Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-03-17
Intensely Thrilling Accounts OF
Many Futile Attempts
to Escape.
Entire Block and Five Other
Large Buildings Completely
Quilted.

Boston, Mass, March 10.-One Of the
most destructive fires since the noted
Boston fire, broke out shortly after 4
o'clock this afternoon and before it
was placed under control, three hours
Later, reduced to ashes several mag
nificent new buildings recently complet-
Cd on the territory burned over three
and a half years ago.
The consumed property is valued by u
conservative estimate at $4,5OOG0O and
the fire was attended by scenes Of pan
fc and distress never before equalled
here. 1t destroyed many human lives,
how many cannot be told, and mangled
or manned 1T least t4.44ty persons, some
Of whom will die Of their injuries.
Flames broke out in the toy depart
ment of the Horace Partridge com
pany who occupied the fifth and sixth
floors Of the seven story building,
corner Of Essex and Lincoln streets,
owned by L. l.. Ames.. The cause at
present is unknown, but is described by
those nearest it as resembling the burst
ing Of il huge fire cracker.
The flames spread with increased IA
pidity and III Il very few minutes the
entire interior of the building was burn
ing. There were many employees at
work at the time and the other floors
Of the building We're Sprinlllcd with hll-
man beings.
The usual avenues Of escape We're at
once cut off and then began a scramble
for life which Sickcned beholders The
panic stricken inmates fled to the wind
oWs and roof. Some escaped by sliding
down telegraph poles, others by leaping
into blankets. Several jumped to the
pavement six or eight stories and We're
terribly mangled, and others, how many
cannot be told. fell back in the caul-
drOn Of flames or were overcome by
the dense black smoke which sufficat-
Cd all who did not speedily escape.
The entire fire department of the city
was speedily on the scene. The de-
partmcI4ts of Summeryille, Cambridge,
Newton and Rrockton arrived later by
train and aid was requested to be i'll
readiness from more distant cities
Fortunately further help was not need
cd. Vast crowds of people began at
once to flock to the scene and as Il pre-
caution. Gov. Russell ordered two com
panies Of militia out
The tire spread rapidly and despite.
the efforts Of the entire fire systems of
Suffolk county it was not controlled
until 4 whole square was leyeled and
also tive buildings on other streets.
Ihe principal buildings burned and
the occupants thereof are rs follows:
Ames building. occupied by the Woon-
socket Rubber company; Barbour
Brothers. thread. AmaZome Machine
Co; Consolidated Glass company: Mer-
rick Thread company: Apackard & Co:
Il. NJ Appleton; Hanover Shoe com
pany; Iariat Manufacturing company:
Claftin Iarahe & Co, t. S Rubber
Co: Relpath Bros, boots and shoes:
q. i. Thing & Co: Jaquith Rubber
Co: Stclqlc Machine Co.: Horace Pat
ridge & Co: Hathaway Harrison: Cape
Cod Glass Co: American Tin Co. and
many others.
The lincoln building, five stories.
opposite, occupied by the Singer Manu-
featuring Co. and many other concerns.
The Ludlow building. six stories. on
Essex street
The BroWn-Durel building, seven
stories high. Essex and Kingston streets.
AL the concerns in the two latter build
ingS We're burned out
The fiycstory building on Essex ani
Columbia streets. occupied by Walter
5. .Barles, paper box manufacturer. AMI
others
The United States hotel was slightly
damaged
Three small buildings occupied as
dwellings and stores were also burned
1t would be impossible to narrate
all The exciting scenes which attended
the contiagration. Hoseman O'Comnor.
in narrating the story of the fire said
he Went TO the second story of the
Ames building and found struggling
mass Of men and women there trying
TO throw themselves out of the win
dows. He beat them back and open
ing the window took them out one at
time. dropping them into net below.
lie so succeeded in dropping thirty.
and says there We're at least as many
more who never came out of the build
Ing alive.
The manager of the Lauriat AIanu-
featuring Co, says that six Of their
employees are missing The widest
kind of stories are in circulation regard
Ing the loss of life and the general ex-
tent Of the disaster. The greatest con-
fusion and excitement prevails how
ever, and it is impossible to get authen-
tic details tonight
Among the many dramatic scenes
attending the fire. the one which at
tracted most attention perhaps was that
Of man appearing in the eighth story
Of the Durren building when the fire