Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1889-11-30

$4,000 ,OO0-Three Hundred Buildings
Destroyed Eight Thousand Operatives
Throsn Out of Work-Scenes of De-
struction.
Lynn Mass telegram
BY conhagration on the afternoon
of the 2Ith of November, millions
of dollars worth of shoes and lumber
went up in smohe from the bust
ness district of the biggest shoe town in
the world, throwing out OF work 1000
operatives and rendering 1914 families
homeless. Eighty acres that were crowded
With buildings a few hours ago are a mass
of ruins The scene of ruin and desolation
is complete. Some idea of the devasta-
ton can be gained from the statement
that ,! q buildings were completely wiped
out Of existence, many others being more
or less damaged. Among the burned
buildings were forty-two brick structures,
l42 business houses built of wood and III
dwelling houses One church, the Eastern
railroad station, four banks and four news
papers were among the public concerns
burned out The fire spread with such
fightful rapidty that the department
WIS IltSS, anu INC ldIueS Iedpeu from
street to street with little opposition in the
shape of water. The heat was so intense
that the men could not approach near
enough to use their streams to advantage,
and although, assistance was sent from
Boston, Salem, Maiden, Marblehead, Sau-
gers, Everett and other Places the fire
worked its way to the water front before
it was suLdued. The great bulk of the
Of in ba
flames held high carnival But even the
brick blocks offered little resistance.
They, too, were swept away like so much
chaif in the whirlwind of fire. After the
flames had gone beyond the control of the
department a panic seemed to seize upon
the firemen and citizens. The streets we're
filled with people shouting madly in their
excitement. Operatives poked. their heads
out of the windows to see what caused the
disturbance and saw wall of fire coming
down the street. it was in many instances
race for life. The men poured out of
the buildings in human stream,
leaving every thing behind And
they were mono too soon, for in
twinkling great buildings were enwrapped
in flames and dissolved. 1t was a terri
Bile sight even for the experienced eyes of
firemen The railroad track was jumped
by the flames with ease, and the same mad
rush was continued. The two military
companies were called out to clear the
streets, when more effective work could
be accomplished Early in the afternoon
outside assistance began to arrive, but
then there was a total of only fifteen
engines and the fire was jumping in all
directions, unchecked by the streams
being thrown upon it, Chief Engineer
Moody became Frustrated during the
height of the conhagration and Chief
Weber of Boston took command. He
massed the engines on Newhal street and
stayed the progress of the fire toward
what remained of the business district
That alone saved Lynn from utter ami
hilation.
After the business houses had been eaten
up the fire let itself loose among the
dwelling houses on Sycamore hill. Most
of these were cheap structures, occupied
by poor families. They burned like finder,
and the fire cut a wide path to the water
The last big building to go was the Cen
trail Congre gational church. 1t was
brick structure and was one of the best in
the city. 1t stood out from the rest of the
buildings and afforded a magnificent spec
tacle to thousands of persons The fire
were broken, the reflection from within
being very picturesque. Then the flames
burst simultaneously from the windows
and the befry, and the steeple swayed and
fell with a crash into the street 1t was
a total loss.
1t is impossible yet to give indvidu
losses but the aggregate is, according to
careful estimates, not much short Of $40
81, 600. Mayor Newhall in an interview
said: Lynn has suffered the greatest
calamity in its history. The siness por-
tion of the city is almost "a wreck Over
&, 900 per, ons are thrown ont of work and
POO families are homeless. The city of
Lynn will be forced to issue an appeal for
assistance. 1t it impossible to compute
the loss, but it must reach somewhere in
the vicinity of $50, 900, 0O0" The Mayor
makes special appeal for clothing at
once, as many occupants Of the tenements
burned lost everything. His honor has
made requistion on Gov Ames for six
companies of militia to do police and
guard duty.
The shoe industry of the place is almost
entirely wiped out Out Of 40 manufact-
urers large and small less than two dozen
remain. Among the heavy losses are these:
Mower Bros Observation-Disclosures. .....S $1,000
Bennett q Barnard. ...................... 100 900
Dol q