The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-02-26
PHEMXS GREAT Loss.
Spencer's Block Almost
Totally Destroyed.
A YOUNG LAD FATALLY INJURED
And a Man Seriously Hurt-Thc Fire
Was Discovered at an Early Hour
A Disastrous Confiagration and
Heavy Blow TO the Town.

ing by one OF the most disastorous fires
since that of March 8, 1873, and today the
largest OF her business blocks is in ruins,
a dozen business enterprises homeless, and
besides the bruised and battered firemen
two OF the villagers are lying at their
homes at the point of death from injuries
received at the fire.
About 3:20 o'clock Sunday morning
Spencer's block was discovered to be on
fire by Frank Duffy, who Immediately
aroused his brother, Philip Duffy, and an
alarm was Immediately rung in by him
from box "a, situated at the Phenix Fire
Station.
The firemen responded promptly TO the
alarm and in a few minutes had their APP
paratus at the scene OF the confiagration.
Upon their arrival a lively blaze was
found to be burning in the large hallway
which ran through the building from
front to back, and from which the stairs
led to the upper floors.
Lines of hose were Immediately laid
from the hydrants nearest the burning
building, and torrent of water was
poured on the flames, but it seemed to
have no effect, and a second alarm was
struck, which called out the entire depart
ment. For time the men worked with
will in the freezing cold, where the
water froze nearly as soon as 1t fell, but
without avail, and then an alarm was rung
in from box 25, near the Llppitt mill.
Hose companies 1, 2 and OF the River
Point Fire Department responded to the
call and in short time had their streams
playing on the burning building.
Fire Had Good Headway.
The fire had gained good headway, how
ever, and for time the many streams OF
water seemed to have no subduiDg effect
upon it, but after a stubborn fight OF
nearly three hours the fire was finally got
ten under control and extinguished.
From O'Clock in the morning until
O'Clock in the afternoon the firemen kept
streams of water playing upon the ruins
and watched for any reappearance of the
fire.
After the recall was sounded the fire.
men reeled up their frozen hose and only
small detail was left to guard the ruins.
The ladders, which had been placed
against the building, were a solid mass of
ice, and the firemen were Obliged to use
axes before the extension ladders could be
taken down from the ruins.
About half past four, and during the
heat Of the fire, Alexander Cook fell from
the roof of an l. of the Phenix hotel which
was next TO the burning building, and
received severe injuries from striking
his head on the frozen ground. He was
picked up and carried to his home at Ark
wright, and is at present in critical con-
dition.
Crowds at the Ruins.
Asthe morning broke large crowds be-
gan to arrive at the scene of the fire and
by s O'Clock fully five hundred persons
were gathered in the square in front of
the ruined building. The firemen still
had their streams playing on the smoking
ruins and were doing their utmost to
drown out the last remnants OF the fire.
There Is long platform or piazza on
the front OF the building and about
eleven o'clock number of the firemen
were on it directing stream OF water
into the store occupied by William III.
Snow as tailor shop. A number OF citi-
zens had climbed up on this piazza in
order to see what was burning inside of
the building, and in spite of the orders of
the fire and policemen refused to leave the
dangerous place. Suddenly, and almost
without any warning, the heavy cornice
at the top of the front wall cracked and
fell, striking squarely upon the
the building and escaped serious injury,
but the citizens jumped in the other direc-
tion, and one of them, Patrick Lamb, the
13-year cid son of Michael Lamb, was
struck by the mass of falling brick and
pinned to the floor of the plat
form. Officer John II. Duffy and Fred
Sherman sprang to his assistance and
dragged the unfortunate boy from his
periious position and carried him TO the
Phenix Hotel. A number of doctors were
telephoned for but before any had arrived
the boy was removed to his home on
Maple avenue, where he now lies in
critical condition and no hopes are enter
tanned OF his recovery. The building,
which is a total wreck. was first built in
1649. On Nov. %, 1855, fire broke out i'm
the lower floor and the building was
burned to the ground. 1t was Immediately
rebuilt, but was burned again in the dis
astrous fire which visited Phenix in 1871.
when Present Building Was Built.
The present building was erected in 1871.
The tenants OF the building at the time
of this last Ore were James
Ward, painter, loss unknown,
but probably covered by insurance;
the w. G. Il. u. coffee rooms, badly dam
aged by water with an insurance OF sl50,
which will probably cover about half OF
the loss; Bridget Carol, millinery, in
surance $500, loss probably about 200;
William III. Snow, tailor, no insurance,
loss about $500; George Bradford, no i'm
surance, loss 500; Phenix Cycle Club, no
insurance, loss not known; Temple Of
Honor, partly insured, loss not known;
Crandall's Orchestra, no insurapce, loss
about $500; Maxim Gorton, barber, no In
surance, loss about $500; William Lewis,
stationery and periodical store, no i'm
surance, loss about 500; Arthur Deane,
boots and shoes, loss unknown but
covered by insurance; Charles Fiske loss
unknown but probably fully covered by
insurance; Narragansett Lodge No. s X.
Of p, loss s2200, insurance $1,000.
The building, which belonged 10 the
Providence County Savings Bank OF
Pswtucket, 10 a total loss, but Is covered
by an insurance OF $1,000 When the
front wall fell, burying the Lamb boy, n
number OF women who were watching the
Nro fotufeI and caueod oonqfdera hlo -