Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-03-18
Big Fire IN BOSTON.
Over Four Million Dollars Worth
Of Property Destroyed.
Several Persons Lose Their Lives
About Thirty Iniurds.

At 425 o'clock in the afternoon fire broke
s,t in the building owned by E. L. Ames,
as-l.'r of Essex and Lincoln streets, in the
1nolesale busins IS and small manufacturing
~-ti;n. The flame. spread with surprising
-..pidity, and it YVES over three hours tefore
the Boston fire department, aided by COM
panies from other cities, gained control of
the destroying element. The fire was marked
by the loss of several lives, and some thirty
,natei at S. 5000 and the insurance at
AAe00,0s0.
II was the most destructive fire that has
occurred in Boston since November %. 1889,
shen two and a-half acres of business houses
we're destroyed, causing loss of about S.
he evening of November o and ragged uncon-
trolled until noon the following day, destroy
ing 800 Blu iness houses, occupied by 1880
srms, entailing loss CT $50, ,0Oo and If
teen lives
The area burned over comprises practical
ly one whole square b unded on the north
BY Essex strs o on the ca b. Lincoln street,
on the south by Tufts street. on the W st ty
Kingston street. In add ION to this square,
one building on the north OF Essex street, e1-
tending along Columbia street, was burned;
also three bull iings on the east de of Lin
coin street; also on the south side Of Tufts
street. the Emergency Hospital, which was
part OF the United States Hotel, and the
lear corner of the hotel.
rec unidentified dead bodies have been
token from the ruins and there are supposed
to be many others yet undiscovered. The
injured will number about thirty.
III flames broke out in tbs toy depart
m Mt Of Horace Partridge & Co., in the F.
l.. Ames building. The cause is a. pre- emit
unknown, but the start is described by those
nearest it as esenbling the bursting of fire.
crackers.
The flames spread with incredible rapidity
q in a very few moments the entire inter-
1. Tor of the building was burning. There were
may employees Of the Partridge Company
of work at the time, and the 9th flo RS Of
the building were sprinklei wi b human be-
ings The usual avenues Of escape were at
once cut of, and then began { scramble for
life which sickeBed benolders.
The panic-stricken Inmates fled to windows
am roof. Some escaped by thinning down
tel Sraph poles, Others by leaping INTO blan-
kets AMI nets. s veral jump 4 to the pave
ment, six to eli hit stories, ami were terribly
mangled. Others-how many caunot he
told-fel back INTO tie fam or were ovr
me by the dense bla smoke, which suffo-
Gated ali who d d not speedily escape.
The entir fire department of the city was
speedily on the scene. The departm Mt of
Bonneville, Cambr ,dge, Newton, Quincy
and Brockton arrived later by train and aid
was requested to be in read ness from more
distant cities. Fortunately further help was
not needed
Vasi crowds of people began at zee to
dock to the scene, and as matter of Pc
caution Governor Russell speed ly or cred
two companies Of militia under arms, ID
proc' eded to the fire in person where he YVES
soon Joined by Mayor Matthews.
The fire spread rapidly from building to
building, and, despite the heroic efforts OF
the entire fire system Of Suffolk c'unty. was
not contrf lie until nearly O'Clock p NJ.
The confiagration as viewed from dis
t1nce was grand. A dence pal of black
smoke covere that section OF the city, and
as darkness came on this was lighte up by
the flames, while occasional Fl shes of fire
and turning embers shot up into the ebony
mass.
Near TO the scene was awful While the
Ames Building was burning there we e re-
eeated explosions Ike fireworks mingled
wi b the hoarse shouts of firemen, the Gang
ing and putting of engines, the crash Of fall
ing walls the rumble from hurrying teams
and the sur ing of the vast crowd which
soon gathered and rushed to ard fro in
syerybo ly's way.
The three largest buildings burned-the
Am S, Lincoln aud Brown Durrell-were of
modern construction and built In the most
non-combustibl. style possible for mercan-
tie use. The Brown urrell 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 laden during the early evening, and
probably over $4,000 outsiders helped to
rack the ST. eets in the vicinity while the fire
was in progress.
Tho principal bui dngs burned were as
follows:
Ames Building, seven stories, corner Es-
sex and Lincoln streets, where the fire
started.
Lincoln Bui' ding, five storiss, on the OPP
posite corner. Oh the site of old CRYSTAL
Pdlace occupied By the Singer Manufacture
ing Company and large number of other
concerns.
Ludlow Building, six stories, 135 Essex
street.
Brown Durrell Building, seven stories,
Srl~ of Els ex and Kingston streets,
burned from roof to fourth floor. The fro
yroof walls of tvs buildin, stsmmed the
it'd of flames to the north.
Five-story brick tulding, corner of Co.
luu bia and Essex streets, occupied by Wal
ter S Barnes, Iaper-b x manufacturer, and
OF 'ers.
Uni O.. States Hotel, slightly damaged
Z { rec small hui 1ings bet xeen the Ames
pied as dwellings in the upp'r tories and y
49, IL