New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-16
A BASEBALL FIRE.
THE BOSTON CLUBS GROUNDS SWEPT
BY FLAMES.
TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF THE GREAT GRAND
STAND AND OTHER BUILDINGS COVERING
ABOUT TWELVE ACRES - SEVERAL
HUNDRED FAMILIES REM


ABOUT TWELVE ACRES - SEVERAL
HUNDRED FAMILIES rem
DERED HOMELESS.
Boston. May 15.-Some small Roxbury boys set
themselves up as rivals to Mrs. OLearys cow on
| the Boston baseball grounds this afternoon, and
! as a result the city was visited by the biggest
fire since Thanksgiving Day, 1892 and con-
| nagratlon covering greater area than any since
the memorable one OF 1872 While the financial
| loss Is not a circumstance to that Of either OF
the aforementioned fires. yet in less than three
hours about twelve OF territory were burned
| over. The baseball grandstand and beachers,
| lGrge schoolhOuse, engine house. 164 wooden
| b,:ildngs and thirteen brick buildings were
! bu<ned and about 900 families rendered home
lesl. The loss is conservatlvely estimated at
| from $500 900 to s5OO00O although one authority
OUTS It at sl,OOOOO0 Indications are tnat the
fire was caused by carelessness and mischief,
and gained headway beyond control through stu
pidty
There could not have been better place TO be-
| gin blaze The seats in the centre field had
been torn down since last season. and the only
25-ccnt seats left were those occupying a tri-
| angular position in the extreme right field.
| When these seats were completed there were left
great many shavlngs and loose pieces of wood.
! These should have been removed. but they were
| not As II had not ralned for some days this
| spot furnished excellent ammunition for fire.
| The boys set the fire, and, getting scared, ran
| away. and thus the flames got good start. An
officer was told about the blaze and tried to pull
| away some boards. but those gave the flame the
start 1t needed to pake connagration Then
II took long time to ring in the alarm and to
turn on the water. that It seemed all Of twenty
minutes between the first appearance OF smoke
and the turning OF the first stream Of water
The second OF the series OF games between
the Boston and Baltimores had begun before
about $500 spectators. Nettled by the thorough
defeat Of the previous day. the champions were
playing ball with all their might. and running
bases In a way that threatened to carry every
thing before them. Only two and one-half in
nngs had been played. and the Baltimores
to take their turn at bat I'm the last part Of the
third inning when the contest was interrupted
by flames which could be seen rising from the
right field bleachcrs
The occupants Of the beachers. feeling the
warmth under them jumped from their seats
n Wild amazement and tried to extinguish the
flames by tearing the rubbish and scattering 1t
~ best they could. but the blaze refused to be
cxtingulshei and gathered headway with per-
slstency which surprised them. and In few
moments was exciting more interest than 'he
National game
After five or ten minutes Of unavaing work
some one suggested calling the Fire Department.
The first alarm was rung in at 4:l7 p. M. This
was followed by a second at 4:2l. a third at Az
and fourth at 445. The department was slow
In getting to work. and before any one seemed
to realize the danger the flames were beyond
control In fact. 1t was at first considered
/ Ia. sh.. IN ,f inn
sich little flame should stop play, and impa-
ucnty cried. PLAY ball. Play bali"
With the rapidity Of a prairie fire. tho flames
rushed along. taking In everything OF an in
nammabe nature they encountered. The ball
players ran out toward the scene. but It was not
long before they were forced back. After hav-
Ing thoroughly found their way into the 25-cent
seats. the flames attacked the house outside the
grounds on the east side and crawled along the
fence \ feeble attempt was made to saturate
the seats back OF the first base but IT like a
drop u water In a bucket. All this time there
nothing done to protect the grandstand Not a
line of hose was seen not drop 81 water to
avert the threatened danger. Thousands gazed
with sorrowful eyes as rle flames, slowly at
first. but Ike lightning afterward. devoured their
prcy. The heat was so intense that the specta-
tors who had been driven into the left-hed cor
gCr. began 10 make tnclr way out OF the GROUNDS
through hole In the ccntre-held fence.
The ball players. little dreaming that there
would be anything more than brief Interrupt
ton. found that there was little time to get their
belongings out OF danger. Captain Nash was
one Of the last to leave. and It had become pretty
hot before ne had made his exit.
Fifteen minutes after the fire was discovered
the houses in the rear OF the ball grounds were
attacked. and within an hour the whole fence on
the right-feld side all the seats on the bleachers
the grandstand and the ticket Office with all
the wooden structures contiguous, had been de-
strOyed The fire had also burned through TO
Trcmont-st.. and then proceeding southerly, had
taken all the wooden dwellings In Burke Cow
entry and Berlin sts within It's grasp. Having
practically consumed everything the right
hand side OF Tremont-st.. It leaped across to the
other side Of that thoroughfare and then rushed
with a swoop In the direction Of ROxbury Sross-
ing The northerly boundary OF the fire was
Benton-st., and its lateral boundaries were Cabot
ST. on one side and the Providence Railroad. be-
yond the bail grounds on the other.
II is no exaggcratlon to say that fifty houses
I'm the immediate vicinity Of Walpole and Ire
mont SITS had blazing roofs The occupants
climbed from the skyghts with buckets of water
10 the roofs but no sooner had they subdued a
fire on part than they discovered one In
other locality. and finally. seeing that their
efforts were fruitless they gave up and left their
homes 10 the mercy Of the oncOming flames.
The houses In Berlln-st backing on the ball
grounds, We're at the outset full of baseball en-
thusastS who were procuring the pleasures or
the game at less than the regular prices. The
moment they their danger wild rush To
the street was made. When the houses began
to go before the flames number Of women fell
the street from sheer exhaustion and had to
be carried into the various houses In the nelgh-
borhood. The streets were full Of carts carrying
off furniture, and confusion reigned supreme.
The work of the department was complicated by
the fact ttat six other alarms were sent In while
the nremen were fighting the big fire.
Before o'clock help had been summoned from
,I.fao and nit hin ro1f fnG Of on