The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1918-01-03


no serious damage resulted. The
Bragg & Varney furniture store SUI
fered considerable damage from
smoke and water. 1t was thought at
one time that the entire block would
be wiped out, hotel included and so
in the stores of Bragg & Varney and
F. A. Wood, several things were re-
moved. Proprietors of the furniture
store estimate their loss at $4,000 and
this is covered by insurance. Nathan
Thomas, residing over the F, A. Wood
store suffered slight damage to his
house furnishings while Mr.. Woods
stock was not badly damaged w H.
Fowler who occupied a paint shop in
one portion of the garage, lost every
thing contained therein, His loss is
estimated at 800.
The Skowhegan House, one OF the
towns oldest and most famous hos
telries, is situated only 40 feet from
the building destroyed and yet 1t was
undamaged by fire. This was due in
great measure to the work of the fire
men but it was also noted that the
wind tended to drive the flames to-
ward Madison Avenue. 1t was an
inspiring sight to see those firemen
work With coats and mittens COW
cred with ice they faced the great
task before them and came out win
ners. 1t must have been some salts
faction to them to seek a warm fire
after 15 hours of arduous labor in
freezing temperatures. Their re-
ward is the knowledge that they did
we'll and the everlasting thanks of the
people of Skowhegan. All buildings
surrounding the one destroyed are to-
day nearly as good as ever and on
Saturday morning at three o'clock it
Is doubtful if the owners could have
sold their property for five cents
For it looked bad Old and young
predicted wiping out of at least a
part Of the village but not so. The
boys in icy rubber coats were on the
job and the result of their work is
only too evident.
Regarding future plans, Tuttle
Brothers have stated that they were
as yet undetermined whether or not
to rebuild and the garage proprietors
have as yet made no definite plans
for the future.
SIDELIGHTS ON THE FIRE
The alarm was sounded at 2.25 Sat
urday morning. Julian Goodrich, son
of Mr.. and Mrs. Everett Goodrich, was
returning home from the alumni ball
and when walking up Russell street
he noticed flames leaping from the
westerly end of the building, seeming
to come from the portion occupied by
the Skating rink. He sounded the
alarm and very soon the apparatus
and populace appeared.
Despite the temperature a large
number of citizens were attendant at
the first as Is the case in all fires in
the business section. Those who
could not help stood huddled up
against nearby buildings and wonder
ed If the whole town was going.
Members of the fire department feel
deeply greatful to Fred A. Wood,
Charles .Tuttle and Charles A. Jones
who aided In making easier the task
of fighting the fire by serving sand
wiches and coffee.
Provencal, the cigar man, was not
long in doing his bit for the over
worked fire-fghters Realizing that
a good cigar is a perveyor Of warmth
he hustled over to the scene of the
fire on Saturday morning with box
of NJ. & Ms. under his arm. The
men each took a handful, thanked the
donor and enjoyed smoke,
Mr.. Goodrich, who discovered the
fire stated that he first saw the flames
In the skating rink portion OF the
This fact makes the origin
of the fire hard to conceive The
garage closed for business Friday
night at o'clock and the rink had
not been opened since Xmas day 1t
was said that no one had been in that
portion of the building after D. m.
Friday 1t may have been that the
fire resulted from the wire connec-
tion with the electric organ. The
real origin is not known.
Few people are familiar with the
proved blessing of one little safety
valve. Buried in the earth, beneath
the garage there was and is still a
tank of 10000 gallons capacity which
at the time of the fire contained about
5000 gallons of this combustable fluid
The little safety valve prevented a
serious catastrophe for had this gaso-
line have blown something would be
going yet.
ALL In all 1t was a disastrous fire,
one of the worst that Skowhegan has
in recent years at least
Skowhegan is fortunate in having
men on its fire department, who are
ND 20 Rnk A.kt