Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-11-29
BIG BLAZE IN BOSTON.
History Repeats Itself at
the Hub.
EVENTS OF '72 RE-ENACTED
The Burnt District Nearly Identi
cal With that of Seventeen
Years ago.

Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.
Boston, November 28.--The most dis
astrous fire from which Boston has suf-
iered since 1872, aud one which in prop
erty loss rivals the great confagration at
Lynn, Tuesday, broke out about $40 a.
m. to-day in the six-story granite build
ing owned by Jordan, Marsh & Co., and
occupied by Brown, Durrell 4 Co., dry
goods, Bedford street, corner Kingston.
The great fire OF ~ broke out at the cor
ner of Kingston and Summer streets, and
the alarm OF todny's Gre was run
in from the same box which heralded |
the memorable conhagratiou that con-
sumed nearly $1O0,O0000o property. |
Tho first alarm rung in today was ina |
mediately followed by the FIRST general
alarm in Boston since '72. Today's con.
hagration ragged for ak hours burned |
over two acres Of territory covered by |
magnificent structures, and entailed \
loss now estimated at four mil
lion. The general alarm was soon
followed by calls upon all The neighbor-
ing cities and towns for assistance.
Flames were soon pouring from all the
windows and the roof of the Brown
Durrell building. At S:45 they had
spread to the Shoe and Leather Exchange
building, another large granite structure
adjoining Brown, Durrell & Co. on Bed
ford street. From the other buildings
THE FLAMES SWEPT IN GREAT MASSES
Across Bedford street, to the opposite
utr
along Bedford TO Chauncey, where 1t was
stopped in the store of Farley, Harvey &
Co., the upper story Of which was
street toward, Summer we're burned.
On the south side Of Bedford
street the flames Jumped across
Kingston street from the hot blaze from
the Brown, Darrell Il Co. building to the
| big sandstone building owned by F. j..
Ames and occupied by Taylor Bros, and
this was consumed. The great granite
building known as the Nevin's block, at
the corner OF Chauncey street, was the
next victim for the flames, and the en-
tire block, clear around Row place TO
Kingston street, was consumed. Cross
ling Chauncey street the Ere soon
had good head of oil the
stores which are enclosed in Exeter
place, q small street running from Har-
rison avenue 10 Chauncey street. Here
the flremen got control. At Row place
the fire was partially checked from going
toward Essex street, but quickly moved
toward the opposite side to the immense
Allen & Larabee building, occupying the
square between Bedford street, Harrison
avenue, Exeter extension and Exeter
place, at which point its further progress
was checked.
THE SCENES ABOUT THE FIRE
Were replete with excitement and ac-
tivity. The territory bounded by King
j ston, Bedford and Chauncey streets was
the principal theater of destruction.
Here the contiagration levelled every
thing. Within an hour after the fire
alarm WAS sounded the whole structure
of Brown. Durrell & Co.'s building col
lapsed with tremendous crash. The
flames were tlarting from the doors and
windows, and the interior Of the block
waa glowing furnace. The dry goods
and other combustible materials with
which tho floors we're packed burned to
q white heat. The granite crumbled
and the iron girders melted away
like ice. The streams from the
.
before they touched the fire. Suddenly
a cry arose: The walls are falling,
back, back ~ The crowd surged back
for their lives. Startled by the shouts
the tiremen dropped their hose and ran
to save the apparatus. There was con-
fusion and deafening roar and dense
cloud of smoke and dust mounted heav-
onward. When it cleared away the luz
urious palace OF trade had vanished, only
a fantastic heap Of bricks, shattered stone,
twisted iron beams and broken columns
marked the site. Two engines aud an
aerial ladder and water truck were ruined
beyond repair. 1t was
| SCENE OF THRILLING GRANDEUR.
The towering Ames block, occupied BY
Taylor Bros, was ablaze from roof to
basement. The floors fell In with stun.
ming noise, leaving but q mere she'll.
From this building the fire was steadily
eating its way through to Chauncey
street, despite the thousands of gallons
of water thrown upon it. A succession
of sharp explosions indicated the force Of
the compressed and heated air in various
rooms and offices, and broken pipes
We're playing their part in the conhagra-
ton. The immense stone and iron
| OloCk uCCuptou ny CAnuel w uubmS nuu
Brigham & Co., corner Chauncey
street and Bow court, marked the
furthest progress Of the fire in
that direction. Although apparently
fire proof it was completely eutted. On
the corner Of Chauncey and Bedford
streets large block occupied by Smith,
Hogg & Gardner and others was in
almost as bad plight, and the buildings
between these two were utterly de.
stroysd. The leaping flames succeeded
in crossing Chauncey street to the upper
stories OF the huge Allen block, largely
occupied by Farley, Harvey & Co., and
those adjacent as far SIS Essex place. 1t
Was hard to direct the streams of water
effectively, and for time it seemed as
though Warren street might yet be
reached. Here
THE EIRR,fEN MADE A GRAND RALLY.
Many lines o1hose were carried through
the streets on Harrison avenue and the fire
was strongly fought. Other hoss was
taken up stairs and used from the win
dows across Bedford street. Still other
4 etroams we're directed upon the flames.