The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-11-28
GREAT FIRES.

Tuesday afternoon 81, 900, 900 worth OF
property in Lynn, Mass, went up in
smoke, from the largest shoe manufact-
uring town in the world, throwing out
of work 5000 operatives, and destroying
eight acres Of buildings-shoe shops,
banks, newspaper offices, business houses
and dwellings. Nearly three hundred
buildings were destroyed, included
in which were the Central Congregation
al Church, the Eastern Railroad station,
tour banks, four newspaper offices, near
ly 80 brick blocks and about $50 dwell.
ling houses. Fully 200 families were
rendered homeless. The fire started in
a nest of wooden buildings IN the center
of the business portion of the city and
swept thence southeasterly to the water
front, spreading at the same time TO
either side, so that the burned territory
makes a lozenge-shaped figure about
half mile long and quarter of mile
wide. The fire spread with great rapid
ity and burned furiously, brick build
ings seeming lite easiest prey, and was
checked finally in small and detached
wooden dwellings, where it could be bet
ter fought than in the crowded business
streets. 1t went with the northwest
wind, burning back but little from it's
starting point. 1t was discovered just
before noon and was not under full con
troll until o'clock in the evening. The
light of the fire was seen fully fifty
miles away.
The press dispatches says: in pro-
portion to its area and population, Lynn
suffered a larger loss by fire than any
other city in Massachusetts, during the
present century. 1t began like the great
fire in Boston in November, 1879, in
buildings that apparently could be easily
reached, but as the flames spread they
became so intense that for several hours
human skill was no avail. 1t was a ter
Iible spectacle, as the fire progressed and
destroyed building after building, and
structures built with all modern safe
guards against fire could not resist the
tremendous volume of flame any more
than an ordinary wooden dwelling from
which thin line of smoke wouli be
visible at one moment, while few mo-
ments later pile Of ashes marked the
spot where the building STOOD"
BosToN's GREAT LOSS.
BOSTON, Nov. ga disaster second
to only one in history is what Thanks
giving brought to Boston, and az a Co
incidence the alarm which announced
to-day's fire was within square of the
box rung on the fatal 9th of November,
1872, while the present fire consumed
the buildings erected upon the heart of
the old burnt district.
At S.15 o'clock fire was discovered in
the five-5tory brown-stone building on
the southeast corner Of Belford and
Kingston streets, owned by Fred Ames
and occupied by Brown, Durrell & Co.,
the largest wholesale dry goods house in
the city, and so rapidly did the flames
spread that by noon the fire had spread
between two and three squares in each
direction, obliteratlng over go of the fin.
est warehouses in Boston. Estimated
loss fully $S,0O0,0 900 and may exceed
$11 900, 900. All this section is occupied
by supposed firepoof buildings, but card
board could not have burned more
quickly.
OTHER PLACES.
In St. Johnsbury this week, a 1000
dollar fire occurred-insurred $50, 500.
In WlllIamstown, disastrous confagra-
ton destroyed the hotel and several con-
tiguous buildings.