Crawford avalanche., 1893-03-16
Twas a Black Friday.


Twas n Black Friday.
A fire which bids fair to overtop the
memorable connagration which laid
acres of structures In ashes years ago
occurred at Boston Friday evening.
More than twenty-five persons were
burned to death, and probably twice
that number fatally or seriously injured.
The fire was caused by an explosion OF
fireworks ip the factory OF Horace Par
fridge, building owned by +. l.. Ames.
Several explosions followed the first
and the fire spread with alarming rapid
iiy.
A conservative estimate of the total
loss is 81 500, 900. The insurance will
amount to about $4,000,0OO.
In three hours after the fire started Il was
were wiped out. The scenes of panic were
never surpassed. The flames spread with re-
markable Iapidity There were many any, en- n.
the time. The usual avenues OF escape were
at once cut of and then began scramble for
life which sickened beholders The panic
stricken inmates fed to windows and roof.
Some escaped by sliding down telegraph poles;
others by leapng into blankets; Several
and were terribly mangled, and others-how
many cannot now be told-fell back into the
cauldron Of flames OF were overcome by the
dense black smoke, which sufocated all who
| did not speedily escape.
United States Hotel Burned.
The United States Hotel an historic struc-
ture, has been burned to the ground. The old
New Colony passenger depot, now used by ex-
| press companies. was soon in flames, and the
| FIRE was eating north and west 1t got beyond
control of the fire department in few min
utes, and kilograms were sent TO the neighbor-
| ing cities for help. Engines came in from
| Worcester. Framingham, Newton, Waltham
SS66ey hyde Park Cambridge GGessa 1ynR
renee, Lowell, and Fitchburg, and were soon at
work.
The fire assumed such dimensions that Gov.
Russell ordered out the First and Ninth Regi-
ments of the National Guard to preserve order
and establish fire lines. Scores OF burned and
injured people were taken into the emergency
| hospital, in the United States Hotel block on
Beach street, but that building caught fire, add
men was hastily summoned to meet at city
hall to take such measures as might be neces-
sary, and IT is impossible at this writing, to
| state accurately the number OF persons killed
| and injured or to estimate with accuracy the
| amount OF property loss.
| 1t would be impossible to narrate all the
| events OF this exciting night. There were
| deeds of valor that are worthy of more ex-
| tended account than can be given here. There
We're plenty OF eyewIltnesses TO- and actors L IN
| themselves of the burden of their experience
| by telling some one of the things they would
For the first time in Boston's fire history the
overhead wire system has proved the means of
saving life. When the fire in the Brown:
| man was seen at the eighth-story window.
| He boldly seized one Of the large insulator
cables-cables which contain large number Of
| electric wires-and proceeded to cross to the
| opposite building hand over hand. He had
| gone but a few feet when 1t became apparent
that he could not last long, and, greatly to the
relief of the crowd, he threw both legs over
! the half-inch cable, which slightly sagged, and
slowly and tediously made his way.
| Shouted for Him to Drop.
laEgs 5JE nVmRsf RSd AHA dein Rets
! and bystanders We'd with each other In hold
| ing them, while others hoarsely shouted to the
| imperiled man to drop. His white agonized
| face could be seen as he slowly made his way
over the cable All at once the crowd broke
| into cheer, which seemed to tnfuse new life
| into the tagging spirit or the man. He reached
| midway between the two buildings and II he
could only hold on few minutes more he
Every inch of the street below was now COW
| cred with nets. At this point the cloud of
| smoke cleared and the man was recognized "a
Chief John Il. Eagan of East Boston who had
| only been ont OF the house a short time, where
he was confined with broken collar-bone and
| other injuries received by falling on the ice.
| A squad OF men ran mp on the building at l19
Kingston street and slowly lowered the cable
70 hoo sasan aS ads, %Hs hanging adsr fne
| meet the slowly descending man. The cable
| was payed out slowly, and the exhausted
| man gradually came nerrer terra hrma. His
| body swung close to the burning building, from
| which issued dense clouds of smoke.
| Snatched from the Jaws of Death.
In a few seconds he swung into the arms of
| his comrades, released his hold, and as weak as
/ rat was carried from the scene. truly
| snatched from the jaws of death. A shout Of
triumph and applause came forth from the
| throats OF the vast assembly.
The police service was admirable. The en-
| ployes of many large stores In the vicinity
| ready to move out goods IL necessary. Jordan,
| Marsh & Co. kept 1900 men for that purpose.
| Many proprietors nearest the fire moved their
most valuable merchandise, as did also
several panicky householders. The three
largest buildings burned = the Ames,
| Lincoln, and Brown Durrell-weTe of modern
| construction and built in the most non-com-
| bustible style possible for mercantile use. The
Brown-Durrell had front walls of sandstone
| coin were much like it.
Incoming trains from all directions were
probably more than $1,000 outsiders helped to
/ pack the streets in the vicinity while the fire
was In progress.
Boston's Former Big Fires.
Fridays Is the third in the series of Boston's
| great fires. At o'clock Saturday evening,
Nov. ., 1872, fire started, and In fifteen hours
desen or Spsn w3h ve S bs sns r
broke out in the engine-room of the large dry
| goods house of Tibbetts, Baldwin IL Davis,
Kingston and Summer streets. The flames
| soon swept across Summer street to Win
throp avenue, down King street, and both di-
rectfons on Summer street. Engines were
| cities, but the flames had gained such headway
| as to be beyond control and spread
Win FURIOUS IOrce IN every u1reCJ1On. By mid
night they had reached the wharves and were
licking up the shipping in the harbor. Not
until l O'Clock next day was the appalling
| progress of the confiagration checked. The
| district burned over was bounded by Summer,
| Federal, Broad, Center, Water, Washington
| and Bedford streets, the wholesale business
center of the city. Nine hundred and thirty
business houses and firms were burned out and
sixty dwellings and lodging houses.
Thanksgiving Dav, Nov. %, 1889, another fire
started, IL Is believed, from an electric-light
wire In the Brown Il Durrel block at Kingston
and Bedford streets, quarter OF a mile away.
A IS. 900 900 confederation was the reault