New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-27
LYNN SWEPT BY FIRE.
EIGHTY ACRES BURNED OYER.
PROPERTY WORTH s6,oOo,6oO DESTROYED
IN A FEW HOURS
SCORES OF FACTORIES AND DWELLINGS IN THE
GREAT sHoE-MANUFAcTURING CITY CON-
SUMED BY THE FLAMES-BANKS,
CHURCHES AND NEWSPAPER OF.
FICE GoNE-HUNDREDS OF
FAMILIES MADE HOME
LESS AND IDLE
LESS AND IDLE.
TBr TELEGRAPH TO THE rRrsUNE.]

FAMILIES MADE HOME
LESS AND IDLE.
tBr TELEGRAPH TRIsUNE.l
Lynn, Mass, Nov. 26.-This city, for many
years the centre of the shoe industry of New
England, received to-day severe blow. Fire
this afternoon and evening in about seven hours
levelled everything in its path, covering terri
tory about eighty in extent, and reduced to
ashes property roughly valued at s5,OOO,0O0 or
s6O0O,O0O The fire started about noon, and
before o'clock 296 brick and wooden buildings
were in ruins OF these 142 were dwellings, IL >
were wooden business blocks and Az Of
brick. Among the buildings destroyed are one
church, the Central Congregational three news
paper offices, those of " The Item,' Bee" ami
Press" four banks, the First, Central and
Security National, and the Lynn Institute for
Savings, and one railway station Many large
and substantial brick manufactures are in ruins.
including Movers block, b. F. Spinney's block,
Stevenss block, Curriers' new block, the latter
not fully occupied and costing $4,000; the
Lynn Institute for Savings block,
John Balley's block, the Kirkland block,
Jones, Cook & Cos block, 300 feet long
L. II. Ashford's block, 200 feet square, A. F.
Breed & Co.'S block, D. c. & c. Buffums block,
5. \. Breeds block, T. f. Abbotts block, and B.
X. & A. II. Joness block
These were all large establishments, and did
a big business each employing hundreds Of hands
IL is estimated that about ninetcnths Of the shoe
business of Lynn has been destroyed and that
not far from 100 concerns, large and small, were
burned out. One hundred and sxty-four families
are homeless, and about 5000 employees of the
shoe factories idle These statistics accurate
as can be secured at this hour, tell an eloquent
story, and indicate that the charitable people Of
the Old Bay State are likely to be called upon
TO assist for time good many of those who
until tonight were in comfortable circumstances
! and in the receipt Of regular employment at
remuncrative prices.
The fire started directly over the boiler in
A. A. Mowers wooden factory in Al.
mont-st., and quickly ascended by means
Of elevators TO the roof Fortunately,
nearly all of the 200 or 300 men and women
in the various portions of this building had just
left their places for dinner and few were on the
upper floors. So quickly spread the flames that
the proprietor had only just time to close his
safe and leave the building. One was caught
lon the upper story and rescued by fremen
by means of ladder The flames finished this
wooden building, in which were A. A. & I. B.
Mower Z. w. &c c. +, Enoch, shoe manufacturers,
and the Beaudry Machine Company.
The Mower brick building, Willow-st., was
next TO co. It's walls fell in at 1870 with a
crash, and one man was reported as buried be-
meath them and killed In this building were the
| Central National Bank, Pratt ~ Babb's Express
Company, o. Ellis, w. NJ. SWEET & Co., and many
Others. This building five stories high, 100
feet by lOO The next building was the large
wooden factory of Bennett Barnard, manu-
facturers of the finest shoes in New-England.
and employers of 100 hands. This building was
fve-story building practically, and about 200
feet long, extending back to Almontst. The
great structure yielded like pasteboard to the
march of the flames, and with its 100000 worth
of fine shoes ia all stages of manufacture, was
entirely swept away.
The fire spread with remarkable Tapdty. Brick
walls melted before the intense heat like snow
beneath an April sun. Aid was sent from Boston.
| Peabody, Marblehead, Salem and Beverly, but the
efforts of the firemen combined with good water
system were of little avail The flames created
| current of air which swept them around even
against the direction of the wind. The assessed
value of the buildings burned is put at 81 ,52S,32O,
and on the stock and machinery sI'Iol'' =
This is only part of the loss however. In pro-
portion to its area and population the Guy
Of Lynn has suffered from fire more than
any other city in Massachusetts, during the
present century. To-day's confiagration began
like the great fire in Boston in November, 1872,
in buildings that apparently could be easily
| rpac Utit tbp
came SO intense that for several hours human skill
TO stay them was of no avail. 1t was terrible
spectacle as the fire was in progress, destroying
building after building in it's path STRUCTURES
built with all modern safeguards against hre cou'u
not resist the tremendous volume OF flame any
more than an ordinary wooden dwelling, from
which a thin line of smoke would be visible A'
one moment and a minute later pie Oh aShcS
marked the spot where the building stoou.
In extent of territory the burned dlstrict o'
Lynn is about the same as that OF boston III o'-'
and Tie loss is relatively about the Sime' liz
principal difference in the two lres Is tne JUN
ing Of a large number Of dwellings III Lynn uc
homes of the Door and others more fortunate
| in life, while in Boston the loss was az
most entirely confined TO warehouses anu otne.
places Of business. IL WAS Pi''i".
| light in this city to witness the oreaAlns up u
homes and the frantic efforts OF occupants " s"
| household treasures and other ELECTS nosO Oh
| which wore doomed TO destruction. because III
many instances il WAS impossible TO procure teams
| IN remove tbcm The Fire Department, after Il
ioorous contest at some particular locality, would
be driven away by the rapid approach Of the fire
| through buildings that apparently were DarileiS'
and another spot would have TO be selected for
q fight 10 stay the progress of the great coniagfa-
uon. The Lynn fremen did all that could be
eypected in such an emergency, but they would
have been powerieSs without the assistance oil
sister cities, which cheerfuiy responded TO the
call for assistance The Boston firemen have not
for a long time had better opportunity to display
their skill. and but for the excellent work done