Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-02-23
SCOURGED BY FIRE.

A"AcC 0ustFttTS Oh n
Worth of Property Licked Up by the
Flames in the Business Portion OF Provi-
dence. Rhode Island-Several Hotels
Among the Burned Structures.
PROVIDENCE. r. l., Feb. 16.-Fire broke
out at midnight last night in the large
manufacturing block ON Fountain, Eddy
and Worcester streets. It spread with
great rapidity through the five stories,
and although the building was considered
fire. proof, every foot of the place was in
| flames in a very few minutes. The build.
ing was 200 feet long and 16) in depth,
and in fifteen minutes the flames had full
possession of the entire structure. The
east wall went first, followed by the south
wall, and the other two fell together. Two
| men are supposed to have been buried
by the Fountain street wall. This
building was occupied by Winsor
d Co., carriages and wheels; A.
Charnley & Co., perforated stock and
figured ware; E. ". French & Co.. d. D.
Sweet & Co., sashes, doors and blinds; W.
II. Robinson, jewelry, and several mailer
| firms. In twenty minutes the fire had
spread to the large livery stable of Bill
ings Bros. and the large marble building
on the south side across Worcester street.
There was fire on the east side of Eddy
street almost simultan eously, and there
three-s story wooden building was solid
mass of flames in a few minutes. On the
west the three story tenement house,
with Elliott's stable on the first
floor, was fast being devoured. The
fire spread rapidly to the south,
the heavy northwest wind carrying
it through to the Aldrch House, and in a
very few minutes later the whole square
was in flames. On the corner of Union
and Washington streets stood the old
Wa shington Hotel. a three-story build
ing with all l. 100 feet long. Between
this and the Aldrich House stood Elliott's
carriage warehouse, st ored with a valua-
BILE stock of carriages and furnishings.
These were removed, as were the horses
from Billings Bros. stables. Thirty
minutes after the fire had start
ed the entire two blocks were
a solid mass of flames, and the
buildings on Eddy, Washington and
Cove streets were on fire in several
places. The City Hall. costing $3.50, 0OO,
is on the opposite side of Washington
street, and at one time was in great dam
ger. The firemen, however, redoubled
their efforts, and in few minutes they
had the fire in the Butts building under
control. The flames spread to the south
side of Washington street, and engulfed
the Slade building and the Baker block.
In every story of the Slade bull ding,
which is five stories high, the flames
were seen. Ten minutes later the whole
square from Washington to Eddy, and
from Fulton to Union streets, was
in flames. During the confiagration some
exciting scenes were being enacted in the
Shattuck House. the Bijou Hotel and the
FIR eeman House. Guests were rushing
about wildly shouting for friends, while
the servants were tryin to get out their
ri 0thiuc and of hon hn1Op There was
half panic among the guests and en-
ployes at the Aldrch House, but with the
assistance of the police, all escaped unin-
jured. The walls of the Aldrich House
went down forty minutes after the fire
started, the ruins covering the office of
the International Express Company. In
an hour after the fire started, the entire
square bounded by Union, Washington
Eddy and Worcester streets and space
extending through to Clements street was
in ruins. At one O'Clock the fire was fast
destroying the Freeman House and
spreading to the large four tory house
on the corner of Washing ton and Union
streets. At 40 a. m. the walls of the
Freeman fell in, and the residents of
Washington, Clements and Matthewson
streets prepared to move out their house,
hold effects. At AS the fire was making
rapid way in the Slade building,
and the firemen were drive back by the
heat. This building was occupied by
Otis Potter & Co., show cases; Robert
l.. Greene, paper and Irvine; H. w. Johns
& Co., W. G. Champlin, Boyd & Co., and
Collier & Newhall, saddery and carr iage
trimmings. When the walls of the VIM
sor fell on Fountain street, hose car
riage was crushed beneath the debris.
The fire caught from the engine in the
northwest corner of the Winsor building,
in the basement. The AL drich House and
some adjoining property is owned by An
son L. Aldrich: the buildings on Wor-
cester, Eddy and Union streets by Bill
ings Brothers; the Freeman House by
Walter Proctor's heirs; the property on
the west side of Union street by Robe rts
Brothers. Geo. S. SHADES heirs owned the
Slade building, and Henry Baker the
Baker block. At two O'Clock the firemen
had apparently gotten the fire under con-
troll. What with the cold, the high wind
and the broken and tangled telegraph
wires, they worked to great disadvan-
tage.
Sparks from the fire were carried
long distance, and scores of smaller
fires were caused. Ten buildings, includ-
ing two hotels, are entirely burned. AL
most three blocks are wiped out.
At 2:55 a. m. the fire was still burning,
but the south wall of the Aldrich pre-
vented its spread to windward. Two en-
tire squares and part of another were in
ruins. Loss estimated 100000 to $780,
900, the most disastrous confagration the
city has ever experier ced. No statement
Of the insurance can yet be made.