Bismarck weekly tribune., 1889-12-06
A Five Million Dollar Fire in the
Business Portion OF the
City of Boston.
The First General Fire Alarm in the
City Since the Great
Fire Of 1872.
Great Granite Buildings Crumbled
and Iron Girdles Melted
Like Ice in July.
Big Fire in Boston.

Big + ire in Boston. GS.
BOsTON, Nov. 28.-The most disastrous
fire which Boston has had since 1872 which
in property more than rivals the great fire
at Lynn Tuesday, broke out at 8 o'clock a.
m. to-day in the six-story granite build
ing, owned by Jordan, Marsh & Co., and
occupied by Brown, Durrell & Co., dealers
in dry goods on Bedford street, corner of
I Kingston. The great fire OF 1872 broke
out at the corner of Kingston and Sum-
mers street, and the alarm of to-day's fire
was rung in from the same box which did
similar duty on the evening of November
9, 1872, when the fire fiend was turned
loose consuming nearly $100,00OOOO worth
of property. The first alarm rung in to-
day was Immediately followed by the first
general alarm in Boston since 1872. To-
days coniagration ragged for six hours
and burned over two acres OF territory,
covered by magnificent buildings. The
loss is now estimated at $6,OOO,1OO.
The fire was discovered by a
letter carrier who noticed the
flames bursting from the top Of the
Brown building in which 1t originated.
This letter carrier notified the nearest
police officer who made the first alarm. 1t
became apparent that the fire would be
large and a general alarm was sent out
This was soon followed by calls upon all
the neighboring cities and towns for
assistance. The fire was soon pouring
from all the windows, and at 500 O'clock
they had spread to the Shoe and Leather
Exchange building and another granite
building. From Brown & Co.'s on Bedford
street, the flames swept in great masses
across Bedford street to the opposite cor-
ner, thence across Kingston street along
Bedford to Chauncev street. where it was
stopped in the store of Farley, Harvey e.
Co., the upper stories Of which
were burned. Three stores along Chaun-
cey street toward SUNNI r were burned.
flames jumped across Kingston street,
from the hot blaze from Brown, Durrell &
Co.'s big sandstone building, owned by F.
and this was consumed. The great granite
building known as the Nevins block, at the
corner of Chauncey street, was the next
victim for the flames, and the entire block
street was consumed. After crossing
Chauncey street and burning all the stores
which are enclosed in Exeter Place,
small street running from Harrison avenue
to Chauncey street, the fire was got
under control. According to the most re-
liable information the losses of those in
found aggregate $2,5S7 200. This fire. com. NJ
ing as it does on top of the great blaze at
Lynn, is a crushing blow to many of the
smaller insurance companies, and it is not
at all unlikely that it will cause the sus.
pension of many of them.
THE BURNT DISTRICT
Begins at Columbia street on the east and
extends two blocks westward along Bed
ford street to Chauncy street on the west
on both sides of Bedford street. The fire
consumed the entire block bounded by
Bedford, Kingston, Exeter and Columbia
streets. Westward of this the entire block
bounded by Bedford, Kingston and
Chauncey streets and Rowe place and west
ward of this the buildings on Chalncev
street from Bedford to Exter. It also
badly damaged the buildings on the SOUTH
east corner of Bedford and Columbia
streets. North of Bedford street it con-
sumed the buildings on the northeast and
northwest corners of Bedford and King
ston streets and damaged the block at the
Within an hour after the first alarm was
sounded the whole structure of Brown &
Co. was in ruins. Flames were darling
from doors and windows and the interior
OF the block was glowing furnace, dry
goods and other cOmbustible materials
with which the floors were packed, burned
to white heat. Granite crumbied and
iron girders melted like ice. Streams from
engines We're evaporated before they
reached the fire. "The walls are falling
back" The crowd surged back for Their
very lives. Startled by the shout, the fire.
men dropped their hose and ran. Great
gaps opened IN the walls and bricks from
cOrnices dropped into the street.
Masses of tangled electric wires blocked
the wheels of the machines and obstructed
the way. The fremen desperately at
tempted to clear them away, but it was
slow work, and it was by superhuman
force that one engine was saved.
Lofty Walls of blazing buildings were
t0ttering, and men were compelled to flee.
and a cloud of smoke mounted heaven
ward. When it cleared away luxurious
palaces of trade had vanished away.
Machinery was broken and bent and
the wheels and woodwork were burned
entirely away. it was a melancholy spec.
Ghclc. me wafer lower was smashed into
fragments.
Viewed from this point Of vantage the
scene was one Of thrilling grandeur.
Directly opposite was building ablaze
from roof TO basement as though it would
fall and reporters gave it o wide bel tn.
Leaving but mere shell, the fire was teadily
eating It's way through to Chauncey street.
Thousands Of gallons of water were
thrown upon it.
Explosions Indicated combustible mat
ter to be numerous, making brilliant flames
that darted through walls Of smoke. It
seemed as ii broken gas pipes were play
ing their part in the c0nfagratiOn. The
chief Of police and patrolmen rescued
seven persons at the corner of Kingston
street overcome by smoke. The men
worked bravely. Among the seriously In
3jured are: 81. lg5 53.4
NJ. Atkinson, policemen crushed by fall
ing granite.
broken. s5 sl3 3i5 N AZ ,s =
The cause Of the fire is not definitely
known, but it Is thought to be from the
electric wires. It Is estimated that the loss
will be about IS 900, 900.
$Sl steamer Ashore.
# M1LwAUKEE, Nov. 28The Goodrich
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