Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-05-16
FIRE BY THE ACRE.
Boston Once More Swept by a
Conflagration.
TWENTY ACRES OF DEVASTATION.
Five Hundred Families kggregating
1000 Persons Without Roof
Over Their Heads.

Loss of 81 600, 900 the Result of the
Been the Work of an Incendiary Who
Starts 1t Under the Bleachers' Benches
In the Base Ball Park, and Forces the
Attendants at the Game to Hustle for
Their Lives-Pathetic Scenes.
Boston, May 16-By the torch of an in
cendiary last night over 81 Coz, 600 worth of
property is in ashes. over 500 families of
the medium or poorer classes, consisting of
over 1900 people, are homeless, and many
of them who had time to save portion of
their household furniture slept last night
in the open air. Women with babes in
their arms, and little children huddled
close together, had only the sky for roof
and the mattresses saved from the burned
tenements for bed, and no prospects of a
breakfast in the morning. After o'clock,
the time for the workshops and business
places to close, many pathetic scenes were
witnessed-fathers returning to 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
barred out from the streets where they re-
sided, and could find no traces of their
parents.
Grand stand People Have to I. .ustIe.
The fire covered space of twenty acres
and as far rs can be learned only six per-
sons have been injured and none fatally.
The fire started in the Boston League
park in pile of lumber which was ly-
in np,1er ha riCbf fol III I1o,obare J;,oo,
ly back of first base. In moment it had
leaped out to the seats and famed by
brisk breeze swept towards the grand
stand. So rapidly did the flames spread
that before the occupants of the grand
stand realized ii the fire was upon them
and they were forced to flee. 1t was sew
eral minutes before the firemen were at
work. The left field bleachers were next
limited.
Flames Spread To the Houses.
Meanwhile the sparks had fallen upon
the houses on Berlin street and the flames
surged on towards fremont street. reach
ing out to the right and left until the en-
tire square between the ball grounds and
fremont street and extending north from
Walpole street was a mass of burning
buildings. The Shorwin kindergatan
school house, a brick structure. checked
the progress of the fire for only Il moment,
ana that too was quickly numbered
among the structures consumed The
buildings on the south side of Walpole
street We're soon burned. The flames then
shot down towards Coventry street on
that side of fremont nearest the ball
grounds; they swept on in this direction
Tor three squares: as far as Burke street,
devouring the homes SO rapidly that moth
ing was saved.
Bnrcly Escaped with Their Lives.
In "A short time the entire block along the
west side ot fremont street. from Waipole
to Burke, was IA brilliant mass of flames.
which swept across to the opposite side and
soon en@uifed the buildings for four
blocks. by this time the residents of the
tenements for nearly half II mile around
had become alarmed and were moving all
their property into the streets and seeking
for places of safety. SO rapidly did the fire
eat its way, however, that those in the
blocks adjoining fremont street did not
have time to save their household effects
and barely escaped with their lives.