The Portland daily press., 1886-06-22
LIFE AND PROPERTY LOST
The New England Institute Building
Burned.
Terrible Death of Imprisoned Work
men.
a Total Loss of over $500, 900.

Boston, June 21.-A terrific fire, which
was attended by loss of life this afternoon,
destroyed the New England Institute Fair
Building on Huntington Avenue. The build
ing was originally built by the New England
Manufacturers and Mechanics Institute for
exhibition purposes at a cost of nearly $780,,
600. Last winter it was purchased by the
Metropolitan Street Railroad Company for
$500. 600 and has since been used as the place
for the storage and repair of cars. The fire
was first discovered in the front of the build
ing, directly under the paint shop, by man
working half mile away, and before he
headway. SO quickly did the flames spread
that before the first engine arrived the I'M
mense roof had fallen and the building was
a roaring furnace Workmen sought to save
their tools and many were badly burned pc
fore the could get out of the building, while
others were unable to escape Within the
building were about 400 box cars, only one OF
which was saved. The great barn like struc-
lure which covered the are of five acres with
a floor space OF nearly eight acres
blown out. Three alarms were sounded,
but from the first it was clear that the burn
ing structure was doomed, and the tremen
directed their efforts to saving surrounding
OrODeILY. III.
that lives had been lost in the building all
streams were turned to the rear OF the build
ing and the firemen bravely forced their way
into the blazing ruing to rescue the DodleS.
The flames refused to surrender until they
had conquered everything combnStible with
in the building, and the work of rescue was
attended with great danger. The charred
remains of two men were brought out and
are thought to be those of William Taylor
and man named Frost, both carpenters. 1t
,r l,Dlfa hot fof1 Nod iQd
debris as several of the workmen are miss
ing All is confusion at present and no cor
rect statement of the loss of life can yet be
made The flames are still burning in the
interior of the building of which nothing is
left standing except the lower portions OF
the walls.
Seven bodies in all have been removed
from the ruins, three of which were so badly
charred and disfgured that Identification is
impossible The names Of the others are
belived to be as follows: William Taylor, 70
years old; Oliver Frost, g. years old, married;
Patrick Lyons, 80 years DID, and Alexander
Campbell, 20 years old, married. The body
of a negro known to have been burned has
not been recovered. This makes eight fatal
tiles known to have been caused by the fire.
The foreman of the repair shop states that
all of the S8 workmen in the building when
the fire broke out are accounted for, with the
exception of the four who are named above.
and the other four unfortunates were prob
ably strangers who entered the building to
assist in removing cars The following were
seriously burned: Joseph Whidden, car
builder, burned about the face and shoul-
ders, taken to hospital Chester l.. Hazeltine
badly burned about the face, hands, arms
and throat; E. L. Farren, burned about the
hands and arms. The two latter were en-
ployed in the car shop Several others had
their hair singed but escaped serious lnJur-
les. At this hour al o'clock the fire IS
smouldering and portion OF the flre depart
ment is engaged in throwing water upon the
ruins. The front and side walls partly re-
main, but are cracked and in dangerous
and unsafe condition. 1t is now said there
were but 100 cars in the building, 20 being
new ones There were also % or 80 snow
plows. The total loss is estimated at about
100000, divided nearly as can be given to-
night as follows: On buildings, fixtures, etc.,
$4,000; on cars, $4,000; on machinery,
tools, etc, $40,0Oo;. The INSURANCE aggre-
gates $4,000, as follows: On building, $685.
900; on machinery, $4,000; on cars, $4,000
The building was erected in 1881 by the
New England Manufacturers and Mechanic
Institute, a corporation formed for the pur-
chanic arts in New England mainly by. Civ
ing annual exhibitions. Four exhibitions
were held, namely, in 1881, 1882, 1888 and
1884 The enterprise proving Improbable
the exhibition featureswas given up, and the
building was used for some time, as it had
been at intervals before, for skating rink
and other purposes. The building had been
erected upon leased land, and that circum-
stance, taken in connection with the unpr0f-
table exhibitions, forced the corporotion into
insolvency about a year ago. Last winter
the property was purchased by the Mstro-
politan Railroad Campany, and it has since
been used, though the plans had not been
fully developed, ,as place for the storage and
repair of cars. The building was of iron and
brick, had 1884 square feet. or abont eight
acres available for exhibition purposes. The
main building was $40 feet long by 3S4 feet
wide, ald the whole cost of the property
when ready for exhibitions, exclusive of the
land, was about $500,000.