Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-03-16
BLAZE AT BOSTON.

Fire Starts In a Toy Warehouse and De-
troys Property to the Value of $4,000
OOO-Several Persons Killed and Many
Injured.
BOSTON, March 11.-One of the most
destructive fires in the history of Bos-
ton, next in magnitude to the famous
one of Thanksgiving day, 1888, and in
the same district. broke out shortly
after 4 o'clock yesterday and before
1T was placed under control, three
hours later, had burned over more than
a square, had reduced to ashes several
of the magnificent new buildings re-
Gently completed on the territory
burned over three and half years ago,
consumed property valued by conserva-
tive estimate at "a, 500, 900, had caused
scenes of panic and distress never before
equalled in the history of the citizens
now living and had destroyed several,
perhaps many, human lives and
mang1ed or manned at least thirty per-
son, some of whom will die of their
injuries.
At 4:25 o'clock the alarm was rung in
from box so. 1t was soon followed by
a second and then by 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 Es-
sex and Lincoln streets, owned by L.
F. Ames. The cause is at present I'M
known, but the start is described by
those nearest it as resembling the burst
ing of frecracker.
The flames spread with incredible
rapidity and in very few moments the
entire interior of the building was
l.
of the Partridge company at work at
the time, and the other floors of the
building were sprinkled with human
beings The usual avenues of escape
We're at once cut off and then began a
scramble for life which siczened be-
holders. The panic-stricken inmates
filed the windows and other rooms.
Some escaped by sliding down tele-
graph poles, others by leaping into
blankets. Several jumped to the pave
met, six or eight stories, and were ter
ribly mangled, and others, how many
cannot now be told, fell back into the
cauldron of flames, or were overcome
by the dense black smoke, which suffo
Gated all who did not speedily escape.
The entire fire department of the city
was soon on the scene, the departments
of Sewerville, Cambridge, Newton and
Brockton arrived later by train.
The fire spread rapidly from building
to building and despite the heroic eff
forts of the entire fire system of Suffolk
county, it was not controlled until the
whole square bounded by Essex street
on the north, Lincoln on the east and
Kingston on the west had been leveled;
also one building north of Essex street
extending along Columbia street, three
more on the east side of Lincoln street
and one corner of United States hotel,
south of Essex street, which corner
contained the Emergency hospital.
1t would be impossible to narrate all
the events of this exciting night. There
were deeds of valor that are worthy of
more extended account than can be
given. There were plenty of witnesses
to and actors in the fiery drama who
were ready and anxious to relieve
themselves of the burden of their eX
perience by telling some one of the
things they would never forget Sew
eral took horse blankets and called to
the frenzied crowd at the windows to
drop and they would catch them. A
good many did this and though
bruised, the blankets broke the other
wise fatal force of the fall. One little
girl too timid to jump was saved by a
man reaching out for her on his way
down the Pile A long step ladder was
brought over and standing on it the
frenen reached up as far as they could
and caught others in their arms. Other
apparatus came and the ladders were
put up to save the rest But they We're
not in time to save one man in the third
tory, Before the new apparatus could
get to work the entire block burst into
flames from every window. 1t was
SO sudden that the steamer which had
been playing in front of the building
had no time to leave. It must have
been destroyed.