The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-01-07
FOUR FIRES LAST NIGHT.
An Explosion Of Coal Gas on Broad
Street Creates Havoc.
NO ONE is INJURED, HOWEVER.
One End OF n Grocery Store Demolished
A Mysterious Blaze at q. s. Merriam's
Wall Paper Store on Westminster
Street Does No Serious Damage.

A brilliant flash of light, the crash of a
terrific explosion, clouds of dense smoke
and IL was all over. A leaking gas stove
and room without ventilation caused
the ruin of portion of the building at the
corner of Broad and Summer streets last
evening about quarter of O'Clock, and
the escape without injury of the four
people who live in the second story was
remarkable.
The explosion occurred in the grocery
store Of o. l.. Baker. Fortunately few
people were on the street and no one was
near the store except Benjamin w. Reed.
who happened to be just at that time pass
Mr. Reeds experience was severe. He
was thrown violently across the sidewalk
against the lamp post and taken In a
semi-conscious condition into Howe's
drug store on the opposite corner. lie
soon recovered, however, and found that
he hadt received no more dangerous lnJu-
ries than some severe bruises about the
body and hips and feeling of sickness
caused by the sudden flight. The shock
was felt half block distant and houses IA
hundred feet distant were shaken as by an
earthquake Every window in the store
was blown out and pieces of broken glass
were thrown fully fifty feet. The smoke
soon cleared and even before the prompt
reply of the firemen to the alarm from box
3s2 il was seen that the danger was over.
The rear end of the store was literally
torn TO pieces. The end OF the house was
forced nearly two feet from its position
and the door opening into the room was
driven nearly to the middle of the road
way. The unfinished sides OF the room
were charred, and even in the adjoining
room of the store the paint was bllstered
and blackened. Around the room lay the
smouldering Goals from the stove, while
only few inches OF the stove ITSELF was lett
In sight.
On the second story J. ID. Hall, proprie-
tor and editor of the Providence Lcdgof,
lives with his wife and her mother. Their
kitchen was mass OF ruins. Broken
dishes and cooking utensils lay strewn
from the walls and the heavy cooking
stove was driven from its position and
broken in many places.
Mrs. Bushee was in tho sitting room
sewing. She was thrown across the room
and dazed by the crash. Mrs. Half>was
in an adjoining room and was violently
hurled against the partition farthest from
the explosion. Mr.. Hall, who had retired
early on account of illness, was thrown
from his bed and stunned. They described
the sensation as dreadful.
Surrounded by darkness and smoke
they knew not but the next moment
might be their last. Choked by the
fumes of gas and half crazed with fear
IL was nearly five minutes before they
reached the street in safety.
To "A NEWS representative Mr.. Baker
said that the stove was an old one about
four feet high and three to fifteen inches
In diameter. The main portion OF it was
sheet iron. In the back was "a hole nearly
six inches across where the iron had been
rusted away. Through this opening the
coal gas had been escaping for about two
hours, and as the room was close one,
the gas quickly filled 1t and was ignited
by the fire in the stove.
The loss was about 81 500.
A Queer Fire at Merriam's.
A mysterious fire was subdned in the
wall paper store of q. ;. Merriam & Co.,
in the Conrad building last night. The
fire was discovered by Patrolman Chap
man, who saw the smoke and flame.
Trying the front door, he found that it
was open, and lost no time in making his
way to q smell water closet wherein the
fire seemed to he confined. The set bowl
was found all ahame with some COM
bustible material.
The fire was quickly extinguished and
Sergt. Martin, Lieut.. Rankin, and Chief
Steere and Deputy Hill of the fire depart
ment were notified. On examining the
blackened by the intense heat it had sus-
tanned.
The door had been tried several times
during the evening and had been found
fastened each time. Consequently some
one possessing the means of entering the
store must have unlocked the door,
although Mr.. Merriam stated that there
were but four keys He stated that there
was about half-pound of camphor in the
bowl before the fire originated. The
stock in the store is partly covered by in
surance. 1t is the general opinion that
one of the clerks having n key in his
possession entered the store last night,
and without thought of possible accident
dropped cigar or burning match into
the bowl and left the building. The heat
of the cigar would easily ignite the cam
phor and cause the consequence blaze.
A lively blaze was discovered In the
grocery store of James Griffin, on Brattle
street, last night. The fire originated
from an overheated stovepipe in rear
room. So quickly did the building burn
that the interior was completely gutted
before the flames could be gotten under
coutrol.
The building is owned by Thomas Cush-
ing, and Is damaged TO the extent of $500 !;
covered by insurance. Griffin's stock is
damaged To the extent of $500.
Shortly after midnight the store occu-
pied by Mr. McSparrow, 53 Aborn street,
was discovered to be on fire An alarm
was rung in from box 246, and the fire
was quickly quenched; although not until
the rear of the store had been cleaned out
by the flames. The building is owned by
the Chace heirs and was not damaged To
any great extent.
Hose extinguished small blaze i'm the
house OF Charles Lincoln, George street,
yesterday afternoon. No damage
swARrs LODGE INSTALLATION.