The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1893-03-17
GREAT FIRE IN BOSTON.
Four Million Dollars Worth Of
Property Burned.
Several Lives Lost and Many Injured
The Fire Ate n Big Hole In the
business Part Of
the City.

BosToS, March 11.-One of the most
destructive fires in the history of Bos-
ton, next in magnitude to the famous
one of Thanksgiving day, 1889. and in
the same district, broke out shortly
after o'clock yesterday afternoon, and
before it was placed under control,
three hours later, had burned over more
than a square; had reduced to ashes
several of the magnificent new build
ings recently completed in the territory
burned three and a half years ago. and
had consumed property valued by a
conservative estimate mt "a, SOC. 600; had
been attended by scenes of panic and
distress never before equaled in the
memory of citizens now living, and had
destroyed several, perhaps many, hui
man lives, and mangled or MANNED at
least thirty persons, some of whom will
die Of their injuries
At 4:25 o'clock the alarm was sent in
from box 50. 1t was soon followed by
second and then a general alarm.
The flames broke out in the toy depart
ment of Horace Partridge & Co., who
occupied the fifth and sixth floors of
the seven-story building, corner of
Essex and Lincoln streets, owned by f.
L. Ames
The cause is at present unknown, but
the start is described by those nearest
it as resembling the bursting of a fire
cracker. The flames spread with in
credible rapiditY, and in a very few
moments the entire interior was burn
Of he
Partridge company at work at the
time, and the other floors were sprin-
killed. with human beings.
The usual avenues of escape were
at once cut of, and then began scram-
BILE for life which sickened beholders.
The panic-stricken inmates fed TO
windows and roof. Some escaped by
shining down telegraph poles, others
by leaping into blankets and nets.
Several jumped to the pavement, six or
eightstories, and were terribly mangled,
and others, how many can not now be
told, fell back into the cauldron of
flames or were overcome by the dense
black smoke which suffocated all who
did not speedily escape. The entire
fire department of the city was quickly
on the scene with those from Somer-
vile, Cambridge. Newton, Quincy and
Brockton arriving later by train. For
tunately further help was not needed.
Vast crowds began at once to flock
to the scene, and as a matter of precau-
ton Gov. Russell ordered two compa-
MES of militia under arms and pro
eeeded to the fire in person, where he
was joined by Mayor Matthews. The
fire spread rapidly from building to
building, and despite the heroic efforts
of the entire fire system of the county,
was not controlled until the whole
square bounded by Essex street ON the
north, Lincoln on the east, Tufts on
the south and Kingston on the west
had been leveled; also one building
north of Essex, extending along Column
street, three on the south side of Lin
coin street and one corner of the United
States hotel south of Tufts street,
which corner contained the Emergency
hospital.
The principal buildings burned were
as follows:
Ames building. seven stories, corner
Essex and Lincoln streets, where the
fire started.
Lincoln institute, five stories, on OPP
posite corner, on site of old Crystal
Palace, occupied by the Singer Manu-
featuring Co. and large number OF
other concerns
Ludlow building, 1S5 Essex street.
Brown-Burrell building, seven sto-
ries, corner of Essex and Kingston
streets, burned from roof to fourth floor.
The fireproof walls of this building
stemmed the tide of the flames to the
north.
Four-story brick building, corner OF
Columbia and Essex streets, occupied
by Wall & Barles, paper box manufac.
turers, and others.
United States hotel, slightly dam
aged.
Three-story building, between the
Ames building and the United States
hotel, occupied as a dwelling in the
upper story and by small traders be.
low.
The con flagration as viewed from a
distance was grand. A dense pail Of
black smoke covered that part of the
city and as darkness came on this was
| lighted up by the flames while occa-
sionally tongues of fire and burning
embers shot up volcano-like into the
ebony mass
Near by the scene was awful While
the Ames building was burning there
were echoed explosions like frework:
mingled with the hoarse shouts of fire
men, the changing and pumping of en-
gines with the crashing of walls, the
rumble from hurrying teams and the
surging of the vast crowd which soor
gathered and rushed to and fro in every
body's way. The police service was ad
mirable. The streets were promptly
roped goff and in the right sections
The wires were as usual in the way, and
in many places lay in tangled masses
The current however. had been turned
off.
The employees of many large store:
in the vicinity were on duty until the
| fire was under control ready to move
out goods if necessary. Jordan, Marsl
& Co. kept 900 men for that purpose
Incoming trains from all direction:
were heavily loaded during the early
evening, and. probably over so, 600 out
siders helped to pack the streets in the
vicinity while the fire was in progress
A conservative estimate of the tota
loss is $4,000, 900. The insurance viii
amount to about $4,000, 900.
The saddest feature of the fire is tn,
loss of life, which can not be definitel,
known, but the number of dead i
Thought to be at least twenty-five anC
4 4