The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-03-17
BOSTON'S Big BLAZE|
Nearly Five Million Dollars Worth
of Property Destroyed by the
Fiery Element.
. Number of Persons Killed and
Many Were Manned and
Fatally Injured.


of Thanksgiving day, 1888, and in the
same district-broke out shortly after 4
o'clock this afternoon, and before it was
placed under control, three hours later,
had burned over more than a square;
had reduced to ashes several of the mag
nificent new buildings recently com
pleted on the territory burned over three
and a half years ago; had consumed
property valued by a conservative esti-
mate at 81, 100000; had been attended by
scenes of panic and distress never before
equaled in the memory of citizens nov
living, and had destroyed several, perhaps
many, human lives, and manned at least
thirty persons, some OF whom will die of
their injuries.
At 4:25 o'clock the alarm was run in,
soon followed by a second aud then a
general alarm. The flames broke out in
the toy department Of Horace Partridge
IL Co., who occupied the fifth and sixth
floors of a seven story building, corner
of Essex and Beacon streets, owned by
+. l.. Ames. The cause is at present
unknown but the start is described by
those nearest it as resembling the burst
ing of a tirecracker. The flames spread
with incredible rapidity and in a very
few moments the entire interior of the
building was burning. There were
many employees of the Partridge COM
pany at work at the time and the other
floors of the building were sprinkled
with human beings. The usual venue
of escape were at once cut off and then
began a scr..nble for life which sickened
beholders The panic stricken inmates
fled to the windows and the roof. Some
escaped by sliding down telegraph poles.
others by @leaplng into blankets, several
jumped to the pavement six or eight
stories and were terribly mangled, and
others, how many can not now be told.
fell back into the cauldron of flame or
were overcome by the dense black smoke
which sutfocated all who did not speed-
lily escape. The entire fire department
of the city was speedily on the scene, The
departments of Somerville, Cambridge,
Newton and Brockton arrived later by
train, and aid was requested to be in
readiness from more distant cities. For
tunately further heip was no. needed.
Vast crowds of people began at once to
flock to the scene and as a matter of
%precaution Gov. Russell ordered two
companies OF militia out, and he pro-
ceeded to the fire in person where he
was joined by Mayor Matthews.
Boston, March lO.-A fire broke out
about / p. m. in ii building owned by f.
l.. Amee, corner of Essex and Lincoln
streets, and spread to the Horace Part
ridge building and is spreading in ~
direction of the Boston ~ Albany depot.
A general alarm has been rung in. Sew
eral lives lost and many injured. Loss
III the millions.
BosToN, March 1O.-Of the United
States hotel only the walls remain. The
fire is still spreading in the direction of
the Boston Il Albany depot and that
structure is now in danger. Five fire
men were forced to Jump from the Par
fridge building and were seriously in
iured. The walls of this building have
fallen in. Five of the injured persons
who were taken into the United States
hotel have not been rescued.
The Singer Sewing Machine building
has been destroyed and the walls have
fallen in. Two girls are known to have
baan lost in ib;o struot,ro 1bs oxtont