The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-12-15
PAINTING WOMEN RESCUED.
Big Dorrance Building in Providence
Cutted by Fire.

PROVIDENCE, Il. l., December 12.-At
$50 O'Clock this afternoon a cash boy in the
clothing store of j. B. Barnaby & Company,
occupying the greater part of the four story
brick block known as the Dorrance building,
corner Westminster and D0rrance streets.
ran up from the basement and shouted to
clerks and customers ON the main floor that
the cellar was afre The auxiliary alarm
system connecting the nearest box allowed
an alarm to be sounded by merely pressing
upon push button. but as quickly as that
was operated, the fire had obtained great
headway when the fire apparatus arrived
and many OF those in the building had to
flee for their lives. The fire had its origin
among waste paper and packing boxes In the
cellar, and the cause Is not yet determined.
1t was quite similar in its origin TO the fire
in Sheppard 81 Co.'s dry goods store week
ago, with the difference that that was con-
fined to a low studded basement while this
easily made its way to the elevator well
which served as huge chimney to spread
the flames TO every part OF the structure. 1t
was early apparent that great conf tgra-
grafton was on hand as the structure filled
upper win lows in a dense cloud. Barn lbee
81 Company employed 100 persons IN the
bnildlng, some of them being women
in the cloak department on
The SGCOlu UOOT anu cuLLlDB
rooms on the fourth floor. Alderman Henry
B. Winship, the head of the firm, was in his
private ofic and endeavored to prevent a
panic while assisting the clerks and custom
ers to make .heir exit in the quickest man.
ner~ possible. A fire escape had been put on
theMiddle street side of the building week
ago and but for this device many lives would
have been sacrificed.
The first knowledge of the fire the women
in the upper stories had was given by the
smoke that surged into the rooms and for a
moment they stood paralyzed. Then some
sDairing cries. The screaming notified the
iremen that human life was in peril, and
ladders were put up to the fire escape. The
screaming also seemed to arouse the women
and they rushed for the escape. All came
out OF the building safely and not single
Frustrated few slightly but nothing serious
happened. The women were taken out
spe9dily and without confusion. Some of
the women were brought out by the fremen
fainting and only half conscious. They
were taken into neighboring stores and
step on the fire escape and fell. Her cloth
ing caught on an iron projection of the es-
cape and broke her fail and she landed in
the arms of fireman.
The early work of the fremen was ham,
pered by dense clouds of sitting black
smoke which poured from the cellar and
prevented access to the fire, raging up the
elevator shaft within. In thirty minutes af-
ter the discovery of the blaze the entire fire
force Of the city was fighting the flames and
offers of aid from Paw tucket and Jonston
had been accepted. The great plate glass
windows in the two fronts were smashed to
give the smoke egress so the fremen might
work. At 3 20 o'clock the flames had burst
through the roof. The roof Of the building
fell in soon alter, and floor after floor gave
way. 1t was seen that the long east wall
frnHting on DOrrance street was likely to
fall. One hook and ladder truck was taken
out of danger just in time. Truck No. 2.
however, could not be taken out, aud at 40
the wall fell into the street with a thunder
Gus crash. smashing the truck into inch bits.
The dangerous situation was known, and all
but two men were out of the way. These
were Orrin MOwry, member of Truck No. 2,
aud man said TO be member of the Bos-
ton fire department, at work with the local
firemen. Mowry's right leg was broken, ana
he was Injured in the head and chest. The
Boston man had scalp wound. He refuses
to give his name.
The fire burned for a long time, running
the Dorrance building and doing $1,000 dam
age to.the Root building adjoining. The loss
on the D0rrance building is $4,000 at least !;
insurance. 100000. j. b. Barnaby & Co.
lose $400,000; insurance, 100000. George
III. Taylor & Co., jewellers, lose SIS, 900; in:
surance, $500. A number of others lose
small amounts.