The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-05-17
ANOTHER BIG BLAZE.
Boston Visited Again This Morning
BY a Serious ConfIagration.

BosToN, May T.--AS x40 o'clock this
morning frs was discovered in the Ave
story granite building known ~ State
street block, and occupied ss the oflcss OF
the United States appraisers and as the
United States bonded warehouse. Upon
the arrival of the department the flames
had gained such headway that q second
aud third alarm rapidly followed each
other At $40 fourth alarm was rung
IN, owing to the combustible material H.
the bonded warehouse. The appraisers
Office and contents were ruined.
The building is owned by Mrs. Paran
Stevens, and Is leased by the United
States government. II Is one OF the finest
constructed buildings In the city.
The building was gutted. Fortunately
there was an unusually small lot Of goods
in bond. and a rough estimate on the
total loss is si75,000. The origin Is not
known The watchmen, who were In the
lower floor Of the building, knew nothing
OF the fire until appraised of the fact by
the arrival OF the engines. an alarm hav-
ing been sounded by y patrolman who
saw flames issuing from the third story
OF the building.
The fire which started In the third story
erly stores OF which are occupied by the
United States government for the apprais-
crs' offices and the appraisers storehouses,
gutted those two buildings. On the third
floor was a quantity OF dry goods, among
which the blaze must have originated, but
from what cause no one can even con-
lecture.
From this floor the flames spread
quickly 10 the two floors above. burdened
with cigars and miscellaneous merchan-
disc, and before they could be ex-
tinguishcd destroyed completely all
that was in the two buildings. Captain
Boutellc, the Government storekeeper,
who has charge of the goods in the APP
praisers' storehouses, told reporter that,
on account of the generally dull
times and the pending tariff legislation,
the building contained about one half the
quantity OF goods usually stored there,
While the records OF the reception
and delivery OF the goods had been
rescued intact, he could not Immediately
tell the probable loss on the goods, but he
calculated roughly that IL would not
exceed s150,O00. The business OF the
government will not be interrupted, for
already the officials have established
themselves in an unoccupied portion OF
the same block.
At one time it looked as IL
the fire would spread far beyond
the block. Living embers swept
down upon the adjoining business
blocks and divided the attention OF the
firemen. A surplus OF apparatus, how
ever, was on hand and all danger of a con-
fIagration was speedily averted.
The buildings damaged are numbered
from III to 1S3 State street and corrc-
spondingly on Central street. They
comprise two properties and are owned by
Mrs. Paran Stevens and j. Montgomery
Sears. The damage on both will probably
not exceed $4,000, and are insured for
about two thirds of the estimated loss.
The story that the two watchmen en-
ployed by the government in the burned
premises were found asleep by those
who discovered the fire, Is denied by police
officers, who were first on the scene,
and firemen who responded TO the first
alarm. Captain Boutele and a reporter
made critical examination of the watch
mems clock that was found in the
ruins and that mechanical monitor
substantiated the storekeeper's deciara-
tion that the story was an injustice to the
men.
To apportion the loss on the many lots
OF goods stored in the bonded warehouses
ia an impossible task. The individual
merchants who owned the goods in bond
were mostly insured. The Government Is
absolutely irresponsible.
The Governments loss, in fact, will be
light. The first Two floors of the build
ing, which were occupied by the offices
of the appraiser and customs inspectors
were not much burned, and the water
loss was averted by the prompt action OF
the protective department.
Considerable anxiety is felt on account
of the probable destruction of certain
records stored in the upper story of the
burned buildings. These records were
filed in wooden boxes to admit
OF ready access and were composed
of all the entry records of the port of Bos-
ton, from the time of the British evacua-
tiop until 1889.
The loss on these papers, however, may
be said TO be chiefly of an historical and
genealogical character.
A 22-inch party wall is all that kept the
fire from spreading.
Had 1t not been for the substantial
character of the old-fashioned block
Boston would probably have suffered
from catastrophe greater, from none
tary point OF view, than that of yesterday