, 1889-11-28
The City of Shoes Swept
by Flames.
A FIVE MILLION DOLLAR FIRE.
A Repetition of Scenes Ey-
perienoed by Spokane,
THE FIRE SWEPT CLEAR TO THE OCEAN.
Help Sent by Surrounding Towns
and Cities-Thieves Pouring
in From Boston.

of shoes, was visited this morning by
the greatest fire in its history, and with
two exceptions the coniiagration is the
most disastrous that ever visited New
England. The fire started about noon
and ragged over eight hours, devastating .
square mile of the business section Of
the city. and causing loss esti
mated at SIC, 900, 900. In fact the greater
part of ward four is wiped out, as res
CARDS the important shoe manufacturing
blocks and prominent places of business.
The fire started in Mowers wooden
building on Calmont street, and soon
communicated with the six-story brio
block, known as Mowers block. AL
most simultaneously the four-story
wooden shoe factory of Bennett &
Barnard on Central avenue and four
story wooden building on Almont
street caught fire and hurricane Of
flame was in progress. =
The burned territory includes and is
bounded by the following streets: AL
mont; Central avenue and its junction
with Willow; Union, from its junction
with Broad to the Brigden block on
both sides; Net Vernon street; Beach,
on both sides as tar down as Lees lum
Der yard Washington, from Monroe
through to Uniop Railroad avenue; all
of Exchange street; Broad, from the
engine house, both sides up as far rs the
corner of Exchange; Spring street en-
tire; besides dwelling houses too numer-
Gus to mention on Stafford, Amity, Sag
amore and Beech streets.
Aid arrived from Boston, Salem,
Marblehead and surrounding towns.
After the fire had been in progress
two hours everybody declared it would
not stop until IL reached the ocean, and
SO IL proved to be the case.
Four daily newspapers are burned ont,
the Item, Bee, Press and News
There were many narrow escapes from
accidents, but nc fatalities were reported.
The high orick fire wall of the Il. +.
Spinney block served as barrier to the
further progress of the flames up Union
street. After that the handsome struc-
ture was gutted.
Three national banks, the Central,
Security aud First National, together
with the Lynn institution for savings,
located in the First National block, are
all wiped out.
Twelve of the finest shoe blocks in the
city are in ruins, and about twenty-five
stores. At this writing it is impossible
to state how many dwelling houses are
burned. They were mostly occupied by
poor class in the vicinity of Beach
street and the wharves. The Central
~ 81 10 tha.
ground between 8 and Z o'clock.
1t is impossible to give any estimate
of insurance, but conservative estimates
place the loss on property at $10,0OO,000.
The First Methodist and First Univer-
salist churches and several houses have
been thrown open to accommodate
burned-out families. The mayor has
called special meeting of aldermen to
take action and appoint relief commit
tees.
Dynamite and powder were used at
frequent intervals to blow up wooden
buildings, but with little effect The
fire virtually burned itself out and at
1850 was considered under control.
Both companies of the Massachusetts,
militia located in Lynn were called out
and put on patrol duty.
NJ. s. Breed II Co., the largest lumber
and aSt;,nato ,h. ,nss a. sooo ooo. ;nsn1'
ono. stos oo,
narrou osoo,o e.o, ao.,h ,vo. th.,
os rrnast W;I,;sn"son vho vo,urtosrod
" y. ,n, ,;,a 80 hoa WV ,aaasr -,
~ go. .a se ~ n.o ~ h';ta;n. Tp Us uas
npunsoa ~ L,' i o,LaS. r. aI,,os,
loi.o"vu ~ oo'. .aaa,o1 I'LL" .t,n roas ~ ,ha IN,
40 ass" Soon ho. 40 my oSn,r"iiod ] ,hor | IT. 70 hea,
,emoe ,.., - msao Wan ,v.s ,hs lac,
ny ias" narI,, s,,tocn,od aud
h.aa ,,'an ~ ~ esu s',,s -. ss,,;,r on ~ iad-
1e.osG IeL;, &c :, ~. uou,u w.. sap,, 'Is h'rnsd
ue, Ttisu. n,s ,a'e we" wee 0a' s.or, nos,or .rd
.,.a..,. -. ~ ,,,n,,ars and a.
e.sown ..,;n ~ s ,arra
a'uoun. u y, ese"ns ,s ""' .i.., . ,d.r =.
p- "a noua1' - y,oTn up 49,, 49, P Psh..,arsH
piosu os aha aoansG "a a;na; SaIsv h", % . ,unss
Wihoows ~ a.. une.'Vns, ~ ,. a.. ~ .ha sa
ule was .s eneoe ess. ~ ~ .Sat .ps d;ras,;or @ pe
foas T, "a .ne nAues " ,nm...a .,i,h NM.
.no s.s rs,',', "o,J ,Sioh .nr,o.,ha,
worK o' iaii'hs VIZ, ~ a.e ns'
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