St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-03
ILL-STARRED BOSTON
The Massachusetts, Capital
Rapidly Becoming the City
Of Conflagrations,
North Streets Holocaust Fol-
lowed by the Burning Of
the Sears Building.
A Marble Structure Valued at
100000 Quickly Reduced
to Ashes.
Two Firemen Badly Injured
by the Falling Of a
Gutter.

Boston, Feb. 2.-The fire fiend RACES
rampant in this city, and disaster fol-
lows disaster with surprising rapidity.
Following close upon the terrible calam-
ity on North street early this morning
came fire this forenoon which, in an
hours time, almost totally destroyed
the Sears building, five-story marble
structure corner of Court and Washing
ton streets, owned by j. Montgomery
Sears, and which, at the time of its
erection, was the finest business build
ing in Boston. At 9:25 o'clock smoke
was seen issuing from the roof, and an
alarm was rung in, which was speedily
followed by second and then third.
When the department arrived the
flames, as in the case of the
Thanksgiving Day and recent Sum-
mer street conflagrations, seemed to
have enveloped the whole building. 1t
was thought that the fire started in the
engine room, Oh the Court side of the
building, and shot across the passage
way in the basement and up the eleva-
tor well. The solid hardwood finish of
the interior fell an easy prey to the
flames, and but few minutes elapsed
ere the upper stories were on fire from
end to end and side to side of the build
ing. At the time of sending in the third
alarm, which followed the first ten min
utes later, the destruction of the elegant
marble Rogers building, adjoining on
the south, and the famous Young's hotel
on the west, seemed almost certain. The
firemen fought like heroes, and when
all the department. got to work the
building was deluged with water, with
streams thrown from the roofs of
Young's hotel and Rogers building. An
hour after the discovery OF the fire the
roof fell in, and with it went down the
fourth and third floors. From this on
the work of the fremen was compara-
lively easy, and by II o'clock the fire
was completely drowned out. The walls
of the building are about
ALL THAT IS LEFT
of any value. The building was valued
at upward of 100000 1t being assessed,
together with the engine and boilers, for
s197, 400. There is an insurance amount
ing to S175,O 900, which will undoubtedly
cover the loss. There is, however, a
contingent loss in the way of rents,
every office in the building being occu-
pied, from which an income Of $4,000 a
year was derived. Among the occu-
pants were the Second National and
Atlas banks, the Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy railway, the John Hancoc Life
Insurance company, and many lawyers
and brokers. All will be obliged
to seek new quarters. The only
damage to Young's hotel was
caused by carrying the hose
through the building to the roof. 1t is
probable that Mr.. Sears will not at
tempt to repair the damage, but will
take the walls down and put up new
structure, which will rival the new
Ames building. now in process of erec-
ton on the opposite corner. Mr.. Sears
was early at the fire, but experienced
some difficulty in getting through the
lines, being stopped by policeman.
Mr.. Sears said that he was not in Boston
at the time of the great fire in 1872,
and he should like to see one piece
of his property burn up. He was then
allowed to pass the line, and during the
progress of the fire gave instructions to
Young's hotel to provide refreshments
for the firemen and policemen. Two
firemen were badly injured by copper
gutter falling on them. They were
standing in the passage way between
the Sears and Rogers buildings pulling
the gutter down by means of a rope,
and were unable to get out from under
it when it fell. 1t is not thought that
either is fatally injured. The scene of
the fire, as well as that of the North
street holocaust, was visited by thou
sands of people during the afternoon.