The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-07-20
THE BURNT BUILDINGS.
Walls Fell At Last and Flremen Mar
rowIy Escaped.
THE ACTUAL LOSS BY THE FIRE.
HE Condition OF the Injured Firemen To-
Day other Buildings which were
scorched and Required the Firemen's
Attention-A Mass OF Blackenod Ruins.

The Cooney block. which caught fire
yesterday, is now mass of ruins and
smoking timbers and debris cover the
ground In all directions. The heat to
which the walls were subjected was so
intense as to cause the mortar to crum-
BILE, and gradually the walls began to
bulge outward. At 4:l0 o'clock the south
wall was seen to tremble and totter and
then great fssure appeared between
the front wall and side
The police hastily drove the crowds back
to positions of safety and kept them there
until the wall fell, which it did moment
later, throwing up a dense cloud of dust
and smoke, and crashing through the
roof of and literally demolishing the
blacksmith shop owned and occupied by
Daniel Grant. next door.
The falling wall completely blotted this
establishment from sight and scattered
the timbers in the building in all direc-
tfouK
About twenty minutes later the build
ing separated in the centre and the rear
portion fell backwards with a terrific
crash. AS the wall fell 1t struck on the
lower wooden buildings, from which the
members of steamer companies and 10
were directing streams of water on the
fire, and it was thought that the members
of both companies had been killed by the
falling mass of brick and stone.
An investigation showed that but three
Of them were injured the others being
cast a considerable distance away by the
Capt. Lewis "A. Lusignan of Steamer 10,
who had his arm badly bruised and sus-
tanned, il is feared, internal injuries; Wal
tor Sonner Of the same company, who was
struck by piece of flying tin roofing and
was cut from ear to ear, besides sustain
-S- Fs.I h.... Tat
thew Il. O'Reilly of the same company
who was knocked down, and thrown vio-
lently against Sonner by piece of cap
stone striking his arm and infiicting pain
full bruises. They were taken into DIR.
Munroe's Office on North Main street and
were attended.
Later the injured men were taken to
their respective homes IN the ambulance,
which was on duty ut the fire during the
afternoon.
There were numerous miraculous
escapes from death by the falling walls
and timbers. Officer Morse Of Station Q
was standing directly In the path Of the
south wall when 1t tell About him was
che wall a. IL swayed out and by super
human strength succeeded In pushing the
crowd back to place Of safety. he was
not . moment to soon, as when the wall
fell the ground, covered by the crowd but
. few moments before, was thickly strewn
With debris Piled several rect deep.
Pipeman Little and his companion were
IN the alley way when the wall fell and
had narrow escape. They were pros
trated By the shock, bnt soon revived.
Shortly after 8 O'Clock the front wall
commenced to totter and few moments
later the portion above the fourth story
dropped. The remaining portion of the
-aN m fha south s;da Chief c<aora aaa
ing the dangerous nature of the ruins,
gave orders to raEe them to prevent any
accident.
Other Buildings ON Fire.
The following houses caught fire from
flying sparks from the Cooney block, but
1p all caseD were taickly extlngujshe py
the sewer department, which was on f1rs
sSa ND owned a 81 N Mrs. s n. RichmoDd; i;
at go North Main street, occu-
pied BY Charles Cohen, tailor, owned by
Sherman Of Pawtucket; house at "a
Bowen street, occupied by 8. d. Cspron;
house at 10 Rowland street, occupied by
snd Prss ss.ss. 'os oecapsd by
Mr.. johnson; house at 10 Halsey street,
occupied by Mrs. Smith; house occupied
by Charles Sabin Mt IL Church street:
boarding house OF Mrs. s. N. Richmond
on the corner Of North Main and Bowen
streets; st. Johns Church, which was
fred twice on the roof Besides those
meutioned there were others OF minor
nature.
About the Insurance.
The insurance on the several buildings
bes1de that given yesterday is as follows;
On the stock Of Asa A. Peck & Co., an In
surance Of sl5, 900 through the agency of
Starkweather & Shepley; in the CONNER
cial Union of London s., 1000; In the Amer
lean of Boston 5000; In the Firemen Of
Boston $1,000; In the Scottish Union
o2.60o; in the Niagara Of New York e, 500;
IN the Hamburg Of Bremen $1,000; in the
u. Il. and Globe London e3 600.
On the Hennessey building as previous
ly stated $4,000 In the North British;
$4,000 in the Hartford; 5000 In the Ori-
ent: 5000 in the PROVIDENCE Mutual
5000 in the Lion OF England; s5,250
IN tho Michigan. and 5000 in the CIti-
Eens; q total of $43, $50, all through the
agency of Arthur O'Leary.
Mr.. Brock was to start n butterino fac
tory and had his machinery in the Cooney
building. 1t was insured for 81, 900 in the
Queen and e1,000 in the Continental
through the agency of G. II. Beach. The
occupants of the building lost goods val
ued 1t various sums, but most of them
were insured. j. H. Preston a. Co. lost
about $4,000 worth OF goods, mostly
peanuts. but the loss is covered by insur-
snca
LOCAL ITEMS