The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-07-24
BRILLIANT END.
Comstock's Hotel and Many
Cottages Burned Last Night.
The Blaze Was Incendiary Undoubt-
edIy--comstock's Loss Heavy.

All further litigation in the town OF
East Providence asto whether Comstock's
Hotel Is respectable or not is at end Tor
the hotel Is no more. A fire broke out
there at 10 O'Clock last night and by mid
night there were not even enough tim
ben left standing by which the
location OF the dance hall could be dis
ItinguisheG from that OF the bar and con-
cert hall. The hotel building itself was
not only totally destroyed but the cluster
OF adjoining cottages went with IT and the
loss on all amounts to about siz,oOo.
The hotel as a wooden structure, four
and half stories nigh, and all above
the ground floor cut up into 200 sleeping
rooms, furnishing ample material In the
way Of partitions for a brilliant bon fire,
and that's what IL was. The fire started
in the rear in an angle OF the yard, almost
under the building, and 1t was 70
minutes later when Harry Com.
stock. a son OF the proprietor,
noticed that the house was in flames.
Officer German who was with him began
firing his revolver for an alarm and the
word was got TO the ~Narragansett Engine
Company at Riverside and the Pomham
Company at Silver Spring. Both compa-
MES responded with reasonable prompt
ness. but their efforts on the hotel build
ing or the triangle OF cottages adjoining
were useless, and water was poured on
the buildings across the street.
Auu III luG HthnNlulC lhC EuN iiohlto-
fion known as Comstock's, and valued at
$4,000, was going rapidly up in smoke,
furnishing a splendid spectacular show
that all the East side cottagers turned out
TO see and which furnished an illumina-
tion that covered the river from shore to-
shore. Hundreds OF people saw from the
city that q big fire was In progress and
crowded on the Riverside electrics and
rode down to witness it.
BY IL o'clock there were half q dozen
fires in progress, all within the triangle
formed by Narragansett avenue and stowe
and River streets. The hotel itself ironted
on the avenu and River street. The first
building to go after the hotel was
wrecked was the story and a half cottage
owned by j. o. Angel. This, with q barn
In the rear, was totally destroyed, involv-
ing a loss OF $4,000 on buildings and con-
tents. The insurance is $500.
One Of Comstocks's own cottages,
rented by Louis Lauzen and his
family, which was built in close proxim-
ity to the wing where the dance hall was,
went like a pile of shavings, and also an
other cottage used for kitchen purposes.
The loss on both is included in the general
estimate made by Comstock on the value
OF his entire property.
Lauzen's loss on personal property was
$3.50.
Mr.. Joseph w. Grant OF Providence
owned two more cottages just south OF
the hotel and they were burned to the
ground. The value of both was $500 and
the insurance s270O. There was time to
Bave the furniture in the two cottages.
The houses In the three streets q -the
sides opposite to the hotel were all more
or less damaged by the shower
OF burning wood that fell
on their roofs, some OF them being
necessary. John A. Flagg's cottage, oc-
cupied by F. A. Tatro, was wrecked; loss
$500. Mrs. John Bradley OF Pawtucket
sustained q loss of about $500 on a single
and q double cottage, both of which were
burned on the roof.
The verandah and front wall OF r. Dom
outh's cottage was damaged to the extent
of $50.
James Morton's two-and-a-half story
dwelling house on Stowe street was in the
burned district, and the owner sustained
G ioss Of $3.50, and the paint was blistered
on the front Of James Ranges cottage at
the corner of River street.
The best work of the firemen was that
done in saving George Cranston's hotel
located not more than 200 feet from the
doomed building. 1t was a hard fight to
save this structure that was threatened
with destruction from the intense heat
n flying embers.
The proprietor Of the burned hotel,
Walter H.. Comstock, located at Pleasant
Bluff two years ago and built and equipped
his hotel at a cost OF s35, 900 and it was in
sured for but $1,000. He declared last
night that he had lost everything he bad
made, and all because Of the act
Of some enemy for he claims that
the fire was Of iucendiary origin and
everyone agrees with him. There was no
dre In the house at the time n it was
unoccupied as the result of the town
councils action in revoking the hotel
liquor license.
There were some eight accidents. VIII
liam Sampson had his right han nearly
severed by broker glass and Patrick ON
nors had q leg fractured by being
struck by a falling timber. Charles Hor-
ton got a rusty nail in the ball of his foot
and required medical assistance, and Miss
Ames, a guest at Louis Lauzen's cottage,
was overcome by smoke in trying to get
out. She was taken through a window
hr ocp,a ~ "a. Hr.N,o