New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-11

despite the heroic efforts of the entire fire system
Of Suffolk County was not controlled until the
whole square bounded by Essex-st. on the north
Lincoln OH the east. Tufts on the south. and
Kingston or the west. had been levelled; also one
building north of EsseX-st., extending along
Columbia-st three more on the east side OF Lin
con-st and one corner OF the United States Hotel.
south Of Tufts-st.. which corner contained tho
Emergency Hospital.
The confirmation as viewed from distance
was grand. dense pail of black smoke COW
cred that section of the city, and as darkness
came on this was lighted up by the flames while
occasional tongues OF fire ard burning cmoers
shot up volcano-hl,e into the ebony mass Near
10, the scene was awful. While the Amcs build
ing wos burning there were repeated explosions
like fireworks, mingled with the hOarse shouts
of iremen, the changing and putting OF engines
the crash OF falling walls, the rumble from
hurrying teams and the surging OF the vast
crowds which soon gathered, and rushed to and
fro in everybody's way
The police service was admirable. The streets
were promptly roped OF, and in the right sections
The wires were, usual. in the way, and in many
places lay in tangled masses. But the current
had been turned Cf The employees of many
large stores in the vicinity were on duty until
goods if necessary. Jordan, Marsh & Co. kept
1000 men for that purpose Many proprietors near
est the fire moved their most valuable merchandise,
as did also several pancky houschoIders The
three largest buildings burned. the Ames, Lincoln
and Brown Durcll were Of modern construction AMI
built in the most non combustIble style possible
for mercantile use The Brown-Durell had front
walls of sandstone, and rear walls OF brick The
Ames and Lincoln were much like it, Incoming
trains from all directions were heavily loaded
during the early evening and probably over 10000
outsiders helped to pack the streets in the vicinity
while the fire was in progress
A conservative estimate Of the total loss Is
S4,50O,000 The insurance will amount TO apouo
$4,000, 900. No attempt will be made to compile
the insurance tonight
George NJ McCallar bookkecper at tho burned
out store Of Horace Partridge & Co., says: was
standing at my desk balancing the days account,
when suddenly was startled by the cry OF lire
IN the building l had scarcely recovered from
my surprise when the engines arrived. MY brst
impulse was TO seize the books, and calling two
of the clerks standing near me we got the most
valuable ones downstairs safely. AS near as can
recollect five minutes elapsed between the cry Of
fire and the arrival Of the engines, yet in that
time the whole building seemed to be in one
seathing mass of flames In the rush from tho
building employees were knocked down and
trampled hpon. The pitful appeals of the
young girls, mingled with the shouts of the men.
as they strove to pilot them to place Of safety,
was one of the most exciting incidents ever
witnessed in my life. l hope never to see such
one again | have no doubt that many OF tho
firms employees, who were on the fifth and sixth
floors Of the building, have met with serious in
iurics, if some of them are not now dead
There were about thirty clerks employed by the
company.
William S. Rumrill, of Dean, Chase & Co.. says :
Il FIST saw man, with his hair literally singed
off his head, rushing up the street to the nearest
frcalarm box. ] sprang to the door and saw
spectacle that appalled, me-. A torrent Of flame
was literally pouring out of the windows in the
centre front on the second floor Of the Ames
building The people inside were throwing books
out of the windows and men and boys were
picking them up. Very soon up on the para
pet. way up above the street, ! saw four men
and one woman clinging to the stonewOrk.
There was no such thing rs getting a ladder
I'D to them, owing to the network OF wires
That is the worst corner for wires in the city
Of Boston, and the whole street is in peril from
them. We watched the quartet as they chung
for a few minutes only, while the crowd in the
street stood in breathless silence. Then the four,
one after another, jumped OIL Down they came
IA height Of fully six stories and struck soidly
on the frozen ground. Oh, 1t was horrible! nor
riblc. You should have heard the groa1 that
went up from that throng in the street. Every
one of the four was unconscious when reached
and all were terribly injured. There could hardly
be a whole bone in their bodies. l saw two OF
them rushed by on shutter"
For the first time in Bostons fire history the
overhead wire system proved the means of saving
life When the fire il the Erown-Dnrell Buili-
ing was at its height, the form Of man. VINO
subsequently proved to be District Chief Egan.
of East Boston, was seen at an clghth-story
window lie boldly seized one OF the large insu-
lated cables which contain large number OF
electric wires, and proceeded to cross TO the
oppositc building. hand over hand. lie had gone
only few feet when il became apparent he could
not last long, and greatly 10 the crowds relief he
threw both legs over the half-inch cable. which
slightly sagscd. and slowly and tcdiorsly made
hls way toward tho building. No. ll9 Kingston
st., to which the cable ran large number OF
liie-savlng nets, canvascs and cloths were pro-
duccd, and iiremcn, police and bysandcrs We'd
with each other in holding them. while others
hoarscly shouted to the imperllcd man to drop
To have done so seemed TO court instant death.
His white lgonized face could be seen "a he slowly
made his way over the cable. Several times the
voice OF the vast crowd was huslled as il seemed
that the poor being hanging there was lost. All
at once the crowd broke into cheer. which
seemed TO infuse new life into the tagging spirit
of the fireman He reached midway between the
two buildings. and all saw thut if he could only
hang out few miIGtes more he would be saved.
Every inch Of the street below was now covered
with ncts. At this point the cloud Of smoke
cleared away, and the man was recognized as
Chief Egan who had only been out of the house
a short time where he was confined with broken
collar bone and other injuries received by faA-
Ing on the ice squad of men ran upon the
building No. 1l0 KingstOn-st., and slowly low
cred the cable to which Egan was hanging At