The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-06-16
Destructive Fire I'm worcester, Mass.

Destructive Fire I'm Worcester, Mass.
TWO HUNDRED NDFIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH
OF PROPERTY OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES LOSS OF
LIFE, AND NUMBER OF PERSONS SERIOUSLY
INJURED.
from the Boston Papers, June 1871
The most destructive confagrat0n that ever 0c-
CURED In Worcester county, broke out about ton
minutes past twelve o'clock, on Wednesday the l4th
instant in the southwest wing of William I. MerTi-
fields machine shop, occupied by some of the
largest machinists in Worcester
The buildings were of brick, four stories high, sit
uated upon Union, Exchange and Cypress streets,
and occupied three sides of whole square.
Among the occupants were Samuel Flagg & Co.,
and Daniel fainter, machine manufacturers; Geo.
W. Bliss, boot mandatory; Jordan, horse-shoer,
G. Hovey Co., haycutters; Hovey Il Lazene, do;
d. Palmer; Forbush d Crompton, machinists; j. IL
l. c. Brown; Hood, Battelle 4 Co.; S. G, Reed, car
rage wheel manufacturer; P. E. Towne & Co., per
forated paper mandatory; Massachusetts Sewing
Machine Company; and number OF other firms.
The building was entirely consumed, and the loss
is immense Very little Of the property is covered
by insurance.
The fire very soon crossed Union street. The
large buildings occupied by Allen Thurber, pistol
makers, were next in fames and were entirely con-
sumed, with nearly all their contents.
The basement story OF Allen 81 Thurbers build
ings was occupied by Thayer, Houghton IL Co., ex-
tensiye manufacturers of machinery, and from this
nothing was saved.
Several men jumped from the third story, and the
report is that William Carey is killed Others are
supposed to be among the ruins, but in the confu.
sion that prevails, nothing be known with GER
tainty.
Several fremen, who dropped down from exhaus-
ton, are in a critical condition.
From Merrifeld's and Allen & Thurber's buldn gs
the fire spread in northerly and easterly direction,
consuming some fifteen adjacent buildings. The loss
cannot fall much short OF two hundred thousand
dollars, and at least one-quarter of the mechanical
buildings OF the city were swept away.
About three acres of the most thickly settled por-
ton of the city is swept clean. At this time the
fire is got under, and there is no fear that it will
tend further. More than four hundred men are
thrown out of employment by this fire, and many
families are houseless
At 0 clock the fire was under subsection. At
that time it was confined principally to Exchange
street. The wind was not blowing hard at any time
during the day. If there had been q southwest
wind the destruction would have been much greater.
The intense heat Of the weather added to that the
flames caused great suffering among the fremen.
Several lives were lost. workman in Merryfelds
establishment in attempting to save his tools, was
buried in the ruins.
One man Jumped from the roof Of Merrifeld's
building, "a stories high( and was terribly mutt
1t is reported that three fremen were on the third
floor of the same building when the walls fell in.
They are supposed to be killed. Many limbs were
broken, and the doctors had their hands full Of
work.
The area Of ground burnt was over three acres,
and the amount of property destroyed, will reach
half million Of dollars. Merrifeld had no insur-
ance on his building, which extended 800 feet on
three streets, and was four stories in height. His
loss will be very heavy.
The Nashua engine house and machine shopwere
saved by tearing down shed.
At 4 o'clock great efforts had been made to save
the stables of the American House, and Bonney's
livery stable, and these buildings were considered
safe, as the fire had been mostly subdued in that
direction. At that time it was expected that the
fire would extend northwardy towards Main street,
if it spread further, but hopes were entertained
that the devouring element was stayed.
The four Worcester engines were found to be far
inadequate to the emergency, and special trains
were despatched to Boylston, Oakdale and Millbury
for engines and fremen The hydrants from some
tanned.