Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-06-13
READFIELD FIRE
Continued from Page One)

! Continued from Page One)
| From the Roberts store the flames
spread to the storehouse of George
I w. Manter and from that building to
his store, where he dealt in drugs
groceries, dry goods and crockery. BY
this time the fire across the street
had reached the store Of Town Clerk
A. H. Wilson, dealer in hardware,
harnesses and stoves. The store was
quickly destroyed but the town books
We're saved. The boot and shoe store
or M. w. Manter was next afire and
j here only the cash register and book
accounts were saved. The tenement
above was unoccupied. The home of
Walter c. Williams, manufacturing
Jeweller, adjoining the Manter store,
was destroyed. All the goods were
removed but quickly consumed.
The flames then jumped the Win
throp road to the store, on the d. ID.
Merriman estate, which was soon de-
stroyed. but from which most of the
goods were saved. Over that store
was the law Office of c. j. Cole. The
store of the Central Maine Power Co
next took fire, and from there all the
goods had been removed before the
names had reached it. The telephone
office was on the floor above, and the
switchboard had beer taken out.
Next in the path of the flames was
the brick building owned by Blanche
Il. Maliet, on the lower floor of which
William c. Daicey conducted a bar
Der shop and pool room. Robert A..
Brann, public auto driver who also
conducted livery stable, lived up
stairs. All goods in the building had
been removed
The flames then would inevitably
have caught ia the Sedgley block on
the north side of the street but for
the active and efficient efforts of the
Monmouth fire department with its
motor pump. DIR. Charles NJ. Radcliffe
capably directed the work of the
Monmouth fire fighters The house
of Gene Gilman and the stable on the
Merriman estate were also saved
through the efforts of the Monmouth
crew. Had the flames reached the
Sedeley block they would surely have
swept the west side of Church street.
The loss on R,>E. Peacock's two
blocks was estimated at $4,000 and
there was no insurance. Charles I.
Browns loss was about $4,000. partly
covered by insurance. Leon G. Rob-
erts' loss was estimated at $500 and
his insurance was s2500 The Mason
ic hall loss amounted to $4,000 and
the insurance $4,000 George w. Man
ter's loss was estimated at $4,000
and his insurance is said to be $4,000.
On the Merriman estate store and
building, which were partially insur-
ed. the loss was about $4,000. Mrs.
Mallett's destroyed goods were valued
at $500 and the insurance was $1,000.
Mr.. Daicey's loss of 5000 was
covered by insurance. Mr. Sedg-
lev's loss was $1,000 and he car
ried no insurance A. Fl. Wilson's
loss was estimated at $500 and his
insure nee was $3.50. NJ. W. Manter's
estimated loss was $4,000 and his in
surance was $780, Walter c. Will
liams' loss was $4,000 and his insur
ance is said to be about $500.
The fire departments Of Augusta.
Winthrop. Waterville, Monmouth and
Livermore Falls promptly responded
to calls for assistance. Everett Har-
ris, a Waterville baker. formerly of
Readfield. on learning of the disaster.
loaded his truck with bread, cake,
cookies and pies and fastening to
the scene of the fire distributed his
goods to those who had been burned
out.
Miss Eleanor Fogg was the tele-
phone operator on duty at the Read
field exchange and she remained at
the switchboard sending out the calls
for assistance until the smoke in the
room was so dense that she could
hardly breathe.
A group Of Masons met in the
Grange hall, Sunday, to consider the
matter of building a new Masonic
block. 1t was the concensus of opin-
ion that a block should be built to
cost between $500 and $500 AS
committee to report soon on the mat
ter. the following were named: E. G.
Palmer (chairman). Leon Roberts.
Mr.. Boyd, c. A. Collins, and Frank
Dow. The Readfield Grange, through
it's master, rendered to the Masons
the use of its hall until the new one
is ready for occupancy
Mr.. Peacock said that it is not his
intention to rebuild. Mr.. Wilson and
Mrs. Mallet will not Mr. Manter will
rebuild on a smaller scale, if at all,
and the Me}riman estate buildings
will probably not be replaced.
The desolate scene of the fire was
visited Sunday by thousands of peo-
pie.