Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-04-20
NUMEROUS FIRES
TOTAL C0ODLY
OVER WEEK END

seven fires on Saturday and Sunday
gave the Waterville fire department
one OF the busiest week ends It has
nao Tor some time. A majority Of the
alarms answered were for grass fires
In different parts of the CITY and onlv
one of the blazes was of serious nro-
portions.
Stern Department Store
AT 6.4o o'clock Saturday morning an
alarm from box IS in Glastonbury
square was sounded for a fire dtscoy-
ered burning In the basement of the
stern department store on Common
street. Philip Gooch, on the wav to
MS work at the Day & Smiley Co.
was attracted by the clouds of smoke
That were rolling onto the street from
the basement window and he immedi-
ately rushed to the box and called the
department.
Although the loss has not at yet
oeen definitely determined, it is
thousht to be in the vicinity of $4,000
On poth the building and stock There
Is partial insurance. The store is
owned by Samuel Barron of this CITY
ana the Manager is Harry l.. Stern.
The cause of the fire is uncertain hnt
IL gained a good start in the large sup
ply OF stock in the basement and hv
the time the department arrived the
smoke was SO dense that the firemen
met with great difficulty in fighting it.
rour lines or hose were laid both
through the windows and through
,'oies cut In the floor of the store, The
oiaZe TASTED for the best part of an
iiour ana 1t was about o'clock when
the all OUT signal was sounded.
!. Inc hre was confined to the base
ment and the only damage done to
the upper floors was by smoke. Mr..
stern, the manager of the store. was
at breakfast in a nearby restaurant
"hen the alarm was sounded and he
was at the scene of the fire shortly
pelore the firemen arrived He said
'nat the stock in the basement had
come TO the city but a few days be-
ioIe ana that 1t had been wholly lost,
gi.her through smoke, fire or water.
Inc loss from smoke in the main part
or the store was relatively large as
the smoke had risen in dense clouds
and had permeated the whole room.
Other occupants of the building are
the Grand Army Of the Republic and
the odd Fellows, both organizations
having their halls there. Neither suf-
iered any great loss but the smell of
smoke will linger for some time to
come.
Grass Fires
The alarm for the first of one of
| Tour grass fires came at 1130 o'clock
saturday morning when a blaze was
discovered on the River road near Sid
hey. No nose was required in fight
ing this fire AMI it was beaten out by
the firemen.
AT 1855 O'Clock Saturday afternoon
the department responded to a call to
nsht a grass fire on Merrifield avenue.
here the breeze that was blowing had
quite a sweep and the fire was headed
directly towards dwelling house, but
1t was subdued without the use of hose
and the building was saved.
The next alarm came in almost as
soon as the firefnen had returned to
the central fire station for a blaze in
the grass at the Cool street heights,
which was not Of serious nature. At
the same time the department was
called to fight a fire on the Boutelle
farm on upper Main street, in the
other end of the city from Cool street
Here was large area of land about
quarter mile square was burned over
and it was found necessary to lay a
line of hose to Quench the flames.
Sunday Fires
At 4.30 o'clock yesterday morning
an alarm was sounded from box 1874
at the junction of Main and Pleasant
streets. for a fire that was burning in
some pressed hay stored in a shed on
North street near the Harris bakery
Although the loss here was small, the
blaze proved to De stubborn one to
fight. The wires on the bales of hay
We're cut and the hay was spread out
before the fire was officially declared
to be over
A fire burning on the roof of the
home of Murel John at II Head of the
Falls called the department out at $50
o'clock Sunday morning. This blaze
was of minor proportions and was put
out with a single chemical.