New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-06-22
SEVEN MEN BURNED TO DEATH.
A BUILDING IN BOSTON DESTROYED.
DESTRUCTION OF THE INSTITUTE PAIR BUILDING
DAMAGE BY FLAMES.
lBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUER.1

BosTON June 2l-A serious fire occurred
this afternoon in this city, resulting in the dc ath OF at
least seven men and the destruction OF the large
Institute Fair building. This bu ding Is situated on
Huntington ave- IL was erected in 1881 by the New
England Manufacturers and Mechanics Institute at
cost exclusive o. the land OF about S3OO,0Oo 1he
building had about eight acres available for exhibition
pun poses The property sold recently to tie Met
ropotan Street Railway Company for 100000, inclnd
ing then has been used for car repair
shop storchouse for not requei for Immediate
There were several hundred box in tho building
to-day and only saved. The alarm was rung py
who at work hall mile away when lie saw
smoke issuing from the building He ran across the
fields and when he reached Huntinston-a'e he saw
several men trying open the fire alarm box lie
dashed stone against the cover and pulled the alarm
By that time the flames had spread throughout tho big
structure and lespne through the ROOF. intense
heat all who sought to enter the door and the
roof tell With crash before the first engine arrived
The work OF the incenliary was well done III was
magnificent sight and that has never been exceed
since the tig fro The rapidty with which the flames
spread was appalling. workmen sought to save theli
tools and skin before they could get out 0f
the building Abolt 100 cars many OF them newly
vanished the material on which tho naines were
feeding. Tie bdrn-like structure was so full OF
name that the very walls were blown out Piremen
tried to turn their through tho windows but the
wator seemed add the fuel and they could only
surrounding property. Workmen ou the opposite
side building from the pout Of origin had almost
great difficulty in making their escape as did those
nearer the first burst of flame.
1t was in the east end OF the building, in the car
prutors' shop, that the most heartrendLg tragedy
occurred The winows for unaccountable reason,
were covered with male Of quarter wire.
and this be attributed the loss or several
lives OF the imprisoned workmen. one poor felloS
succeeded In fOI cng hole rough the wire barrier win
full of the crowd, his BODY falling within
the furnace. A whose Is not yet knOwn, Was
driven out the OF the second story by the
flames He about 10 leap, had pat one leg over the
SILL when the roof above fell In and pinned nun
fast whore he No ladder company had arrived ana
tie crowd OF a hundred more men outside were
powerlcss to render assistance Inc iancs ioIiowen
almost instantly and the imprisoned man perished In
a,Ony before the h0rrihed eyes OF his friends below
Two OF his fellow-w orkmen, John McNuty anc j. F.
Fallen, were terribly burned trying TO scale the Wall 70
fully short The awful furnace Of nane soon wrapped
him about in tire and smoke and his last moments were
shledcd from the sight of the SPECTATORS Not long after
tie wall itself gave way and nothing more was seen.
The exact loss OF life Is not yet known. Up to
o'clock this evening the charred remains or seven Dodes
had been taken the ruins, and this Is not supposed
to represent the loss OF ife The actual loss TO te Net
ropoitan is estimated by President Richards at about
500 000 although this is about Onefourth 0 what the
building itself cost originally; but the Metropolitan
Company purchased 1t at small amount ABOVE me
value the land. The insurance VIII nearly cover inc
actual loss by tha company. 90 ,,
The total loss Is placed AZ ahOnt S2oOOOo on whcn
there IL Insurance Of 100000 IL IS believed that
bodies VIII be recovered from the ruins ana that
more than seven lives .Ost. The men who are now
known t. have persisted william Taylor, a wood
kerr sixty nine years old Ohver Frost, carpenter
thirty years old; Alexander Campbell seventy years
Old, pattern maker.