SERIOUS FIRE AT CANAAN TUESDAY
Total Damage Will be About $10,000
Four Houses, Two Stores and Two Mills Gone
Dr. L.W. Shean Drops Dead From Excitement and Exhaustion
| Canaan, Me., Oct 3 [1911] - That new $900 hand pump, against
the purchase of which some of the tax payers kicked so hard last spring, was all that kept the village of Canaan from being wiped off the map
this morning. Fire in the grocery store of Roscoe Hart, which had
been discovered and apparently extinguished Sunday night, broke out shortly after midnight and did about $10,000 damage before it was brought under control. Four dwelling houses, two stores, the grist mill,
the saw mill and ware houses were burned to the ground, and the town hall,
a blacksmith shop, carriage shop and several other buildings more or less damaged. Dr. L.W. Shean collapsed of heart failure and soon afterwards died.
A.C.Warren, who lives near the Town hall, was the first man to discover the fire and give the alarm. He was awakened by a bright light coming through his bed room window about 3 o'clcok Tuesday morning. Jumping out of bed he first saw the Ames building, occupied by Roscoe Hart as a store and dwelling, practically all afire. He rushed out still in his night clothes and by shouting and the resultant telephoning, from 300 to 500 people were soon assembled. The usual bucket brigade was promptly formed and the new hand pump brought in to service with H.R. Harris, Richard Harris, Earl W. Bean, Alton Goodrich, Clyde and Glenn Tibbetts and W.C. Harris at the handles. For some time they made but little impression. The flames quickly devoured the Ames building and leaped across the stream to the east, setting fire to the residence occupied by Miss Sarah Lewis and Rev. Mrs. S.W. Treworgy. A part of this building, however, and most of the contents were finally saved. Meantime flames had started on the buildings owned by George Bean as carriage shop, Hart Gower's blacksmith shop, and some other small structures but these were extinguished without serious damage. But the fire which jumped across Main street to the saw mill and the storehouse proved too much for the fire fighters to handle. It soon spread to the grist mill and thence to the two story house owned by Mrs. Helen Tuttle. In desperation the selectmen telephoned to Skowhegan and shortly after 4 o'clock Chief Webb blew his special call, assembled his crew and started for Canaan, arriving about 7 o'clock. The fire spread no further after their arrival and by 8 o'clock was safely under control. There was no insurance on the mills owned by the Canaan Water Power company; on Roscoe Hart's goods there was a small insurance. His loss is estimated at $900. The loss to the Ames block is about $2000. Most of the individual property owners had small insurances. The cause of the fire is unknown. On Sunday nights[sic] a fire broke out in Roscoe Hart's store from the fire in the stove, but was soon put out. Mr. Hart and his family did not stay in the house that night nor Monday night because of the smoke. It is supposed that the old fire had been smoldering and sprang up Tuesday morning. Dr. Shean, whose residence was near where the fire broke out, attempted to assist in moving things from his house. He has been in poor health for some time and a short time ago had a shock. He had been, however, about his business. In his excitement he became exhausted and was helped in to the house where he became prostrate and in a few minutes died. Dr. Lester William Shean was born in Hartland 69 years ago, and was the son of Dennis and Nancy (Butterfield) Shean. He attended the public schools and Hartland academy, going from there to Bowdoin medical. He also studied for a time at Dartmouth college in Hanover, N.H., finally receiving the degree of M.D., from the St. Louis college of Physicians and Surgeons, March 10, 1887. He came to Canaan 32 years ago and since then has been a prominent factor in the business and social life of the town. Dr. Shean was especially active in the grange and the Eastern Star, and was president of the Canaan board of trade from its organization to the time of his death. A lifelong Democrat, he had been honored by his fellow townsmen with elections to the office of selectmen, member of the school board and collector, time and again. Dr. Shean was of a particularly genial temperament and was beloved by all who knew him in either a professional or social way. In 1875 he married Miss Eva Davis of Hartland, and the wife with their only child and daughter, Mrs. Lillace Carey of Fort Fairfield, survive. Coordinator of the Canaan, Somerset County, MEGenWeb Project site ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
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