The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1919-05-08
4 btiated Detailed Account oi the
Worth New Portland Fire

The disastrous fire which swept
over arse par' Of this village last
.dohdaf 4ftaruoou started in the
oid'NSAlth shop owned for so many
years ht Rert Hutchins.. but purchas-
oy clyde Cole last November.
Ihe ha9 h1d recently been let to
3 Mr. fHIar Mr.. Coles family CON
81 ing or himself wife and four ch ID
rem lived IN the tenement over the
shop. Some farm animals were kept
II Shed back of the shop with
door opening from the shop Elmer
Marion al Lexington was having a
ptlf Oh horses shod when Il piece of
not IRON flew from the anvil through
the open door into some hay in the
cattle Shed. setting il on fire instant
~. VT Morton turned on What water
there was in the blaeksmith's tub and
drew ii p7iltul from the faucet in the
shop, hui ahen he returned with that
the hre vi already beyond control
MT Cole family barely escaped with
the clotoes They Lad nn The alarA4
WAS sounded from the mill about half
past three. soon after Bert Hutchn's
mouse next to the shop up the street
and the Harris Richardson next be
low We're ON fire. Every effort was
was made 10 stay the flames but with
out avail and soon the Aunt Mollie
Niles house. owned by II. W. kennison
and occupied by Charles COLLINS was
enveloped n flames Next the house
owned and occupied by Mrs. Mary
Fletcher on the second story and her
son Ross Knapp below
BY this time dynamite caps and
fuse had been brought from the river
drivers shack and the Knapp house
and DR.. Pratts garage close by were
blown up. but the flames were not
stayed. The wind shifted driving the
sparks across The street. setting on
fire another Of II W. kennison's
buildings occupied by John Abbot.
the Dead River stage driver.
when the fire reached DR. Pratt
house the people from the houses at
the upper end of the street who had
been assisting their neighbors. de.
cided il MS time 10 clear their own
houses. Help WIS arriving from
Highland. Lexington. Embden, King
field Strong North Arson and Madi-
son. and heroic efforts were made at
every house to stay the flames. bur
without avail. Two more build ng ON
the easterly side of the street belong
ing to II W. Kennison were soon ON
fire One the 5. S Walker store with
hall above was unoccupied. The next
occupied by O. W Henderson's store
and barber-shop on the first floor and
by his family on the second floor Mr. t
Henderson had been sick for a long
time and was still feeble and almost
nothing was saved from either store
or dwelling.
At the next place owned and oc-
cupied by Ward Bunker, SO years old, I
who lived alone. He was 10th to
leave the home which had been his
for many years thinking he would
rather go with it, but F. f. Trip per
suaded him to go. He saved some
money only, and is now staying at
Henry Carvilles. At the next house |
belonging to Fred Harris and oce
cupied by himself and sister and hus- !,
band, Mr.. and Mrs. Chas. Lisherness. /
also several boarders. nothing was
saved. Mr.. Harries got his horse from
the stable, but burned his hands and
face badly. 1t was so hot then that
they were unable to save Mr.. Usher !
ness's COW which burned, also a large
hog Mr.. Scott widow of Rev. Robert
Scott who is totally blind was sick in !
bed at this place and was carried I
on her bed to Percy Trips. One |
more house on that side of the street |
went. This was the Isaac Knapp |
house and Charles Harris lived there
alone. Above DR.. Pratt's place at
the next house Mrs. Berkerley Hutch |
ms was in bed with IA baby girl one
and half days old. Mrs. Hutchins
was placed on cot bed but il was
too wide to go through the doors. then
they took only the mattress and by
canting it got it out and carried her
across the field to Dan Wendall'sI
fathers, Dell Ferrand at the lower
end of the village
Sumner Morton, whose house came
next. had just got so he could hobble
around on his broken leg. He did
not think ii necessary to leave his
home until the fire was almost ON him
Then someone cranked his auto in
the stable and he got in and backed
it out just in time. Had h. been
bothered at all he would have been
Obliged to leave it,
Earl Fenlason at the next place Was
at the Forks. His wife gof hrm on
the telephone but he did not reach the
place until after his house was
burned
The next place was Frank l. Not
tons Mr. Norton was at the Maine
General Hospital in Portland. recov-
ering from a surgical operation and
only his wife and grand daughter of