The record-union., 1893-03-11
Special to the REcoRD-Ux1ox.

BOSTON, March l0.-One OF the most
destructive fires in the history of Boston
broke out at o'clock this afternoon, and
before being placed under control three
hours later had burned over more than a
square and a quarter, reducing to ashes
several magnificent buildings recently
completed on territory burned over less
than three and half years ago. The
consumed property was valued by con-
servative estimate at four and half mill
ions of dollars. and was attended by
scenes of panic and distress never before
equaled here. 1t destroyed several, per-
haps many, human lives, and mangled or
manned at least thirty persons, some of
whom will die of their injuries.
The flames broke out in the toy DEPART
ment of of Horace Hartridge u Co., who
occupied the fifth and sixth floors of
seven-story building at the corner of
Essex and Lincoln streets, owned by f.
l.. Ames. The cause is at present un-
known, but the story described by those
nearest it is as resembling the bursting of
huge firecracker. The flames spread
with rapidity, and in very few mo-
ments the entire building was burning.
There were many employees at work at
the time, and other floors of the building
were sprinkled with human beings. The
usual avenues of escape were at once cut
off, and then began a scramble for life
which sickened the beholders. The
panic-stricken inmates fled to the Win
dows and roofs. Some escaped by slid
ing down telegraph poles, and others by
leaping into blankets. Several Jumped
to the pavement, six or eight stories, and
were terribly mangled, and others, how
many cannot now be told, fell back into
the caldron of flames or were overcome
by the dense smoke, which suffocated all
who did not speedily escape.
The entire fire department of the city
was speedily on the scene. The depart
ments of Summerville, Cambridge, New
ton and Brockton arrived later by train,
and aid was requested TO be in readiness
from more distant cities. Fortunately
further help was not needed
Vast crowds OF people began at once to
! flock to the scene, and as matter of pre-
caution Governor Russell ordered out
two companies of militia.
The fire spread rapidly, and despite the
! efforts of the entire fire system of Suf-
folk county, it was not controlled until
whole square was leveled, and also five
buildings on the other side of the street.
The principal buildings burned and
the occupants thereof are as follows ::
The Ames building, occupied by the
Woonsocket Rubber Company; Barbour
Brothers, thread; Amazon Machine
Company, Consolidated Glass Company.
Merrick Thread Company, A. Packard &
Co., f. NJ. Appleton, Hanover Shoe Com
pany, Lariat Manufacturing Company,
Cladin, Larobe Il Co., United States Rub
Der Company, Redpath Brothers, boots
and shoes; S. B. Thing IL Co., Jacquith
Rubber Company, Tapley Machine Com
pany, Horace Partridge u Co., Hatha-
way, Soule IL Harrison, Cape Coz Glass
Company, American Wine Company
and many others; the Lincoln building.
five stories, opposite, occupied by the
Singer Manufacturing Company and
many other concerns; the Ludlow build
ing, six stories, on Essex street: the
Brown-Dureu building, seven stories.
on Essex and Kingston streets. All the
concerns in these two buildings were
burned out. The five-story building on
Columbia and Essex streets, occupied by
Walters IL Bates, paper-box manufac-
turers, and 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 attending the conhagra-
ton. A hoseman in relating the story
of the fire said he went to the second story
OF the Ames building, and found a strug-
CLING mass of men and women trying to
throw themselves out of the window. He
beat them back, and, opening the window.
took one at time, dropping them into a
net below. He succeeded in dropping
thirty, and says there were at least as
many more who never came out of the
building alive.
The manager of the Lariat Manufact-
uring Company says six of their en-
! ployes are missing.
The widest kind of stories are in circu
lation regarding the loss of life and the
general extent of the disaster. Great
confusion and excitement prevails, how
ever, and it is impossible to get authentic
details tonight.
There were intensely exciting scenes
attending the fire. One which at
tracted the most attention. perhaps. was
that of man who appeared in the eighth
story of the Durrell building when the
fire was at its hight, seized large in
sulated cable and proceeded to cross to an
opposite building amid the-most intense
and breathless suspense on the part of the
spectators. He soon weakened, however.
and threw both legs over the cable, and
( thus worked his way tediously to haven
OF rescue, while life-saving nets were
held under him by the police and fire.
men, and the spectators shouted to the
! imperiled man to drop. He reached
midway between the two buildings, and
as the smoke cleared away his white face
was recognized as that of Chief John
I Pagan, out for the first time since suffer-
| ing a fracture of the collar bone. A SQUAD
of men quickly mounted the building
| for which he was heading, and, loosen
ing the cable, wered it, and the hook
and ladder company rescued the man
and carried him TO place of safety.
/ George MeCallar told of seeing four
men and women clinging to the stone
work six stories up. 1t was impossible
! to reach them, and, one by one, they
J dropped, striking with sickening thud