Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-06-24
A MILLION DOLLAR BLAZE.
Store Houses Of the Pacific Mills Des-
troyed.
Several Persons Nearly SufIOcated in
the Burning Building.

LAWRENCE. Mass, June %,
The most disastrous fire that visited Law
renee for years broke out shortly after seven
this evening at ie storehouse of the Pacific
Mills, located on Broadway within ~ feet Of
the main Pacific mill and adjoining it on the
rear. The store house building is brick with
a stone basement, three stories high. 800 by
so. In the basement were stored m2ddeI
dyes, chemicals and cotton clothes in the
process of manufacture. The next floor had
been used for a supply office. and here also
we're stored chemicals used in d. wing. The
upper floors were used for storage and sorting
of wool, and on these floors were, yesterday,
200 900 pounds of wool ready for sorting be-
sides nearly 10000 pounds already sorted.
When the alarm was sounded the entire
| FIRE department of the city and the Pacific
fire brigade responded promptly, but on ar
rival the fire had gained such headway that
the total destruction of the Upper Pacific
mills were imminent. The flames rose high
in the air and the smoke from the burniI 9
cotton, ool and chemicals clouded the en-
tire city Forty lines of hose besides the
automatic extinguishers, located in the up
per story, deluged the building with water.
Time after time when the firemen thought
thew had the flames under control it began to
break out in another quarter, threatening the
total destruction of the Upper Pacific works.
Superintendent Stone and Parker were
early at the scene and cooperated with the
fire engineers in directing the department,
and through their efforts valuable papers
were rescued from the flames.
The origin of the fire is in doubt, while the
opinion is freely expressed that the strikers
had something to do with it, it has no credit.
From present indications it appears that
the fire originated in the basement of the
storehouse, where the chemicals were stored.
from spontaneous combustion, and being
famed by the draught through the elevator
hatchway, which leads to the upper story,
about so feet from the front building. at
tackled every thing in its reach. The entire
building was Quilted and the total loss to the
building and stock will exceed million dol
lars, which is fully covered by insurance in
Boston offices.
There were many accidents. Assistant
Engineer Wilmington and pipeman Charles
G. Merrill and a reporter were borne from the
scene They were found in the hatchway
suffocated John Bnrralough had a foot
injured by broken glass. James Edwared
had his head injured. The fire is still burn
ing but is under control.
At II o'clock the fire at the Pacific store
house was still burning, but confined to the
basement, where 2200 bales of cotton were
stored, but which are in flames, and the en-
tire fire department must remain there "a
hours before it can be wholly extinguished.
Three fire engines are playing II treams
into the basement, and now it appears that
the flames subdued are confined to the buill-
ing in which the fire originated.
w. A. Hodges and Geo. Remick firemen,
taken out of the building suffocated with
smoke. Work at the lower Pacific mill will
not be retarded, as there is plenty of wool
ahead
Property insured is about three-fourths of
its value in Manufacturers Mutual Coinpa-
MES in Boston, Providence, Fall River and
Worcester.