Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-04-02
$4,000 FIRE
Continued from Pace One)

Inc nre department made n oDIicl;
iun TO. the scene, but when the, ar
rived 1T was evident that the only.
INNS lcit 10 90 was to prevent the
spreading OF the Games to adjoining
departments. The great amount of
Gust from the wood working ma
chimes and the amount of infIamn,abla
| material needed but a spark to burst
! INTO name and between $50 and AZ
the place was like roaring furnace
with the flames shooting high into
.le heavens. +. Fl. RamsdeI, who
IS at the head of the department. said
me building was doomed inside Ne
yond all possible help and all they
could do was to confine if ia tho
building and keep it from spreading
We nave passenger cars on one: side
| ana freight cars and equipment on
the other but never q spark went y
You'd these walls" ,..-
! Inc plant of the pattern denart
ment was in brick buildine. .shou,
! 80 by rs feet in dimensions. Il ,s
no" matter of four crumbling wal,s
through the empty window casinee
OF which may be seen massas of
charred and broken timbers wrno,,od
ana ruined machinery and twisted
Orders the latter bending under tbe
intense neat and as they came dow,
bringing the side walls with thar,
Seven lines of hose were laid ~. ~,
hre department but the pressure wos
weak, owing to the small size of ~,
main. '''e
Inc building in which the fro TOOL,
, place was erected about 81 wears ooo
ana contained many valuable nat,er,.
which it would be difficult IN ,en,,on
| ana several of the carpentcrs wax
ing there lost kits of tools worth x2o1
OF more ana none of them were Tn
sured. Fire walls between tho maj
tern mill and the adjoining buildinys
d!d much toward deciding the fato a
the entire plant. Once heyond thoso
walls and the whole thing would b.v,
gone. Rumors Of all sorts Worn rife
as 10 the cause of the fire. Some saw
t mat the fire caught in several nlacos
at once, but Mr.. Ramsdell saii IN,
as far as he knew the fro startnd IN
the drying room and no where else
out that he had no idea how il start
ed. He stated that there had benn
! been no heat in that part Of the huil1
ing for over a month Stories of .ho
discovery of oil soaked OveralIs h,,-
ing found by the firemcn. caused dis
quoting feelings in the city and the
fire was the one topic Of conversation
on the streets While not admitted I,,.
officials it is generally understood
that the burning Of this department
seriously cripplcs the entire plant
The heaviest loss is the machinery.
Mr. Ramsdell cxpla ined, and the com
pany would be handicapped greatly
in getting out their repairs. He saij
however that they can work thci..
men In the yard. many Of them ard
although it would mean a loss in got
ting out material. steps would b.,
taken to establish mill right AWAY
lie placed the loss at approxima civ
$4,000 but others believe it might 9
more.
1t Is In the pattern department uo-
stairs that the new cabs are built ami
1t Is understood that there were Sc;
eral on hand Also the fine finish i
made there Down stairs all the heavy
oaf tlmbers are handled One of the
workmen In that department was for
tunate enough to be able to taxe
down from the wall the cupboard con-
tanning his tools. thereby saving the
ehtlfe 10Y. Another said he hadn't
sol 80 much as Decent rule" While