Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-12-09
$4,000 FIRE.
Davis Betting Co. S
Plant Cuttcd.
TWO ALARMS SENT IN.
Entire Department Had
an Ugly Job.
BUSINESS WELL INSURED.
Alb ence Of High Winds Prevented a
Greater Confagration.
BUSINESS WELL INSURED,
Alb ence Of High Winds Prevented a
Greater Confagration.

Pawtucket had an ss5 900 fire last even.
ing which left the works Of the James
Davis Betting Company in ashes.
The buildings were situated at the
junction OF pleasant and Lumber streets
and coveret about an acre OF ground, the
main part fronting on Pleasant street be-
ing two and half stories in height and
sns Ter sect ions branched off and ran
back tn he river
Today nothing but the shell of the
structure remains.
II was 5:lS O'Clock when the alarm came
from box 10 and In a few moments the sec
md alarm was rung, calling out the whole
,epsrtment.
The flames we're leaping heavenward
neiore the first round has been II finished
Immed iatelv the electric lie hta went out
aLd the pow. vas shut of from the
street csrs, s'slnug them all. Tnere they
remained ara the city In darkness for
hfty minutes.
Darkness added to the wierdness OF the
scene.
When the mills closed at O'Clock
hundreds otemployes rushed to the fire
So there were thousands looking at the
flames at 6:i5.
the police we're prompt in putting up
he tiie lines and the tiremen worked wit h
will, put thcv could do not hing towaros
saving tho building.
How tho fire started Is mystery. Rob
ert flo burD, one ~ he men employed
here, told tribune reporter that he
vas at work whena man ran up out of
the ward and SAID the building was on
fire.
He started for the door leading to the
,tnirNay, bot exit was there cut Of ny the
flames so he jumped from the second
story door front ing on Pleasant street and
sent in the alarm.
Each one OF the dozen men nj work
nat narrow escapes ami ell lost clothing
md some l,st money and vdluabies.
Alexander Robbins, he engineer, heard
he alarm and started to see where the
| lire WAS and on opening he door OF the
boiler room was driven back nv the flames
| tud had to leave through a window.
Alexander Monroe, the fireman, lost all
| he had, pocketboog, wa'ch and clot hGs.
| One OF the men ~ d that for some tune
| he worknen have been noticinga strong
bdor OF gas. but wheth her that was the
| cause of the tire IL not known.
When the department arrived Nh,
| flames were bursting through the root Ia
| volumes and pm could be picked up on
| he street 80 bright was the light. rho
| faces II tue operatives IN Goh's braid
nil across the river could easily be re-
| cognized as they gszed at the fire.
Lineman William Dsggett OF ;he Fire
Department dlo one the pluckiest feats
yer seen In Pawtucket. He stood on the
| .lanling, snow covered roof cutting wires
when every moment IL wss excepted the
roof would fall in or the front OF the
building toppie over upon him. lie COM
Dleted his task safely and the crowd
lr, ri he'd easier.
The men worked like rrojans and at s
O'Clock the fire was under control, thr
flames having been confined TO the tan
uery alone.
II there had been any wind the fire
would have been far more disastrous.
the buildings were valued at s25, 600 and
the took at 100000. The entire ioss is
SAID to be covered by insurance. there
we're oulv ten men at work on account OF
IN" ouli tim $ alt hough furty are generally
employed.
Iue foundation Of this establishment
vas LAID in 1S47, when James Davis COM
menced the manufacture OF lace lcsth. IN
= small way on the portion of the site Of
the building burned last evening. He was
the second to start In this business IN
Pawtucset, Lewis Fairbrother having
then been carrying on the business for
about d zen years. There was little OF
this manufacture In the country IN tho -e
days. and for more tbsn quarter Of n
century the greater portion OF the lace
lea her manufacture IN the United States
vas ir Paw'ucket, and manly at these
rwo ests bllshments. In 1850 Mr.. Davis
added the manufacture OF betting, and
since thsn the two kinds OF msnu-
tactures have been carried on there. In
course Of time the firm became James
Davis Il Son, and In 1855 the business
came into the hands OF a corporation
known IS the James Davis Brlting Com
psny. Ghe hrm OF James Davis Il Son
vas we'll known throughout the United
states aud Canads, sod some OF the
largest lestbe belts ever seen on ma
-hinery we're made by this nrm. or late
years, however, la conmoD With other
tsnpefies, the business has dwindled
swsy.
tlre occurred In this establish ment
Sept. q, 1882, which caused q loss OF
f3 3.607. %.