that
Patrolnan Lewis Rancourt on duty at
the North End, saw a burst OF flame
suddenly leap into the air. He was on
the station platform at the time and
the flames appeared to come from Foss
hall, the women's dormitory Of Colby
college. He ran at top speed to the box
rear the hall on College avenue from
which he sounded the alarm. officer
William Ward, on special duty near
the North End of the city. saw the
same burst Of flame and he identified 1t
with the Elmwood Hotel. He ran for
the nearest box but before he arrived
the alarm had started. He continued
on to the scene of the fire where he as
sisted the first of the firemen to arrive.
Quick Response
Hose / and ? and the Hook and Lad
der made a quick response to the
alarm and four lines of hose were laid
from nearby hydrants on Main street.
1t was quickly discovered that none
Of the horses in the stable had been
rescued and that the flames were all
about them and that a stairway be-
tween the horses and the doorway was
in a blaze. Two lines of hose were di-
rected over and about the horses to
keep the flames from them while men
tore down door which had been nail
ed up for the winter. Firemen and cit
liens worked their way in to where the
horses were. cutting them loose, buy
for a time it looked as though the eff
forts to get them out of the stable
would fail. Finally one horse was start
ed ard the fremen. dropping their line
of hose in front away from the fright
ened animals, and working their way
into the stable from the rear where
they could direct powerful stream of
water upon them, sent the whole bunch
scurrving to safety. All of the horses
were uniniured with the exception of
one which suffered a slight burn ON its
side. Nearly ali of the wagons and car
riages were saved.
No Wind a Help
That the fire was confined wholly TO
the building in which It started was due
to the fact that there was no wind and
to the prompt and efficient work Of the
firemen. The flames shot high into the
air but there was no wind to spread them
into nearby buildings, which greatly SIM
plified the work of the department. The
burned away and the fire worked itself
all through the structure, practically
wreclSing the whole building.
One of the mysteries Of the blaze was
how it could have burned so long with
out anybody sounding the alarm. The
kicking and thrashing Of the horses was
heard by the bell boys in the hotel and
they investigated but, seeing nothing,
made no report to the office. One Of the
mattresses at the hotel saw the flames
from her room in the fourth story and
awakened a number of the help VIII,
were asleep there, but were too dazed
to notify the Office Of the FIRE. The
guests in the hotel were awakened by the
fire whistle, and hearing the cries on the
street ITS the Elmwood," there was a
great hustle for the ground floor. although
the employees of the hotel did all possible
to prevent a panic. assuring everybody
there was no danger. In a few minutes
all were reassured and returned to their
rooms, many later returning to watch the
work of the firemen. Several people had
narrow escapes from an accident when
the heavy coverings used on the American
Express Co. wagons in stormy weather
came down with a crash from the roof Of
the awnings. the fastenings having been
burned off.
The fire attracted a great crowd as the
flames lighted up the sky and being so
close to the Elmwood it gave the impress
sion that the hotel itself was in flames.
Everyone was loud in praise Of the work
Of the fire department in combining the
fire to the building where it originated
and even beating it down in that struc-
ture, while the clever work Of Chief Ber-
ry and his men in saving the horses with
out injury was declared by a number OF
onlookers from out of town who had seen
big fires to be as fine piece of work as
they had ever seen performed by any fire
department.
Manager Cook Of the Elmwood was not
prepared to say Sunday just what would
be done to replace the stables, but con-
sidered it possible that they would not be
rebuilt.
WOODMEN HAVE