Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-03-07
THE EASTERN RAJ tR0AD FIRE.

Farther particulars of the destruction by
the fire in Boston to the pro petty of the East
ern Railroad company and shippers is fur
nished by the Boston papers. The Globe
says:
The destruction of the outward freight
house of the Eastern RAILROAD Company at
Grand junction wharf, in East Boston, and
Of large amount of miscellaneous merchan-
disc and of train of thirty cars in process
of leading within the depot, occasioned loss
of upward of Sl25,00O.
The FIRE was caused by the explosion of q
car-boy of vtriol in one of the cars of the ii
o'clock Amesbury freight train. In almost
no time, the flames seized upon the finder like
freight stored in the building, literally chas-
ing workmen and other inmates out of the
doors. There was barely time to save the
money and lock up the books in the safe. All
other papers, including way bills, were left to
be burned. The freight cars and the platforms
of the building, especially, were crusted over
with the accumulated grease of years, and
burned like SO much oil. The ventilation and
numerous drafts through the building fur
nished the highest encouragement to the fire,
and, though the engines were on hand very
promptly, the entire building was ablaze be-
fore stream could be turned on. The fire
did its work very rapidly, and at IL O'Clock
had completed the destruction of the property
mentioned. The freight house itself was
worth very little. 1t was an old structure,
fifty feet wide, fronting on Marginal street
and extending down to the end of the wharf,
q distance of 300 feet. The first seventy feet
of the building vas of wood; the remainder
L. II r. H. l.. hull ~
will be about $4,000. Over twenty cars
stood in the depot at the time of the breaking
out of the fire. Two of them only we're saved
The value of the cars destroyed was probably
$4,000. The burning of the way bills and
freight bills renders an exact statement of
the freight in the cars and depots an impossi-
bility.
Until the receipts can be collected from
teamsters and others who delivered goods at
the depot there can be only a rough estimate.
Some of the cars in the depot belonged to the
Maine Central Railroad and were destined
eastward. They contained first-class freight,
cotton, kerosene, leather and oils, consigned
to various persons and companies in Portland
Bangor, Lewiston and other places. The re.
manning cars composed the Amesbury and
, Salisbury freight: There is little doubt that
;, the total value of the freight burned was over
$4,000. These losses with the damage tc
the wharf will amount to at least 1926. 900
$ and falls entirely upon the railroad corpora
ton. The company has a sinking fund fol
: meeting losses by FIRE or other accidents, and
> has no insurance whatever on the property
7 destroyed.
There was great excitement in the city dur
ing the half hour succeeding the giving of the
: alarm. Both lines of ferry. boats were crowd
ed and the pressure about the entrances to
the ferries was at times fearful to contem-
plate. Thousands crossed the river who had
property in the Island Ward in q state Of
great anxiety. and others in anticipation Of
immense enjoyment