The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-05-16
Over Five Hundred Families, Aggregat-
ing Fully 1000 People, Rendered
Homeless in a Few Hours.
TWENTY ACRES SBURNEDOvER
League Ball Park Grand Stand
and Bleachers Destroyed.
Poor People Suffered Most, Although a
Few Business Houses and Office
Blocks We're Burned.

BOSION, May l0.-By the loren or an
incendiary, tonight, over a million dollars
worth of property is in ashes. over five
hundred families Of the medium and poor
er, classes. consisting Of over two thousand
people, are homeless and many of them
who had time To save a portion of their
household furniture are tonight sleeping
in the open air. Women with babes in
their arms and little children huddled close
together have only the sky for roof and
the few 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
houses burned to the ground and no traces
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
resided and could find no traces of their
parents.
The fire covered a space of twenty acres.
and, as far as can be learned only six
persons have been injured and none fatal
ly. The fire started in the Boston League
ball park, in a pile of lumber which was
lying in the right field bleachers. directly
leaped out to the seats and, famed by a
brisk breeze. swept towards the grand
stand. So rapidly did the flames spread
that before the occupants of the grand
stand realized it the fire was upon them
and they were forced to flee. 1t was sew
eraI minutes before the firemen were at
work. The left-field bleachers were next
ignited Meanwhile the sparks had fallen
ha
the flames surged on towards fremont
street. reaching out to the right and
left until the entire square between the
ball grounds and fremont street. and ex-
tending north from walpole to Burke
street was a mass of burning buildings.
The Sherman kindergarten. brick struc-
ture. obstructed the progress of the fire
for only a moment. and that, too, was num-
bered among the structures consumed. The
buildings on the south side of walpole
street were soon burned. The flames shot
down towards Coventry street on that side
of fremont nearest the ball grounds. They
swept on in this direction for three squares
as far as Burke street. devouring the
homes of men and women who were work.
ing with frantic energy to get out their
household goods. but before they could be
removed to a safe place the walls burned
and crumbled down.
BARELY SAVED THEIR LIVES
At o'clock the entire block along the
west side of fremont street. from Walpole
to Burke, was a brilliant mass of flames.
which swept across TO the opposite side and
soon engulfed the buildings for four blocks.
BY this time the residents OF the tenements
for nearly half a, mile around had become
alarmed and were moving all their proper
ty into the streets and seeking for places
of safety. So rapidly did the fire eat it's
way, however. that those in the blocks ad-
joining fremont street did not have time
to save their household effects, and barely
escaped with their lives. The streets were
filled with frightened women and children,
poor people who were trying TO save part
Of their small property and hurrying fire
men and policemen Furniture of all kinds
Uttered the sidewalks and the firemen were
greatly hampered by the distractions. BY
o'clock the confiagration had crossed Ire
mont TO Cabot street.
Shortly after 6 o. clock several steamers
arrived from Lynn, Salem, Beverly, Brook
lyme and Lawrence, and every effort was
made TO stop the fire at Cabot street but
1t could not be checked. and not until ii
had burned from Cabot street, half way
through to Werwick street, and north to
Burke street, was the limit of the burned
district on the southeast side of the ball
grounds reached. While the firemen were
lighting on this side the fire was spread
<.
the southwest side OF the ball grounds, and
in half an hour all buildings in this block
were in ruins. The fire burned until il
reached Ruggles street, at one point, and
destroyed the houses on both sides OF
Chapel street and laid low the structures
on Sudbury street. At Ruggles street, on
the west, and Cabot street, on the south
east, the fire was practically stopped, and
at 730 the fire was under control and in
no danger of spreading further.
Ii is estimated that about one hundred
buildings were burned and about five hun
dred families rendered homeless. The new
No. Z, on fremont street, was destroyed
Alderman Bryant's residence, on Walpole
street. and his store, on fremont street
were also destroyed. Among the other bus
mess places leveled were: j. j. Mcnamara
wines and liquors, Cabot street; Daniel
Bernhard x Co., fremont. liquors; Sterling
provision store, Sterling street; Grays pho
tographing establishment, fremont street
Martin Regan. undertaken, fremont street
Milmore's Block of offices. etc, fremont
street; 5. McElrick, provisions, fremont
street; Councilman Connors lost his home
on fremont street, and many of its effects
special meeting OF the Board of Alder
men was called this evening to take action
voted TO use the surplus of $1,000 now held
by the trustees OF the Johnstown food, anc
which was collected for the sufferers by
the flood at Jonstown, for the relief OF
the two thousand people made homeless by
the confiagration this afternoon. The meet
ing was adjourned 10 tomorrow morning
when some further means will be devised tC
aid those in distress Prominent Insurance.
men place the loss at 100000 and the In