Bangor, Maine Fire

April 30, 1911

BANGOR FACES HUNGER AS RESULT OF FIRE LOSS OF $6,000,000

Maine City Might Have Been Destroyed Had Not Firemen From Other Places Lent Assistance – Three Persons Killed and Fifty Others Injured

BANGOR, MAINE, May 1. – Fire yesterday practically wiped out the business section and much of the residential portion of this city. It is now under control, but still burning fiercely today. The state and city authorities have started a movement to relieve distress and secure shelter for the homeless. Already offers of aid from outside are pouring in and it is announced all of the burned portion of the city will be rebuilt.

The fire destroyed nearly all of the important business structures in the city with an estimated loss of between $5,000,000 and $6,000,000, and rendered 2,500 persons homeless. Today the city is under martial law while soldiers with loaded rifles are guarding the vaults of banks and trust companies to prevent looting.

It is known that three persons lost their lives, while fifty others were injured. The fact that any of the city was saved is due to the rushing in of experienced firemen from every city in railroad communication with Bangor. These fresh men relieved the worn out Bangor firemen and by 7 o’clock had the flames controlled.

Following is a patial [sic] list of the important buildings destroyed: Morris-Oliver, Stevens, Postoffice [sic], Norombago House, Windsor Hotel, Bangor High School, First Baptist Church, First Universalist Church, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Jewish Synagogue, New England Telephone and Telegraph office, Western Union Telegraph office, Postal Telegraph office, Smith Strickland Block (dynamited), Haynes & Chalmers Building, Hodgins Block, Fisk Fairbanks & Company building, Public Library, Bangor Daily News office, Robinson’s drug store, Finnegan Brothers’ undertaking rooms, C. J. Lynch’s market, University of Maine Law School, East Side Pharmacy, Scott tea store, Bangor Cigar Manufacturing Company’s plant, Benoit-Latneau Clothing Company’s store, Farrar Furniture Company’s store, Luplein’s candy factory, C. H. Glass printing office, Kane’s restaurant and Brown & White’s carriage repository.

In addition a number of big lumber yards along the river front caught fire and are still burning. Their contents, mostly dressed lumber of the most expensive kind, will be a total loss.

High winds made the fire fighting difficult and dynamiting had to be resorted to. The actual burned area spreads out from one-eight to one-quarter of a mile, and extends for two miles north along the river from the starting points.

Mayor Mullen, after a survey of the ruins, this morning sent out the following appeal for relief:
“The situation is worse than anybody can realize. More that 200 dwellings have been destroyed and their occupants rendered homeless. Although most of these are people of means, their present need is great. At the same time, many are absolutely destitute as a result of the fire.”

A tour of the city shows that there is hardly a grocery, bakery or restaurant left standing. The food problem is a very serious one.

The Bangor patrols of the Boy Scouts and those from nearby towns came if for much praise today for their manly conduct in offering their services to Mayor Mullen. The youngsters were found available for messenger service and caring for frightened women and girls, and they nobly performed the duties assigned to them.

Trenton Evening Times, Trenton, NJ 1 May 1911

BANGOR, ME., IS IN FLAMES

Greater Part of City Burned and Fire Still Raging.

LOSS NEARLY $10,000,000

Two Persons Have Been Killed, Twenty Injured and Thousands Are Homeless – Mayor Proclaims Martial Law and Calls Out Troops.

Bangor, Me, May 1 – Damage already estimated at nearly $10,000,000 has been caused by a fire which broke out in Bacon & Robinson’s coal sheds on Broad street Sunday afternoon. Thousands of people are walking the streets homeless. This morning the fire was not under control and the flames were sweeping northward toward Kenduskeag, carrying everything before them.

Two persons are known to have been killed and over twenty have been injured.
Electric lights are out of commission and trolley cars are completely stopped for lack of power.

Mayor Mullen has proclaimed martial law, called out the local company of militia of the national guard and telegraphed Governor Plaisted asking for more troops.
Everything north of York street, from Kenduskeag stream to the east side of Broadway, has been burned, and nearly all the fine residences in the most exclusive section of the city, as well as the postoffice and all of the largest office and business buldings, are in ruins. The First Congregational church on Broadway, one of the oldest in the state; First Baptist church, St. John’s Episcopal, the Central Congregational and the Universalist church are gone, as is the Windsor hotel and the high school building. The Bangor public library, with one of the most valuable collections of books in New England, is totally destroyed.

