Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-05-17

n AOs' Va hoeAAy "hhAOh dSAAaAn
Is the result OF yesterdays big nre. After
the graphic story In last nights extra, It
only remains for the TRIBUNE to give the
details.
All night long the lurid glare OF the big
blaze could be seen for miles around and
hundreds OF people hocked to the scene
from all parts OF the State.
Street car and steam car traffic was I'm
mense and It was long after midnight
when the streets had anything like a de-
serted appearance.
HOW 1T STARTED.
The FIRE originated In the blacksmith
shop on the premises OF the Newell Coal
and Lumber Company. on the west side
OF the river, close to the Division street
bridge, at about $3.50 O'Clock. The black
smiths were setting q tire at the time. In
some unsccountable way the fre got be-
yond control ard sprcsd to the building.
Almost before the men could compIe Q bond
the danger the IRE was pursuing Its way
mp through the frame structure. A strong
northwest wind swept down the valley
and carried sparks and emhers from
building TO building In the Newell yard.
BRIDGE OF FIRE.
The three msstsd schooner l.. f. Hop
kins, laden with paving stones for the
town OF Lincoln, was moored st the dock
on the water front OF tho Newell yard.
This schooner was soon enveloped In
flames and It's hawsers burned away. The
current swung the bow across the stream,
making q bridge of nre to the east side OF
the river. With the wind sweeping 10
that direction the flames were carried TO
the premises OF the Pswtusket City Coal
yard ana very quickly were under great
headwsy on the east side OF the river.
AID COMES.
A general alarm called the entire foros
and apparatus OF the Pawtuckst depart
ment, and double call from box IL.
called the veteran associations members
From Providsnoe steamer No. 8 and hos,
companies 4, 8 and IT were dispatched Il
tho scene. Central Falls sent two hose
companies and the Pacific steamer.
In less than half an hour the fire worked
it's way southwark into the premises oi
Oiney q Payne Bros, dealers In coal and
builders materials, on the west side of the
river. All that the owners of these pre-.
misses could do was In saving horses and
some harnesses.
EVERYBODY WORKED.
There were few who saw the fire In 1t.
early stages who believed that Lumber
street could be made Ia any great meas
ure q boundary OF the burned district.
Three small dwellings and barn were
destroyed, and few others were dam
aged, but this was O mere bsgstelle tc
what might have been II the fire had
spread, as It seemed bound to. The peo-
pie OF the district did effective work by
promptly forming independent fire com
panios and keeping their property we'll
soaked with water, conveyed by garden
hose and buckets.
Nearly every yard from the bridge Ia
the Gas Compsny's wharf was filled with
furniture and clothing. Every body wa,
thoroughly alarmed, and Just ss soon a.
the fire began to spread and consume
houses In the neig ghborhood, a general i'm
pulse seized the people to save their per-
sonal belongings. Tenement after tene-
msnt was ranssckcd. Articles big and
small, valuable articles and worthless ar
ticles, were thrown into the streets and
yards. In very short order homes were
stripped bare OF everything, save walls
and floors.
Old mon, women and chill rem mounted
guard upon their belongings, which were
hustled to yards remote from the flames.
Dozens of houses whose occupants had
fied were literally sprinkled with water
so that the danger from fylrg sparks was
materially lesssned.
GAS PLANT SAVED.
The Pswtuokot Gas Compsny's plant,
from which 10 furnished power for street
lighting and electric railway service, had
Q remarkably narrow escape. But the
wires by which the power 10 conveyed
were burned away very early during the
progress of the nre. Whom tbs wires fell
street cars In ell sections OF the city and
the Blackstone valley to the north, and
also on the Providence ana Branch avenue
routes came to O stan dstill. The railway
officisls, ss soon a. possible, made con-
nections between these lines and the dy-
Eamos at tho electric plant In Providence
by which Lrsfic was resumed.
DEPARTMENT CRITICISED.
The Fire Department IL coming In for
. good deal Of criticism for the manner In