Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1886-07-03
A BOSTON HOLOCAUST.
Fire by which Fifteen Lives were
Lost.
Burning of the New England instit-
tute Building-HorribleS Scenes and
Incidents.

Boston, June, y; An alarm of fire at
30 this afternoon summoned the depart
ment to the immense New England Man
ufacturers and Mechanics institute build
ing, at the extreme westerly end of Hunt
ington avenue, recently purchased by the
MetropOIitan horse railroad, and used by
the company as storage and repair shop.
A second and general alarm immediately |
followed. Within fifteen minutes the EN-
tire building was a mass of flames. There |
were many men inside when the fire broke |
out, and all rushed for the rear windows.
Most o. them were helped out, but while |
rush was being made to one of the windows |
at which a scOrched and bleeding face was |
seen the poor fellow fell back into the |
seething torrent and was past all help. A
cOlOred man, name unknown, went back
into the burning building to save some prop
erty and was never seen to come out.
Chester l.. Hazeltine and E. L. Fallen had
plenty of opportunity TO escape, but en-
deavored to pull out some of the cars and
were shookingly burned. The roof fell In
soon after the second alarm was rupg, and
five minutes later the sides of the buildin
nearest the roof fell. The roof offered no
resistance 10 the flames, and the strong
bands were warped and twisted. All that
could be done was to play upon the burning
walls and inside, and as there was no hope
of saving anything. In less than two hours
nothing remained but charred ruins and
broken, crumbIing walls. The great barn.
like structure, which covered an area Of five
acres with a floor space Of nearly eight
acres, was so full of flame that the walls
we're blown out. Soon as it was learned
that lives were lost in the building all
streams were turned to the rear OF the
structure and the firemen bravely forced
their way into the blazing ruins to rescie
the bodies. The flames refused to surrender
until they had conquered everything COM
bustible within the building, and the work
of rescue was attended with great danger.
While the thousands of spectators were
viewing from neighbOring roofs the mag
nificent spectacle. a horrible tragedy was
being enacted within. The leo wOrkmen
employed in the building had
TERRIFIC STRUGGLE FOB LIFE.
|
on the opposite side of the building from
the point Of origin had almost as great diff
Guilty in making their escape as did those
nearer the first fierce burst of fire. At the
| rear of the building in the carpenter shop, a
workman whose name is not yet known was
driven out of the window of the second
story By the flames. He was about to leap,
and had put one leg over the windOw-sill,
when the roof above fell in and pinned him
fast. No ladder company had arrived and
the crowd Of 100 or more outside were
unable to render assistance. The flames
followed almost instantly and the impris-
oned man was roasted in agony before the
ewes of his friends below. Two of his fellow
workmep, John McNulty and J. L. Fallon,
were shockingly burned in trying to scale
the wall to reach their dying comrade. bis
sufferings were short, the furnace OF name
soon wrapped him about in fire and smoke
and his last moments were smOtherd from
the sight of the spectators. Not long after
the wall itself gave away. Z. l.. Faller
saws he was the last man to leave the wood
workers. shop alive. The room is in th'
southwest corner of the building near WHERE
the fire started. The worst sufferer wa
Chester l.. Hazeltine. He and Fallen wer'
working together and started out of th'
building at the same time. Hazeltine re
turned with Fallen but came OF secon'
best. He was terribly burned. The burs
of smoke which overlook them completel
Of hid the exit from their view, and was Onl
ly by CROPPING that they got out Hazeltin
g saws when the flames and smoke surrounde
him he thought he felt the floor sink. ID
kept up however, and was helped out
Eight charred bodies have been recovere
~ and late tonight those in charge OF u
al work at the ruins estimates the loss OF III
in at net less than fifteen.
a THE DEAD.
Id The dead thus far identified are:
be VIM. Taylor, aged 20, carpenter.
to Olive Frost 6a, carpenter.
Is Patrick Lyons, 80, woOdworker.
he Alexander Campbell, 70, patteHnmaker.
ii, One reason of the loss of life was the IA
ed that nearly all of the windows were cover'
ur- outside with netting made Of wire nearly
fr. quarter of an inch thick.
ex- INSIDE THE BUILDING
nc were 100 horse-cars, fully repaired, ca
y, worth 500. The repsirs and refurnishil
rs of the building amounted to about $50 %
y, making the total loss with the building its'
ey about 100000.
to The New England Manufacturers a
Mechanics Institute building was erected
1891. and in the sutulnn of that year its d
industrial exhibition was given, opepi
nth towards the close of August and continui
re- till the close of October. This was grs
,he fving success. The financial statem'
nv. presented ut the annual meeting Of the
!: poratiou had the succeeding winter show
vYo that II netted about $4,000. The exhibit
building of the institute covered an area
our nearly 1--WE acres of land. Its available d
space for exposition purposes exceed
eight acres. Exhibitions were held In
p building during the autumns OF 1888
ide, 1884. During the winters of those year
ard was utilized as skating-rink and for
destrian, bicycle and other contests. Ao
a wear ago it was purchased by the Me
sre ,n poli.an railroad at less than half the
med cost ard the company had just got mo
atlc in the building after extensive and Co
onIv alterations and repairs.