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Show a H Thousands of People I Homeless, liungry I and Wet I Ml (Hi Bangor, Me., May 1. The fire which H last night and early today destroyed HJ more than one-third of the city, cost H two lives and tho Iobb of property H variously estimated ah from $3,500,000" to $0,000,000. Those who perishod were: H John N. Schrlbner, an aged cobbler HJ who was crushed to death by falling IH walls. H Geo. Abbott, a fireman H Homeless, wet, hungry and exhaust. H ed, after a long fight against flames H which last night destroyed a third of H tho city of Bangor, thousands of peo- H pie today faced the problem of pro- H vldlng themselves with food and shel- H ter and clothing while city and stafco authorities began the consideration ot plans for the rebuilding of the city. When dawn broke over the stricken city tod?-y, hundreds of groups of men, women and children could be seen , huddled around smoldering bonfires, or stretched along the edge of tho smoking rulrrs, endeavoring to warm and dry themselves. Although the rain brought discomfort to the homeless, home-less, It was the means of bringing under un-der control tho great conflagration which raged for more than sevon hours last night. At a time wjien the battle against the flames seemed, hope- I less, a providential shift of wind and a downpour of rain drove the fire back ' over the burned district and drowned out the flames which had Just started in unburned property. At 7:45 a. m., today the fire wns virtually extinguished. One-third of the city had been destroyed. Including some of the finest homes In the residential resi-dential nart of Bangor, all of the pub-'Hc pub-'Hc buildings, with the exception of the city hall and a greater part ot tt. retail section. ' - Estimates of the entire loss, varied but It was generally thought' that at least $6,000,000 of property had been destroyed. Starting in a hay shed on Broad . Btreet. the fire swept along Broad and Exchange streets through tho heart of the city, leaving residences, churches, schools, business block3 , and all the public buildings, with tho 1 exception of the city hall, a mass of smoking ashes. For many hours the firemen, assisted as-sisted by men and apparatus from other Maine cities, battled against tho blaze before they conquered It. Dynamite proved of little avail. Buildings Build-ings were blown up. but the flames, easily leaped the chasms thus mado, and It was not until the wind, which had been blowing almost a gale during dur-ing the night, shifted and a light rain fell that there was any Indication Indica-tion that the firemen would win. Cheered by the help from the unexpected un-expected quarter, tho fire fighting forces were concentrated near tho corner of Hammond and Central streets, nearly two miles from tho start of the blaze, and thore the spread of tho flames wns checked at midnight. The loss of life so far as known this morning was confined to two persons per-sons and only half a dozen injured had been admitted to hospitals The rain and change of wind having solved the problem of controlling the fire, tho attention of tho authorities was directed direct-ed today towards housing tho homeless home-less and feeding the hungry. Every householder In Bangor, whose homo escaped destruction, opened his doors H last night to less fortunate, but In HJ spite of this, thousands were forced to spend the night in the streets sur- rounded by the fow articles of cloth- H Ing nnd household utensils thev had HJ been able to save from the flames. H Many of theso suffered greatly from cold and exposure. IHJ More serious, however, than tho H problem of shelter for the homeless was tho matter of feeding them, on H account of the destruction of food sup- H plle in the reUill district Evorv morning train brought food to tho city H but it was some time before tho au- thoritles could arrange for its distrl- butlon. One company of militia was IHJ ordered out for patrol and guard duty H to help the nollce department. .'I The fire started near the corner of H Broad and Union streets, In the vlcln- H Ity of tho cltv hall at 5 o'clock yes- tdrday. Fanned bv a high wind, tho flames swept north along Broad and Exchange streets JH Nearly all public buildings an I HJ banks, except tho cltv hall, which IH was saved after a hard fight, wore H destroyed The burned area Includes H about forty city blocks. Among tho M principal buildings destroyed were: M Bangor hlch school. Bangor public H library. In which wns located the bank- H Intr rooms' of the Bangor Savings bank, B Central fire station, Unltodi States HJ custom house nnd oostofflcc; Univor- H salisU Central. Ci'Mreqatlonal. First H Congregational, St. Johns Episcopal H First Bantist. and Advent churches; M Norembcga. Hall. Including tho Gavetv M thontre. Exchange building. In which Ah was located the law school of tho unl- vcrsitv of Maine Windsor HojLcl. IHJ Morse-Oliver building. Haynes and IH Chalmers building,. Stearns building, IH Graham building and Konduskcag M building. M |
