The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-05-18
MANY ARE HOMELESS
DISASTROUS CONFEDERATION IN
THE CITY OF BOSTON.

About One Hundred buildings Destroyed,
For Which an Incendiary's Torch Is Re
sponsibie-The Fire. Started at the
League Base Ball Grounds--Six Persons
Injured, But None Fatally.
Boston, May 1G.--By the torch of an
incendiary over S1,000000 worth Of
property is in ashes, over 500 families
of the medium and poorer classes, con-
sisting of over 2,000people, are homeless
and many Of them who had time to
save portion of their household fur
niture, last night slept in the open air.
Women with babes in their arms and
little children huddled close together,
had only the sky for roof and the few
mattresses saved from the burned
tenements for bed. After o'clock,
the time for the workshops and bust
ness places to close, many pathetic
scenes were witnessed. fathers return
ing 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 resided
and could find no traces of their par
ents. The fire covered space of 20
acres, and as far as can be learned only
six persons have been injured and none
fatally.
The fire started in the Boston League
ball park in pile of lumber which was
lying under the right field bleachers,
directly back Of first base. In mo-
ment it had leaped out to the seats and,
famed by a brisk breeze, swept toward
the grand stand. So rapidly did the
flames spread that before the occu-
pants of the grand stand realized it the
fire was upon them and they were
forced to flee. 1t was several minutes
before the firemen were at work. The
left field bleachers were next ignited,
while the sparks had fallen upon the
houses on Berlin street and the flames
sarged on toward fremont street, reach
ing out TO the right and left until the
entire square between the ball grounds
and fremont street and extending
north from Walpole street to Burk
street was a mass OF burning buildings.
The Sharwin kindergarten schoolhouse,
brick structure, checked the progress
of the fire for only moment and that,
too was quickly numbered among tho
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 the men and women who were work
ing with frantic energy to get out their
household goods. and even before they
could remove those to q safe place the
walls burned and crumbled down.
At 5 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 bolcks. BY this time
the residents of the tenements for near
ly half 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. The streets were
filled with frightened women and chill
dren, poor people who were trying to
save part Of their small property, and
hurrying firemen and policemen.
1t is estimated that about 100 build
ings have been burned and about 900
families rendered homeless.