Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-11-29
BOSTON'S BIG BLAZE.
Thanksgiving Dinners Interrupted by
Changing Fire bells.
HEROIC WORK OF THE FIREMEN.
Neishboring Towns Called Upon for
Assistance-Losses Upwards
OF $1O,OOo,OOO.
[srEc1AL DISPATCHES TO THE REcoRD-uNos.l

BcsToN, November 2Sth.-The most dis
! astrous fire from which Boston has suffered
| since 1872 and one which in the property
loss rivals the great confagration at Lynr
Tuesday, broke out about $40 A. M to-da,
in the six-stoTy granite building owned by
Jordan, Marsh d Co. and occupied by
Brown, Durrell & Co., dry goods, on Bed
| ford Street, at the corner of Kingston.
The great fire of 1872 broke out at The
| corner of Kingston and Sumner streets an(
the alarm for to-day's fire was rung in from
the same box which heralded the conflagra
ton that consumed nearly 81 900, 900 Of
property.
The first alarm rung in to-day was imme
diately followed by the first general alarm
in Boston since 1872.
To-day the confagration ragged for sil
hours and burned over two acres of terri
tory covered by magnificent structures anC
entailed loss estimated at S10,00O0OO
The general alarm was soon followed BY
| calls upon all the neighboring cities anC
| towns for assistance. The flames wert
soon pouring from all the windows anC
roof of the Brown & Durrell building, anc
at S:45 they had spread to the Shoe ant
Leather Exchange building, another large
granite structure adjoining Brown, Durrel
& Co. on Bedford street. From othel
buildings the flames swept in great masses
across Bedford street on the opposite cor
ner, thence across Kingston street, along
Bedford to Chauncey, where it was stopped
in the store of Farley, Harvey d Co., the
upper story of which was burned.
Three stores along Chauncey street to-
ward Summer were burned. On the south
side of Bedford street the flames Jumped
across Kingston street from the hot blaze
from Brown, Durrell & Co.'s store to the
big sandstone building owned by f. LANES
and occupied by Taylor Bros. and this was
consumed.
The great granite building, known as
"Nevin's Block" at the corner of Chauncey
street, was the next victim of the flames,
and the entire block clear around Rowe
Place to Kingston street was consumed.
Crossing Chauncey street the fire soon
had good Roadway in all of the stores
which are inclosed in Exeter Place 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 i'm
meuse Alien & Larabee building, occupy
ing the square between Bedford street, Har-
ris avenue, Exeter Extension and Exeter
Place, at which point its further progress
was checked.
The scenes about the fire were replete
with excitement and activity. The terri
tory bounded by Kingston, Bedford and
Chauncey streets was the principal theater
of destruction. Here the conhagration
leveled everything.
Within an hour after the fire alarm was
sounded the whole structure of Brown
Durrell 81 Co.'S building collapsed with a
tremendous crash. Flames were pouring
from the doors and windows, and the in
terror of the block was glowing furnace
The dry goods and other combustible
materials with which the floors were
packed burned to white heat.
The granite crumbed and iron girders
melted away like ice. The streams from
the engines were dissipated in vapor before
they touched the fire.
Suddenly a cry arose: The walls are
falling Back back !" The crowd sunk
back for their lives, startled by the shouts.
Firemen dropped their hose and ran to
save the apparatus.
There was a confused and deafening roar
and a dense cloud of smoke and dust
mounted hesvenward.
When it cleared away the luxurious
Palace of Trade had vanished and only
fantastic heap of bricks, shattered stone,
twisted iron beams and broken columns
marked the site.
Two engines and an aerial ladder and
water truck were ruined.
The scene was one of threatening grand
eur. Ames' block, occupied by Taylor
Bros, was ablaze from the roof to the
basement. The floor fell in with stunning
noise. From this building the fire was
steadily eating its way through to Chsun-
cey street, despite the thousands OF gallons
of water thrown upon il. The succession
Of sharp explosives indicated the force of
the compressed and heated air in the vari-
GUS rooms and Offices, and the broken gas
pipes were playing their part in the confia-
grafton.
The immense stone and iron block occu-
pied by Samuel Williams and Brigham d
Co., on the corner OF Chauncey street and
Rowe court, marked the furthest progress
of the fire in that direction. Although ap-
parently tre-proof, it was completely
Quilted.
On the corner of Chauncey and Bedford
streets, the large block occupied by Smith,
Hogg & Gardner and others was liz almost
as bad plight, and the buildings between
these two were utterly destroyed.
Chauncey street 10 the upper tories of the
huge Allen block, largely occupied by Far
ley, Harvey 65 Co and those adjacent as
far as Essex place.
1t was hard to direct the streams of water
effectively, and for a time il seemed as
though Warren street. yet be reached.
The firemen here made a grand rally.
Many lines Of hose were carried through
the streets on Harrison avenue, and the foe
was strongly fought.
Other hose was taken upstairs and used
from windows across on Bedford street,
and still other streams were directed upon
the flames, and fiualy the further progress
of the fire was stayed.
Two firemen have been missing since
morning, and it is feared they were crushed
by falling walls. Several narrow escapes
are reported.
Seven people in building CD the corner
of Kingston and Bedford streets were over
come by smoke, but were rescued by the
bravery of Police Sergeant Kimbsl, Patrol
man Haynes and ex-Councilman Barry.
A policeman and several firemen are re-
ported seriously injured or burned.
The origin of the fire is not definitely
known, but it is attributed to electrical ght
wires.
a later estimate of the loss places it at
nearly $5,O00,000. About two hundred
firms were burned out, and one hundred
agents of New York and Western firms
had their headquarters destroyed.
Troops are guarding the burned district.
Following is list of the shoe and leather
firms burned out, many of them being the
Boston houses of large factories in other
portions of New Eng ard:
C. E. Aldrick & Co., Appleton Shoe Com
pany, w. f. Barrett e. Co, Alpheus Bales.
w. c. Brien Shoe Company, Boynton 4,
Co, Copeland & Hartwell, John s. Fogg &
Co., Frank G. Gage, ]. w. Hart & Co., l..
H. Hawkins & Co., Howard & Foster. W.
5 Ireson & Co, l. n Keith g. Co.. S. Keith
& Co., Lynn Boot and Slipper Company,
H. T. Marshall, Adolph Meyer & Co.,
George H. Nichols, ]. A. Parker K Co.,
B. j. Halton. Perkins & Joyce Joshua
II. Parman. Rogers & Weber, Royce &
Gaf, Stimson Stephenson Shoe Manufsct-
uriug Company, w r NJ. Money. L W,
Tyler, Walker & Brown. Woonsocket Rub.
Der Company, Myron Woodbury., Brockton