The morning news., 1893-12-28
LIVES In PERIL AT A FIRE
Fifty Persons in the Trap, But all
Rescued But One.

Many of the Occupants on the Upper
Floors Cut Of From Escape Except
by Ladders-Brave Work by Firemer
in the Face of the Roaring Furnace
Saves Many Lives.
Providence, r. l., Dec. 27.-One of the
most disastrous and thrilling fires thai
has visited this city for years broke out
at the corner of Moulton and Westminster
streets late this afternoon. The building
was completely Quilted, one man burned to
death and several injured. About
o'clock the people in the building
were startled by a loud explosion, fol
lowed by mass of flames from the sec
ond and third floors. So rapidly did the
fire burn that the fifty people in the build
ing became panic stricken, and but for
the prompt work of the firemen a terrible
disaster would have resulted.
MANY CUT OFF FROM ESCAPE.
Many of the occupants made their way
through dense smoke to the street, but
those in the upper part of the building
were cut off from all means of escape.
Some appeared at front windows and
others reached the fire escapes on the
Moulton street side, only to be driven
back from the landings by the flames,
which rolled from the windows on the
second and third floors.
To the thousands of spectators in the
street death seemed certain to those
above. The trucks could not be promptly
raised, owing to the network of wires.
Forty-foot ladders were called into use,
and then the fremen did good work
From the Fourth story windows, fronting
on Westminster street, the Misses +. and
G. +. Taft were carried down the lad
ders.
THRILLING SIGHT.
The thrilling sight of the fire, however,
was on the Moulton street side of the
building, while the flames were shooting
through the fire escapes, streams of water
were directed on them and Firemen
McNeill and Brown made their way up
the burning windows to the third
landing where two people had been seen.
They were E. G. Perkins, of the Boston
Electric Supply Company, and his
daughter, Josie, and carried them back,
through the smoke and flame, exhausted
Nothing but the brave efforts of the fire.
men below, who kept streams of water
playing upon the fire escapes, enabled
them to reach the bottom alive. Both
fremen were severely burned. Mr.. Per-
kins and his daughter were badly burned,
but will recover.
FROM THE ROOF By ROPE.
Two men were seen on the roof soon
after. They proved to be S. B. Healt a
photographer, and Charles Pearce. They
had provided themselves with a rope, and
going to the roof, made it fast and low
cred themselves down. The rope was
fourteen feet short of reaching the side
walk, but both men were caught by fire
men when they dropped.
ONE MAN sUFFoCATED.
When the fire was under control the
fremen working on the third floor came
across the body of a man in the room
from which Mr.. Perkins and his daughter
had been rescued. 1t proved to be that
of DR.. f. A. Gay, dentist, who had an
office on the fourth floor He had made
his way to the third floor, but was cut off,
and then tried to escape by means of the
fire escape, but was overcome within ten
feet of the window and perished.
The fire was not fully under control
late tonight
The building was completely gutted. 1t
was built three years ago at a cost of
100000, and was occupied by more than
twenty firms. The total loss is over $780,
600, well covered by insurance. The fire
was caused by dynamo wire on the
second floor becoming crossed with a
power wire.