River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-03-16
IN ASHES.

One of Boston's Most Valuable Business
Blocks Destroyed by Fire. cSusiag
Property Loss Estimate1 =, S4.5n0. 900
Two Lives Lost. aud It Il Feared tise
Death List VIII he Much LEr-er-Many
Persons Injured = Thrilling scenes OF
Rescue - Panio-StrlcISen Inmates Jump
from Six-Story Windows.
BosToN, March H. One of the most
Destructive fires il the history OF Bos-
ton, next in magnitude to the famous
one of Thanksgiving day, lsSs, and in
The same district, broke out shortly
after o'clock Friday afternoon, and
before it was placed under control.
Three hours later. had burned over more
than a squa-e, had reduced to ashes
several of the magnificent new bniid-
ings recently completed on the terri
tory burned over three and half
years ago. had consumed property val-
ued by q conservative estimate AZ 81 $780,
100, had been attended by scenes of paaic
and distress never before eonnIed ii
the memory of citizens now living, and
had destroyed at least two and per-
haps many, human lives, and manglea
Or MANNED at least thirty persons,
some of whom will die of their injuries
At les o'clock the alarm was rung
in from box 81. II was soon followed
by a second and then general alarm,
The flames broke ont in the
10Y department of Horace Part
ridge & Co, who occupied the fifth aud
sixth floors of the seven-story building
corner of Essex and Lincoln streets,
owned By i. l.. Ames The cause is at
pre- sent unlSr own, but the start is de-
scribed by those nearest it as resem-
bling the bursting of fireeracker.
The flames spread with incredible
rapidity, and in very few moments
the entire interior of the building was
burning. There were many employees
Of the Partridge company at work Mt
the time, and the other floors of tie
building were sprinkled with human
beings.
The usual avenues of escape were az
once cut off and then began a scram-
BILE for life which siclzened bcholdcrs.
The panie-stricl1en inmates fed 10 win
lows and roof Some escaped by
sliding down telegraph poles, 9th
srs by leaping into blankets
Several jumped 20 the pavement, six
or eight stories, aud were terribly
mangled. and others-how many can
not now be tOld-fell back into the
caldron of flames or were overcome BIZ
the dense black smoke which suffocatcd
all who did not speedily escape.
The fire spread RAPIDLY from build
ing TO building, and despite the heroic
Efforts of the entire fire systems of
suffolk county it was not controlled
until the whole square bounded by
Essex street on the north, Lincoln on
the east and Kingston on the west had
been leveled; also one building north
Of Essex street extending along Column
bia street, three more on the east side
Of Lincoln street and one corner OF the
United States hotel, south of Tufts
street, which corner contained the
emergency hospital
The assessed valuation of the build
ings burned TO the ground is in round
numbers $3.50, 900. This sum does not
include any of the damage by water.
Among the losers are the following;
woonsocket Rubber company, Barbour Bros.
thread, Amazeunc Machine company, Coasoli-
dated Last company, MerrclS Thread company,
A. Packard & Co, II. NJ. Appleton, Hanover
shoe company, w. c. Rogers, Lariat Manu-
featuring company, Ciahin, Larobe s. Co,
United States Rubber company, Redpath
Bros, s b. Thing & Co, J.
A, Jaquith Rubber company, Tapley
Machine company, Horace Partridge & Co,
Hathaway, Soule & Harrison. } s Fogg. NJ A.
Packard, Ewing Bros, Sanford Bros, J. f.
Ryan, c. ". Spur, Cape Cot Glass company
Sheures Bros. American Pie company, Otto
kreisman, D. W Rowland, Singer Manufactur-
ing company, Walter 5 Barnes.
Following is the list of dead so far as
known;
Leonidas H. Redpath, senior partner in the
nrm Of Redpath Bros Manufacturing company,
lied from multiple injuries at the city hospital;
Fred Meadowcraft, % years old i1n4pcd from
the third story and fell on his head, lied on the
way TO the hospital
The injured so far as known number
about thirty.
William ). Rumrill of Dean, Chase
t& Co, says:
II first saw 4 man, with his hair literally
singed OF his head, rushing up the street 10
the nearest ire-alarm box / sprung 10
the door and saw spectacle that ap-
palled me- torrent Of fame was literally
pouring out OF the windows in the center
front OF the second floor Of the Arnes building.
The people inside were throwing books cut Of
the window, and men and boys from the stores
were picking them up. Very soon, up on the
men and one woman cliuging to The stone work
There was no such thing as getting ladder
up to them. owing to the network OF
wires That is the worst corner FOR wires in
the city of Boston; the whole street is fun CT
them. We watched the quartet rs they cluug
for few minutes only. while the crowd in the
street stood in breathless silence Then the
four, one after another. jumped cE, Down
they came, height OF fully SIX stories, and
struck soIidly on the frozen ground. Ii was
horrible You should have heard the groau
that went up from the throng in the street
Every one of the four was unconscious wnen
reached, and all must be terribly injured
There could hardly be whole bone in their
bodies. l saw two of them rushed by on
shutter
Francis Galloupc says:
II was going down SIMMER street just as The
Ere started and / saw sheet OF Same shooting
out halfway across the street from the second
story Of the building ia which the WoCnsocfet
Rubber company was located. oac s,ca.ner
had but just arrived in front OF thc building
and the hose was being stretched ] saw Ine3,
women and gilis trying TO get out OF the UPPER
stories. They were excited / shouted 70 then:
Don't Jump! TLe ladders viii be here in a
minute But they We're toe frightened. ono
man Jumped from TIE second story and caught
wire. He hung there i'll exhausted and
then dropped 1 coLld not see whether
the fa,' killed him or rot saw
another man jump 70 The telegraph pole lie
slid down without injury. Several took horse
blankets anu called 10 the frenzicj crowds ~
windows to drop and they would catch them.
A good many did this, and though bruised the
blankets held by stout hands broke the other
wise fatal force OF their fail.
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Won't Favor Former Appointeca.
WASHINGTON. March ll.-Senators
and representatives who called on
President Cleveland received coniirma-