Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-12-06
LYNN, MASS, IN RUINS.
THE GREAT SHOE TOWN DEvAs.
TATED BY FLAMES.


FIRE In Her Factories Causes q Loss of
Observation-Disclosures Hundred Buildings
Destroyed-Eight Thousand Operatives
Thrown Out of Work-Scenes of De-
struction.
Lynn (Mass) telegram.]
By a conlagration on the afternoon
Of the 9th of November, millions
OF dollars worth Of shoes and lumber
went up in smohe from the BUSH
ness district of the biggest shoe town in
the world, throwing out OF work 5000
operatives and rendering 1854 families
homeless. Eighty acres that were crowded
with buildings few hours ago are mass
OF ruins. The scene of ruin and desolation
is complete. Some idea of the devasta-
ton can be gained from the statement
that ESQ buildings were completely wiped
OUT OF existence, many others being more
or less damaged. Among the burned
buildings were forty-two brick structures.
AZ business houses built of wood and IL
dwelling houses. One church, the Eastern
railroad station, four banks and four ne VS.
papers were among the public concerns
burned out. The fire spread with such
fIightful rapiditY that the department
was helpless, and the flames leaped 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-
sat ~<l,1
worked its way to the water front before
it was sublued. The great bulk Of the
buildings were of wood, and in these the
flames held high carnival. But even the
brick blocks offered little resistance.
They, too, were swept away like so much
chaff in the whirlwind of fire. After the
flames had gone beyond the control of the
department panic seemed to seize upon
the tremen and citizens. The streets were
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 everything behind. And
they were none too soon, for in a
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 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 Newhall street and
stayed tho 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 e wide path to the water.
The last big building to go was the Cen
trail Congre gational church. 1t was a
brick structure and was one of the best in
tho city. It stood out from the rest of the
buildings and afforded a magnificent spec
tacle to thousands Of persons. The fire
burned a long time before the windows
were broken, the reflection from within
being very picturesque. Then the flames
burst simultaneously from the windows
and the belfry, and the steeple swayed and
fell with a crash into the street. 1t was
q total loss.
1t is impossible yet to give individual
losses but the aggregate is, according to
careful estimates, not much short of S10,-
con, 900. Mayor Newhall in an interview
said: "Lynn has suffered the greatest
calamity in its history. The b; siness por-
tion of the city is almost wreck. Over
5000 persons are thrown out of work and
200 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 $40, 600, 00O." The Mayor
makes a special appeal for clothing at
once, as many occupants of the tenements
burned lost every thing. His honor has
made requisition OH 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. ........................S93 .0CC
!'ennett Il Barnard. Observation-Disclosures. 100 coo
CID. Pecker & Co, shoe manufacturers. $4,000
william Porter 4 Sons. shoes. 10000
a. =. Goodwin. in Porter's building. 12,COl
81 Is. Splnncy y Observation-Disclosures. 1885, 0(
Estate OF Z. N. stevens. 10000
~ ruler ana n. l.. Iapley. ............ o.. 00t
Titus y Buckley. Observation-Disclosures. 25,OC(
Consolidated Adjustable Shoe Co. . 10000
| SamuelJ j. Hollis. shoes. $1,000
is. Bartlett & CO.. shoes. 72,OO(
Lynn Item. newspaper, Horace N.
Hastings & Sons ...................... $4,000
d. c. and Charles Z. Butlun,. shoes.. 2O,5O(
j. N. Smith. shoes. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 4GIO(
Joseph Davis Shoe Co................... $4,000
Luther 5. johnson" Observation-Disclosures. 37,00(
Amos Il. Breed. Observation-Disclosures. 222?.00C
lioughton & Godfrey Observation-Disclosures. 22.OO(
First National Bank Building......... "a .5O(
4. E. Abbott's building. ................. 25O
Central Congressional Society .......... 10000
Frank w. Breed. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. S5G0l
2. p Tapley & Co.. morocco manufac-
turers.. Observation-Disclosures. 1854
sawyer& Chase, carriage manufac-
turers. ........ 11,GOt
8 ]\. Il y. III. Jones. Observation-Disclosures. 51,O0t
s. N Breed &, Co.. lumber. us GOt
Tie losses are about half covered by in
| surance, and as the policies are widely dis
tributed the manufacturers think they will
he able to recover the insurance money.
The factories were running OH full time
an there was a big stock on hand waiting
for the opening of the spring trade.