The climax. [volume] (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1887-1897, 1889-12-04
ACRES Or FIRE.
Many Buildings in the Heart of
Boston Destroyed,
Comprising a Large Portion Of the
Old Burned District.
Thanksgiving Day an Exciting
One in the Hub.


Boxes BY the Seething Mass of Plane.
About Two Hundred Firms Burned
Out-LOss Estimated at over $4,000
900 with an Insurance of 1000, 900.
Boston, Nov. 29.-The first general
alarm sent out in Boston since the 'sbig
fire" was rung Thursday morning for a
fire which started in a building occupied
by Brown, Durreu & Company. on Bed
ford street, and which proved to be in
twinkling more than the first, second
and third attachments could readily
handle.
The first alarm was sounded at S:15,
and the building in which the fire start
ed, always thought to be ire-proof,
burned like finder box, and the flames
rose hundreds of feet into the air. A
second alarm was rung in at $50, and
when the apparatus responded to this
more was needed. A little after 8
o'clock third alarm was sent out, and
in half an hour there was issued a gen
eral alarm. which brought apparatus
from Cambridge, Somerville and Chel-
sea.
From the building of Brown, Durrell
g. Company. where the fire caught. IL
spread across the street and back through
the burning building into Chauncey
street In few minutes it had extend
ed along Chauncey street. on the left
hand side, eating into the building next
10 it on the south, occupied by Cluett,
KoOn & Company, and in less than ten
minutes was forcing its way through
the next stone building, occupied by
Williams & Company, on the next cor
uer south.
From the other side it took hold almost
at once upon the buildings on Rowe
place at the lower end. The wind
favored the suppOsitiOn that the whole
south cove and the wholesale district
was doomed. On the east side Of
Chauncey street the buildings, all of
them mammoth structures, were occu-
pied as wholesale houses in the drygOOds
and fancy goods trade, and every effort
was made TO keep them from igniting.
At the intersection of Rowe place with
the great building of Clafin, LARA
bee & Company. a number of engines
were massed holding the fire CALAMITY
in check until the big stone building of
S. Williams & Company, on Chauncey
street and Rowe place ignited, when,
finding a fierce cOnfiagratiOn in their
rear they had to hurry up Rowe place
TO save, if possible, the long granite
block on the west side of Chauncey
street. This effort was futile, and the
fire stole across.
Just before this. while a small army Of
fremen were striving to save Chauncey
street, the hot air generated by the fire
raging in the rear blew out the entire
u Il
occupied by Wright Brothers, dealers ia
skins and furs. Firemen were in the
building with a line of hose and were
literally blown out into the street. One
of them. named Manning, was cut and
torn in a fTightful manner. His eyes
were forced out of his head.
AT 1910 a. m. the massive Wellington
building at Chauncey and Bedford streets
caught. The building was occupied by
Pierce & Company, Lawrence & Com
pany, and other dry goods commission
firms. The building was flooded with
water. In this building was located the
big lace concern of ShOniger, Moses &
Company; William Bloom & Company,
wOolens: George F. Sears, CCtfu, Ate
mus & Company and several other large
firms, while on the Avon place corner
was located the Mount Vernon National
bank. Farley, Harvey & COmpany's
gentlemen's furnishing establishment on
Chauncey street was in flames shortly
before II O'Clock.
At 11:90 the fire was well in hand, and
confined wholly to the block on the
corner of Chauncey and Bedford streets,
and that opposite to the westward, OcclI-
pied by Morse, Larrabee & Company,
George P. Frost & Company, and Farley,
Harvey & Company.
The geography of the fire is as follows:
Starting in the six-stOry building owned
bv JordOn, Marsh & Company, and
occupied By Brown, Durrell & Company,
irv goods dealer at Bedford and King
stOn streets, it spread to the shoe and
leather exchange building, another large
granite structure adjoining on Bedford
street; thence across Bedford street to the
corner; thence across Kingston street,
and along Bedford TO Chauncey street,
where it was stopped in the stOree of
Farley. Harvey q Company, the upper
stories Of which were burned.
Three stores along Chauncey street
toward Summer were burned. On the
south side of Bedford street the flames
jumped across Kingston street from
Brown. Durrell & Company's to big
sandstone building owned by F. L. Ames,
and occupied by Taylor Brothers, 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 en-
fire block clear around Rowe place to
Kingston street, was consumed.
Crossing Chauncey street the fire soon
had a good hold on all the stores which
are enclosed in Exeter place, a small
street running from Harrison avenue TO
Chauncey street. Here the firemen got
control. At Rowe place the fire was
partially checked from going toward
Essex street, but quickly moved toward
the opposite side to the immense Allen
and Larrabee buildings occupying the
square between Bedford street, Harrison
avenue extension and Exeter place, at
which point their further progress was
checked.
The loss Is estimated at $1,000, 600.
The fire ragged for six hours, and the
burned district extends over two acres Of
ground, which was covered with struct-
ures OF the best class. The fire was tirsi
seen bursting from the top of the Brown
building, at Bedford and Kingston
streets. It was over the elevator shaft,
anu yAOIdult OAAEAAAduCN IL NAC oA-~-- -
The blaze was discovered by letter car,
rier, who notified a policeman. The OH
Ger turned IN the alarm at the same boz
from which the great fire Of 1872 wal
sounded. The latter fire started al
Kingston and Summer streets.
This fire. coming as It does on ton o.
the great blaze at Lynn, is a crushing
blow 10 many Of the smaller Insurance.
! companies, and It is not at all unlikely
that i viii cause the suspension Of not a
few Of them.
Brown, DurreH & Company, carried
goods in stock 10 the value Of upwards Of
/ $500. 600, and the stock viii be a total
/ loss. Insurance to the amount Of S67S,
900 was carried on this stock
Walker, Stetson, Sawyer q Company,
! hosiery johbers, loss about $250, 900; IN
! surance, $500. 900.
On the Allen building the Insurance i
$50, 900; the value Of the building $50,
900.
There are about 200 firms burned out
and one hundred agents Of New Hori
and western firms have had their head
/ quarters destroyed
The seventy-liine insurance companle
known to be interested carry an aggre
gate insurance Of s., 000,OO0 on tn
burned property
The origin Of the FIRE is not detinitei,
known, bat is generally attributed TO IN
electric wires.
About 4 o. m it seemed as if the tene
ment houses on Columbia street must g