The Portland daily press., 1890-01-18
FROM A FAMOUS BOX.
Flames In Boston in a Locality Gel
ebrated for It's Fires.

BOSTON, January 17.-BoX 81 on Summer
street, from which was given the alarms for
the great fire of 1872 and that f last Thanks
giving day, was RUG at SIG this morning,
and the sound of the alarm attracted particu-
lar attention from thousands who knew the
locality of the box and the history of disas
ter which attaches to it. When second and
third alarms followed with almost the same
rapidity as on Thanksgiving Day, the ex
citement became widespread, and all ears
were strained for the expected general alarm,
which fortunately, however, proved to be
not necessary.
The hour when the fire was discovered
shortly after o'clock, was an hour when q
large portion of the business community was
on its way down town. and the changing of
the fire bells served to divert the tide of trav-
ell from its ordinary channel and to turn aside
into all the avenues leading to the scene OF
what was feared would prove to be the scene
of disastrous c0nfagration. Through all
these avenues there poured o large and ever
Increasing throng of sight-seers, who upon
their arrival at the site Of the fire found
namely, what Is known commonly as the
Webster Building, because ii stands on the
site of house once used by Daniel Webster.
This site will always be held as an interest
mer and High streets that Daniel
Webster made his home when he
moved down from Beacon Hill, and he en-
tertained in magnificent style General Lafay-
cite at the time of the visit In 1926 in connec-
tion with the Bunker Hill celebration. The
fine blocks of buildings marked 1.-THE Web.
ster Buildings" went down in the fire of
1872, in common with all its environment.
The building itself was of stone, five sto-
ries high, with iron front, of solid and mas.
sive construction, and was called "freproof"
but it seems to have been no more fire
proof" in fact, than many other buildings
that have been so styled.
Whatever may ehave been the cause, it
is certain that the fire spread with great ra-
pidity. Before the apparatus could reach
the spot the rear end of the building was one
mass of flames which soon broke through
the iron shutters. which suecumbed to the
intense heat. Within ten minutes after the
ringing in of the first alarm it seemed as if
there would be no hope of saving the build.
ing in which the fire originated, and Ch ef
Webber, who had taken charge of the force
of fremen on Summer street, and assigned
District Chief Cheswell to conduct the fight
on Milton place, ordered second and a
third alarm rung in. Within quarter of an
hour Church, Green and the end of High
streets were crowded with engines and men,
but the necessary space was r0ped Oft in
which to allow the fremen to work, and the
early on the scene. an1 occupied a conspicu-
GUS place inside the lines, where he stood
chatting with Fire Commissioner Fitch.
Fire Commissioners Murphy and Tobin were
also early on the ground.
In front of the building it was an easy
matter to get the water through the unusual
| ly large plate-glass windows, and thus at
| tack the flames; but in the rear it was diff
| cult matter to reach the flames, for all of the
windows were covered with iron shutters,
which became somewhat warped from the
terrific heat, yet sti IL remained closed, esDe-
| cially those on the lower floors, for long
WHILE Barring the little danger of spread
| of the fire at this particular point, and not
| withstanding that the volume of smoke and
| the sheets of flame looked treacher0us, there
| was hardly moment after the firemen haO
| responded to the third alarm that the cool
headed chief felt much fear that the fire
| would get into the adjoining buildings. In
fact, long before the fire had lost its fiercest
| aspect to the ordinary observer, Chief Web
| Der knew that he had it under control-that
& Co.'s building. This confidence was chiefly
| due to the general solidity of the burning
| building-ir0n front backed by heavy stone
| particularly of its side walls; the building:
| independent walls of considerable thick
ness. On account of the solid looking char
| acter of the building, the firemen were not al
all afraid to work near to the walls and it i:
| strange fact that at no time, though tht
interior was really like fiery furnace, was
there any seeming danger from falling wall:
| or even capstones or bricks.
| Ex-Governor Claflin states that there i.
not a particle of evidence to sub stantate the
| report that the fire was caused by electric
lights. The fire broke out in the basement
in the rear Of the store, where there were nc
| electric lights or electric wires. The fire rsI
| up the elevator with great rapidity. Tha
the fire was caused by friction of the hoist
ing machinery is possible, but this sugges
ti0n Is simply speculation.
| The losses and insurance as far as it is
possible to obtain them are: Claflin, Coburn
& Co.. loss, $4,000; insurance, 100000
| Whicher & Emery, leather and shoe findings
loss, $4,000; insurance, $25,OOO. Clegg
| Fisher, leatherboard manufacturers, loss
$4,000; fully insured. N. c. Kimball, fin
ished leather, loss, $4,000; fully insured. The
building was owned by the Boston Univer
sity and is so badly damaged that ex-Gov.
Claflin, one of the trustees, says new build
ing will be practically necessary. The in
surance on the building is S65,0O0. Some 81
other business firms, VINO occupied offices il
the building lose from $500 to $4,000 each
| many being insured. The total losses will
| DrObahlV reach nearly G150 000