Evening journal., 1889-11-27
LUCKLESS TOWN OF LYNN
The City Of Shoes Swept Away
by Fire.
NEARLY 300 BUILDINGS BURNED.
Tho Loss wH ProbNbIy he sFo. 600. 600.
Blowing UP Buildings with Dynamite
to Check the Flames Thieves Rush In
from Bosecn and Seek PIundss.

to Check the Fiames-Thieyes Rush ID
from Boseon and Seek PIundss.
LYNN, Mass, Nov. e7.-Lynn, tae city OF
shoes, was visited yesterday afternoon by the
most disastrous and most extensive fro in it's
history. With two exceptions, it was the
most disastrous Gre that has ever visited this
section Of the country the exceptions being
the Boston fire Of iS52, when over $50, coo 900
worth Of property was destroyed, and the
Portland fire Of 1866 which caused loss Of
from SiO, 100000 10 81, 900, 900.
The fire ragged eight hours, and devastated
a square mile Of the business section OF the
city. The fire swept over an area Of twe1ssy
acres, destroying 200 structures, as follows:
One hundred and twelve dwelling houses. l49
frame business houses and forty-two brick
blocks The railroad depot, three newspa-
per offices, the telegraph office and a church
we're among them The loss Is varionsly esti-
mated at from S5,Oo0,O 600 to $40, 900, 600 but
tho latter is believed by real estate experts
to be nearer the real figure In fact, the
greater part Of Ward is wiped out as re-
CARDS the important shoe manufacturing
blocks and prominent places Of business
Where the Fire Started.
Tho fire started in Mowers wooden build
ing on Almont street, over the boiler room.
and spread with such rapidity that the ex-
eelleat fire department Of the city was pow
erless TO cope with it. This large wooden
building was soon doomed, aald I he flames
leaped across a narrow passageway and
communicated with the six story brick
block known as Mowers block When these
two buildings we're wal under way il was
evident a terrible conhagration would re-
suit. Almost simultaneously the four story
wooden shoe factory Of Bennett & Barnard
on Central avenue. and the four story wood
en- building on Almont street, took fire. and
when under way hurricane Of fame was
in progress which terrorized all who were
looking on. The efforts of tremen and citi-
zens seemed to be Of no avail.
The Burned Territory.
The burned territory is bounded by the
following streets: Almont, Central avenue.
at its junction with Willow street; Union
street from its junction with Broad 10 the
Boyden block, on both sides Mount Vernon
street entire; Central square entire; Beach
street on both sides as far down as Lees
lumber yard; Washington street, from Mum
roe through to Unioni Railroad avenue; all
Of Exchange street; Broad street, from the
engine house, on both sides, up as far as the
corner Of Exchange; Spring street entire,
besides dwelling houses too numerous to
mention on Suffolk, Amity, Sycamore and
Beach streets.
The Chicago Fire Recalled.
Aid arrived from Boston, Salem, Marble
head and other surrounding towns, but the
united efforts seemed 70 have little effect on
the devastating flames Scenes familiar Ia
the great Boston and Chicago fires were re-
peated IN oil their horrors mothers fleeing
with babes In their arms, express wagons,
trucks loading at business houses and DWELL
ings and transferring goods 10 places OF
safety, in many cases second removal be-
ing necessary, and the utmost confusion and
alarm prevailing.
The excitement increased, and became a
panic when it was realized that a coniiagra-
tion threatening the entire business quarter
was in progress,
Four Newspapers Homeless.
After the fire had been burning for two
hours everybody felt that it would not stop
until II had reached the ocean shore. and.
this proved to be the case -Four daily,
newspapers are burned out, The Item. Bee.
Press, and News, three afternoon and one
morning. Three national banks, the Cen
tral, Security and First National, together
with the Lynn Institution for Savings. are
all wiped out Twelve Of the finest shoe
blocks in the city are In ruins, and about
twenty-five stores. At present it is impos-
sible to say how many dwellings are burned.
The houses destroyed were mostly those
tf1l a.. ~ n
Beach street and the wharves. II is impos-
sible as yet to estimate the insurance.
No Fatalities Reported.
There were many narrow escapes from
serious injuries, but no fatalities are re-
ported. The high brick fire wall on the
B. f. Spinney block served as a barrier TO
the further progress Of the flames up Union
street after that handsome structure had
been gutted. The most prominent blocks
burned are as follows: On Almont street
Mowers block and the block occupied by the
Consolidated Adjustable Shoe company.
Central square and Central avenue-Bennett
u Brainerd's block, Fullers. block, the
Wooden block, in which was located The
Daily Bee; Bergengreens block and the
brick block owned by The Daily Item On
Union street-B. w. Curriers' new brick
hAtthf ~ ~ AtheIo . DAAtk DOCK. ". n. f9Dln@
ney's brick block, large wooden buil ding
occupied by Titus a Buckley. Earle,s block
J. g. Browns brick block, Ashcroft's brick
block, Kirtland's brick block. Buifnm's brick
block, a brick factory owned BY c. ]. Little
& Co, and Cushing & Downs large wooden
building, occupied by O. r. Harwood and
d. ). Boynton; a brick factory occupied by
John $. Bartlett q Co., the brick and wooden
block Of +. E. Elder, occupied as a machine
shop and planning mill
A Congregational Church DESTROYED.
On Exchange street-M H. Abbott's wood
en- block, the large Doak brick block, the
wooden block corner Spring street, the brick
block occupied by L. S. johnson a Co, the
First National bank block and ten or twelve
small shoe factories, the entire stock being
wiped out. On Broad street-Sawyer &
Chases carriage factory, w. N. Breed &
Co.'S five story brick block, v. h. q A. IL
Jones' five story brick block and eight or ten
smaller wooden buildings On Beach street
s. n. Breed & Co.'S lumber wharf and
planning mill, B. Potter q Sons planning mill.
Joseph Breeds Sons lumber wharf. five or
SIX carpenter shops and several dwelling
houses. The Central Congregational church
was burned TO the ground between and Z
o'clock
Homeless People Housed ia Churches.
The First National bank block cost &C.. 900
to build. Located on the upper stories was
the Oxford club It had the handsomest
club rooms in Essex county, and their loss is
about 5000; well insured
The First Methodist and First Uniyersalst
churches and several school houses we're
thrown open 10 accommodate burned out
families Mayor Newhall has allea a spacial