Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-03-11
A DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

Yesterday afternoon at 4:25 o'clock
fire broke out in the wholesale business
and small manufacturing section of
Boston. The flames spread with sur
prising rapidity, and it was over three
hours before the Boston fire depart
ment, aided by companies from other
cities, gained control of the destroying
element The fire was marked by the
loss of several lives, and some thirty
persons were injured. The financial
loss is eslimatrd at 81 100000, and the
insurance at 81 100000.
1t was the first destructive fire that
has occurred in Boston since Novemb, r
2S, 1889, when two and a-half acres Of
business houses were destroyed, caus-
ing a loss of about $6,000,000. The
great fire of 1872 broke out on the even
ing Of November 8 and ragged uncon-
trolled until noon the following day
destroying 800 business houses, occupied
by l 800 firms, entailing a loss of $780,
100000 and fifteen lives.
The area burned over yesterday COM
prises practically one whole square,
bounded on the north by Essex street,
on the east by Lincoln street, on the
south by TUFTS street, on tho west by
Kingston street. In addition to this
square six other buildings afforded food
for the flames. The cause is at present
unknown, but the start is described by
those nearest it as resembling the burst
ing of a iire-cracker.
The avenues of escape to all caught in
the buildings were at once cut Oft, and
then began scramble for life which
sickened beholders. The panic-stricken
inmates fled to windows and roofs.
Some escaped by shining down teless
graph poles, others leaping into blan-
kets and nets. Several jumped to the
pavement, six or eight stories, and were
terribly mangled, and others, how
many cannot be told, fell. back into the
caldron of flames, or were overcome
by the dense black smoke, which suf-
located all who did not speedily es-
cape.
The conhagration, as viewed from
IL distance, was grand a dense pail of
black smoke covered that section of the
city, and as darkness came on this was
lighted up by the flames, while oc-
casional tongues of fire and burning
embcrs shot up volcano-like into the
ebony mass.
Near to the scene was awful. While
the Ames building (where the fire start
ed) was burning there were repeated
explosions, like fireworks, mingled with
the hoarse shouts Of iiremcn, the clang-
ing and putting of engines. the crash of
falling walls, the rumble from hurrying
teams and the surging of the vast crowd
which soon gathered, and rushed to
and fro in evcrybody's way.
In the rush from the buildings many
employees were knocked down and
trampled upon. The pitiful appeals Of
young girls, mingled with the shouts
of men, as they strove to pilot them to
places ofsaiety, was most exciting.
Incoming trains from all directions
were heavily loaded during the early
evening, aud probably over $4,000 out
siders helped to pack the streets, in the
vicinity while the fire was in progress.
A sable mantle seems to have fallen
over the entire city as the work of re-
covering the charred remains of the
victims is in progress, and the neigh
borhood of the fire is packed with thou
sands of people watching the CHASTITY
work.