The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-05-16

BOSTON, May lo.-By the lOrcn OF dn III
cendiary tonight over a million dollars
worth of property is in ashts, over 5OO
families OF the medium and poorer classes,
consisting of over z 600 people. are home
less and many of them who had time TO
we portion of their house hold furniture
g., tonight sleeping in the open air.
Eomen with babies in their arms and
lille children huddled close together, have
only the sky for a roof and the few mat
treS>es saved from the burning tenements
tor bed and no prospects OF breakfast
Ia h- morning.
3 IL fire covered space OF twenty acres.
y Ia as can be learned six persons were
injured, none fatally.
The fire started in the Boston league
park. in pile of lumber which was lying
under the right field bleachers, directly
back OF second base Ia a moment IL 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 occupants OF the grand
stand realized it, the fire was upon them
and they were forced to fee. 1t was sew
eral minutes before the firemen were at
work The left field bleachers were next
igniUed. Meanwhile the sparks had fallen
npon the houses of Berlin street ana the
flames surged on towards fremont street,
reaching ont TO the right and left until
the entire square between the ball grounds
and Tremon6 street, and extending north
from Walpole street to Burk street, was a
mass of burning buildings. The Sherwin
kindergarten school house, brick Struc-
ture, checked the progress of the fire for
only moment. And that, too, was
quickly mum bered among the structures
consumed.
hi a cir Of al
pole street were also 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 Burk street.
At o'clock the entire block along the
west side of fremont street, from Wal
pole TO Burk, was a 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
ienements for nearly half a mile around
here become alarmed and were moving
their property into the streets and seeking
places OF safety. So rapidly did the fire
hat 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.
BY o'clock the confagration had
crossed fremont to Cabot street. Shortly
after o'clock several steamers arrived
from Lynn, Salem, Beverly, Brookline and
other places and every effort was made to
stop the fire at Cabot street. But it could
not be checked, and not until 1t had
burned Cabot street half way to Werick
street and north to Burk street, was the
limit of the burned district on the SOUTH
east side of tine ball grounds reached.
While the firemen were fighting on this
side. the fire was spreading from Walpole
toward Milford Place on the southwest
side of the ball grounds. and in half an
hour all the buildings in this block were
in ruins The fire burned on until it
reached Ruggles street. at one point,
and consumed the houses on both sides OF
Chapel street, and laid low the structures
on Sunbury street. At Ruggles street on
the west and Cabot street on the southeast,
the fire was practically stopped, and at
7:30 the fire was under control and In no
danger of spreading further.
1t is estimated about 100 buildings have
been burned. The new house of ladder
company - and hose company No. on
fremont street was destroyed. Alderman
Bryant's residence on Walpole street and
his store on fremont street are also de-
stroyed. Among the other business places
leveied were:
]. j. Mcnamara, wine and liquors,
Cabot street.
Daniel Bernhart & Co., fremont street,
liquors.
Sterling Provision Store, Sterling street.
Gray's photographing establishment,
fremont street.
Gilmore's block of Offices, fremont street
5. {. McEttrick. provisions, FREMONT
Councilman Connors lost his house on
fremont street and many of his effects.
A special meeting of the board of alder
men was called this evening to take action
On the exigencies of the case and it was
voted the "a 600 now held by the trustees
Of the Johnstown Flood fund, aud which
was collected for the sufferers by the flood
st JohnstowD, for the relief of the 1000
made homeless by the fire. The
meeting was adjourned until tomor-
row morning when some further means
will be devised TO aid those in distress.
Prominent insurance men place the loss
st 81 goo, and insurance at two-thirds
of the loss.