Dynamite powder and thousands of cartridges in the S. Crosby company’s sporting goods store, on Exchange street, exploded when the building caught fire. The lumber mills of Morse & Co., on Valley avenue, have caught fire and huge piles of lumber along the stream are a mass of flames.

Buildings Were Dynamited.
Help has arrived on special Maine Central teams from Augusta, Waterville, Lewiston, Buckport and Oldtown. Although scores of buildings have been dynamited, the firemen are powerless to check the flames. A strong southwest wind has been blowing since the fire started and cinders have been responsible for the extent of the fire. At midnight the wind appeared to be swinging somewhat to the westward and the fire was progressing up the river in the general direction of the Maine General hospital.

Company G, of the Second Maine infantry, which is stationed in Bangor, is on duty to prevent looting, and the cadet battalion from the University of Maine, at Orone, has just arrived under command of Colonel Varnum, Sixth United States cavalry, the commandment.

There are several million dollars’ worth of securities in the safety deposit vaults of the various banks that have been burned, and sentiles [sic] with loaded rifles are on guard.

Although the city hall has not yet caught fire, thirteen prisoners who were in cells at the police station have been released by order of the mayor.

An unknown fireman was struck by a falling wall from the Morse-Oliver building, at Exchange and State streets, and instantly killed early in the evening.

When the word was given for the firemen to leave the public library building all responded save John Wiltshire of Hook and Ladder company No. 1 A few minutes later he appeared at a third-story window. The crowd outside saw him stand there a moment before the floor gave way and he toppled into the raging furnace beneath.

Frank C. Hinckley was cut off in the belfry of St. John’s Episcopal church, where he was trying to quench a slight blaze. The front of the church caught beneath him, and he escaped by cutting the bell rope, fastening one end of it to a beam and sliding to the ground.

Entire City Panic-Stricken.
The entire city is panic stricken. Men, women and children early began to flee from the scene. Many tried to carry their household effects out of the fire, but it was impossible to secure wagon for this purpose, and so wheelbarrows and baby carriages were pressed into service into these were hastily packed what valuables could be thought of in moments when the bravest would be at their wit’s end and on every hand could be seen these people making their way into the open country to safety.
The firemen were absolutely helpful before the conflagration. Widening out on both sides, Mayor Mullen saw that only a miracle could save the business section of Bangor, and he ordered the chief of the department to use dynamite. Men accustomed to using the explosive in timbering were pressed into service. They place large quantities of dynamite in several building opposite the postoffice [sic] and blew them into small debris, but the roaring element was not to be stayed by such measures. Jumping over the newly made spaces, the flames seized upon other prey.

The News, Frederick, MD 1 May 1911

Search for Victims.

Search was made of the ruins today for possible victims, but tonight only two were accounted for as dead. The body of JOHN N. SCRIBNER, who was buried beneath a wall, was recovered today. GEORGE ABBOT, a volunteer fireman, who was felled by a chimney, died at a hospital. Only a few were injured and none seriously.

Armed troops patrolled the streets tonight, under orders to shoot in case of looting.
Despite the cold rain of the early morning, there has been little suffering, and the citizens generally have take the blow with a smile and the main topic of conversation is rebuilding.

Tonight the city was in darkness, the electric service being still disrupted. The city hall and jail are the only important public buildings left standing.

Among the heavy losers was the University of Maine.

The Washington Post, Washington DC 2 May 1911

EX-TRENTONIAN IS LOSER IN BANGOR

Reads of Fire While Visiting Pennington and Gets Message Telling of Home’s Burning

In the fire that destroyed the city of Bangor, Maine, the home of L. G. Patterson, a former resident of Wilkinson Place, this city, was burned. Mr. Patterson’s place of business was also destroyed.

Mr. Patterson, who married a daughter of Dr. Edgar Hart of Pennington, read the news of the fire in yesterday’s paper at the home of his father-in-law, where he and his wife were visiting. He immediately made preparations to start at once for Bangor. In the meantime, his mother, who resides in the ill-fated city, called him on the telephone and notified him that his handsome residence on Harlow Street was in ruins.

Mr. Patterson is a graduate of Pennington Seminary. During the winter he conducts a produce business in Newark and in the summer he has a livery business in Bangor.

Trenton Evening Times, Trenton, NJ 2 May 1911

Transcribed by Jenni Lanham.  Thank you, Jenni!

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