Evening journal., 1894-05-16


few mattresses saved from the burned
tenements for bed, and no prospects of a
breakfast this morning.
Fathers returned from work last night
20 find their homes burned to the ground
and no trace of their wives and little ones.
Children who had been at work as cash.
boys and girls in the big dry goods and
other stores were barred out from the
streets where they resided and could find
no trace Of their parents.
Late at night, when the fire had spent
itself, there could be found men and wom-
en- guarding their little stock of furniture.
The women were crying, and the little
ones huddled close TO their parents, terri
fled with the scenes they had gone through
during the day.
Many Firemen Overcome.
The st. Vincent de Paul society did good
work in collecting the children and women
and giving them shelter in the schoolrooms
and various homes. The drug stores in the
neighborhood were used as hospitals foI
the large number of firemen who were over
come by the dense smoke and were suffer
ing from burns caused by the flying en-
bers. The saloons in and around the burn.
ed district were closed by order Of the pO
lice.
A walk around the burned district after
the confagration was over showed the vast
territory which the fire fiend had traversed.
Around by the baseball ground there was
presented a sea Of chimney stacks, with
only the brick and stone foundations OF
the houses standing. Thousands of people
| from far and near came to view the specta.
Gle, and the police had considerable work
in keeping the crowds outside the fire linn.
it's over 30 engines played all night on
the burning ruins.
The fire started in pile of lumber which
was lying under the right field bleachers,
directly back of first base, on the ball
grounds. A group Of boys was seen neal
the place a few minutes before, and at the
time the fire was discovered they ran away
Before any of the spectators could follow
them it was evident that the fire needed
al Of their attention. In a moment Il
had leaped up to the seats, and famed by
a brisk breeze it swept toward the grand
stand.
So rapidly did the flames spread that be
fore the occupants of the grand stand real
lied it the fire was upon them, and they
were forced to flee with all haste, the one
in the rear narrowly escaping being caught
The woodwork was as dry as punk. NJ
rain has fallen for some time, and it wa
several minutes before the firemen wer
at work. There was a roar, and there wa
nothing left but ashes, as the flame
swept on through the rafters of the struc
ture.
Bleachers Burned First.
The left field bleachers were next ignit
ed. Meanwhile the sparks had fallen upoi
the houses on Berlin street, narrow thor
oughfare which bounds the baseball
grounds on the right These building
were all Of wood, and they burned NOR
freely than those within the inclosure.
The wind, which seemed to have increas
ed, drove the fire directly into the heart q
these rattle traps, and the flames surge
on toward fremont street, reaching out
the right and left until the entire squal
between the ball grounds and Tremol
street and extending north from Walpo
street to Burke street was a mass of burr
ing buildings. The Sherwin KindergartC
schoolhouse, which stood at the corner