Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-03-11

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buildings; others going nign into the alr
20 afford a spectacle for watchers ou sur
rounding roofs and on hills i'm the sub
urbs
II couldn't have been more than four
minutes after the alarm was sounded that
the lifesaving work had been stopped, for
the flames had engulfed every body and
everything, and there was no more hope Of
saving anybody.
There were four streams directed on the
Singer machine building. and the water
undoubtedly cooled the walls somewhat.
But whsn these tongues Of fire got force
enough they went across Lincoln street
In . Gigantic sweep
and the Singer building was all ahre In
very short space Of time. Practically the
two buildings were doomed before the
fremen really got down to their work.
The engines which reached the scene first
were being worked furiously, and were
throwing with all the force that steam
could put into their pumps 1-inch,
! 12inch and 34-incn streams on the
flames, but they were nothing for the
flames to swallow.
The second alarm was sounded about
five minutes after the first. and the flremen
who first arrived were making an almost
hopeless fight while the second alarm ap-
paratus were hurrying to the scene.
This was 10 minutes after the alarm.
Then Acting Chief Regsn had . third
alarm sounded before the machines for the
second signal had put In appearance. So
1t was fully ~ minutes after the fire was
discovered before the Boston department
had force at all sufficient for the battle
they must fight. This wasn't the fault of
the department; 1t was because there was
so big fire.
building was almost totally destroyed, and
the Ames building was q pile Of ruins.
Then the flames spread westward to the
Brown, Durrell & Co. building and com.
menced to swing southerly for the United
States hotel.
To the faithful gang of fire fighters it
was one of the most dismal outlooks they
were ever called upon to face. 1t seemed
then as though there was to BET
Repetition Of the Fire of'7s,
TO say nothing Of the Thanksgiving day
confiagration. BY 4:5O o'clock a general
rounding districts, and fire engines from
everywhere in the city limits were hurry
ing into the city.
The 5-story brick structure Mt the corner
Of Columbia and Essex streets was then
burning, and, although streams of water
were ceaselessly directed toward the
Brown, Durrell & Co. building, there was
little doubt but what that must soon be in
cluded in the general loss. II was when
this was most apparent that word was sent
to surrounding towns asking for assist
ance, and the request was promptly
answered
Cambridge, headed by Chief Casey, was
first on the scene, and then apparatus from
other cities came rolling in. 1t was too
late to save the Brown, Durrel e. Co.'S
building then, for the three upper stories
were blazing furiously, and il was beyond
human strength to get into the lower part
Of the building.
The two small wooden buildings on Tufts
street were going In good style when an
order came from Chief Reagan to blow
these buildings up in order to save the
emergency hospital and the rear Of the
United States hotel, on the west side,
which was not then on fire, and few min
utes later deep reverberation told that
The Work Had Been Done.
The move undoubtedly saved the emer-
Rency hospital and most of the United
States hotel from total destruction. At 9
o'clock, when all the water that 30 engines
could force was being poured on the burn
Ing structures, there were three central
points where most valiant efforts were
being Made by the fremen.
At any one of these three points tn
spread of the flames meant q greatly in
creased destruction of property and conse-
quent loss. They were the granite build
ing on the northeast corner of Lincoln
streets, which caught fire several times,
the 6-story brick structure on the south
west corner of Essex and Kingston streets,
opposite the Brown, Durrell q Co. build
ing, and the United States hotel
So the efforts of the firemen were massed
at these points. and right royalty they
swung to their work. The building was
regarded
Too Dangerous to Enter,
and the iremen stayed outside, and by re-
lentless pegging away kept 1t a. cool as
was possible.
There came moment, at last, when the
men from one Of the companies dared
to enter the place. With q few in, moro
followed, and soon It was safe for dozen
lines to be had where they could throw
water from the upper stories into the blaz-
ing structure across the way
Then 1t was known that the victory was
won, that the progress of the flames had
been checked, and that there was no dam
ger Of any further spread Of the fire.
1t was moment Of relief for all who
watched the fire when 1t was known that
Chief Regan could say that he had got con-
troll of the flames.
OF course the fire was not out The sky
was then-a little after o'clock-so light
that the reflection could be seen for miles,
but the flames were not going to reach
further, and that fact alone afforded re-
lief enough for the tired fremen and the
worried business men.