Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-11-10
Continued from Page one)

loss, although most of the furnish
ings were saved. The Wright family
had only moved in but two weeks
before, and had not settled all of their
| belongings as most of the furniture
was yet to arrive The home of Will
liam J. Groder, directly south of the
factory was badly Quilted, and thor
oughly drenched by water while on
the north the two story house of
Fred Blodgett was Quilted, and dam
aged by water. The Randolph Gram
mar school which is across the street
from the Groder house caught fire six
different times, but it was extinguish-
ed by chemicals.
Phone Company Crippled
The electric light and telephone
companies also figured heavily in the
fire as all the trunk lines leading to
Portland, Bangor and Boston ran
close to the building and were swept
to the ground along with two poles
which stood nearby. Both companies
mad crews at work almost iEmedi-
ately but the town was in darkness
|
to the break.
The factory building in which the
nre started was used principally for
storage for lumber and furniture, but
in one corner of the second story a
small apartment was occupied by
iGordon Hanning and family, and it
7 was here that the fire was thought
to have originated around the CHM
ney. Mrs. Hanning first discovered
the blaze, and rushed out to secure
aid, but when she went to return
found her way blocked by flames.
Therefore the family lost every
thing, with no insurance.
Finished Wood Burns
The lower floor of the factory was
practically filed with the finished
products of the James Walker & Son
| Co., of Gardiner. and valued at
| about $I0,0u0, while on the second
and third floors were the ice harvest
| ing equipment OF the S. w. Talbot
| Co., who also owned the building.
There was also in storage in the
building furniture belonging to
Ralph e. Martineau, John Boothby,
Percy Towle. Joseph Landry and H.
r. Mason. Everything in the build
! ing was a total loss although much
of it was covered by insurance. The
estimated total loss of the building
and its contents was $4,000. The loss
OF the Te.ker place is estimated at
about $4,000 and that at the Groder
and Blodgett places at about $4,000
apiece.
Pumper Delayed
The fire was a most spectacular
one and was viewed by large
crowd. The heat was so intense that
it was practically impossible for the
f1remen to fight the main seat of the
fire, and two lines CT hose which
were near the building were COM
pletely destroyed. The big pumper
from Gardiner was somewhat delay
ed in getting to the scene for the
reason that permit had to be given
from the chief engineer on the bridge
/ before it could cross. Much credit
is due the school teachers of the
Randolph grammar, who although
classes had not started, gathered all
the smaller children into the build
ing and kept them there, safe from
/ danger, until called for by larents.
This undoubtedly saved the lives of
!'the little ones, as at times the
smoke was so dense that they could
not have been seen, and would have
been trampled underfoot In the ex-
citement. Teams and trucks were
busy during the afternoon carrying
the furniture and other articles on
adjacent lawns to places of safety.
Owing to the high piles Of wooden
frames and lumber the fire was ex-
ceedingly hard to put out and prob
ably will require at least "a hours
before 1t is completely extinguished.
/ mi Mt uvHfrft xr,n0
onstrated to its fullest extent yes
terday as neighbors, friends and
strangers all Joined with the fire
fighters in rescuing furniture and
personal property Of the stricken
] families