Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-05-24


The most destructive fire that has
visited Boston in months started Tues
day, a little after o'clock, at the
South End ball grounds. The scene OF
the devastation Is that section Of Rox-
bury beginning on the narrow street
that is the extension of Columbus ave-
nue., and extending to Walpole street
on the south and to the western bound
ary of the ball grounds. The blaze
started, says dispatch, under what
are known as the 25-cent bleachers,
and at its inception could have been
put out with a bucket of water. The
first intimation the audience had that
a fire was in progress was thin sheet
OF smoke that curled up between the
seats and spread over space not larger
than a mans hat. The whole affair
was looked upon as a joke by some
mischievous boys, no attempt being
made to subdue the flames. The hun
dred or more men who were seated in
this part OF the field rose leisurely and
peered curiously over the fence and
watched the flames.
Presently the smoke grew denser
and above the high board fence q long
tongue of flame shot upward. Then
from under the seats came other evil
dences that something more than an
ordinary blaze was in progress. The
smoke thickened, the flames rose
higher and higher and in their en-
brace took in the whole tier of seats.
They swept along rapidly, and owing
to the tinder-like condition of the
shell houses it required but moment
to engulf the poor structures in what
had now developed into sort OF rag
ing fire. The puny attempts Of the
fire department had no appreciable
effect in subding the oncoming flames.
Building after building melted away
as If they had been specially construct
ed as food for the devouring elements.
Roofs and windows of houses adjoin
ing the baseball grounds were crowd
ed with anxious spectators, who hung
on to frail thread of hope that their
own houses might be spared from de-
struction.
Vain Efforts to Check the Confie grafton
Strenuous efforts were made to check
the flames by the use Of buckets
basins and whatever else would hold q
quart Of water, but it was like an at
tempt to subdue the everlasting fires
Of Vesuvius. Seeing that their efforts
were in vain the people hastily
gathered together what few articles
they could carry and rushed from the
houses. All the seats of the eastern
side of the ball grounds were a shee,
of roaring flames The spectacle was
one of inexpressible grandeur, and the
thousands who had gathered in the in.
closure gazed upon it in awe, mixed
| with terror. The fire department had
| now got thoroughly at work, but the
tons of water which were poured into
the great flaming space were of nc
| avail whatever and IL seemed that the
rush of fire would only be subdued
when material to feed IL had been ex
hausted.
Crowded on the upper story of the
grand stand were several hundred per-
sons who had gathered there to obtair
an unobstructed view of the awful
spectacle spread out before them. Nc
one dreamed that this beautiful struc
ture was in the remotest danger, but
ten minutes later 1t became eviden,
that this, too, lay in the path of the
mad flames. Hurriedly the stand was
vacated, and not moment to soon, az
the eastern wing became ignited and
the hot breath Of the devouring mon
ster nearly overcame those who were
making their escape. A rush was hur
riedly made for the opposite side of the
grounds, but even here the heat was
80 intense that the people huddled to
gether in the northwestern extremity
Of the grounds as far out of danger al
possible.
1t was not until o'clock that control
was gained over the fire. The fire
burned over about eight acres, 2O(
buildings were destroyed and 2,0Ot
persons were rendered homeless.