The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1894-05-18
A BOSTON BLAZE,
About One Hundred Buildings De-
stroyed by Fire.
TWO THOUSAND PEOPLE HOMELESS,
The Loss VIII Reach 81 S1,0OO.oOO-The Fire
Covered - Space of Twenty Acres
Six Persons Injured-Supposed
to BE Incendiary.

Boston, May 16.-By the torch of an
incendiary last night over 81, 600, 600
worth OF property is in ashes, over 500
families of the medium and poorer
GLASSES, consisting of over 1900 people,
are Homeless. and many of them, who
rad no time to save portion of their
household furniture, last night slept
in the open air-7womenwith ba bies in
their arms, and little children huddled
close together, having only the sky for
roof, and a few mattresses saved
from the burned tenements for bed
and no prospects of a breakfast this
morning.
After o'clock, the time for the
workshops and business places to close,
many pathetic scenes were witnessed.
fathers returning to find their homes
burned to the ground, and no trace of
their wives and little ones. Children
who had been at work as cash boys
and girls in the big dry goods and
other stores, barred out from the
streets where they resided, and could
lind no traces of their parents. The
lire covered u space of twenty acres,
but as far as can be learned only six
persons have been injured and 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 first base. In mo-
ment it 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
1T, the fire was upon them, and they
were forced to flee. 1t was several
minutes before the firemen were at
work. The left field bleachers were
next ignited.
Meanwhile the sparks had fallen upon
the houses of Berlin street. and the
flames surged on toward fremont
street, reaching out to the right and
left until the entire square between
the ball grounds and fremont street,
and extending north from Walpole
street to Burke street. was mass of
burning buildings. The Sherwin kim
dergarten school house, brick struct-
ure, checked the progress of the fire for
only moment, and that. too. was
quickly numbered among the struct-
ures consumed.
The buildings on the south side of
Walpole street were soon burned. The
flames shot down towards Coventry
street, on that side of the fremont
nearest the ball grounds. They swept
on in this direction for three squares.
as far as Burke street, devouring the
homes of men and women, who were
working with frantic energy to get out
their household goods, and even before
. they could remove them to a safe place
the walls burned and crumbled down.
At o'clock the entire block along
the west side of fremont street. from
Walpole to Burke, was a brilliant mass
of flames which swept across to the op-
posite side and soon engulfed the build
ings for four blocks. BY this time the
residents of the tenements for nearly
half a mile around had become alarmed
and were moving all their property i'm
. to the streets and seeking for places of
safety.
So rapidly did the fire eat its way.
however, that those in the blocks ad
joining fremont street did not have
time to save their household effects and
barely escaped with their lives. The
streets were filled with frightened
women and children. poor people who
We're trying to save part of their
small property, and hurrying firemen
and policemen. Furniture of all kinds
Uttered the sidewalks and the firemen
were greatly hampered by these OBJ
Structions. BY 6 o'clock the conflagra
tion had crossed fremont to Cabot
street.
w. 81 80
ers arrived from Lynn, Salem, Beverly,
Brookline, and every effort was made
to stop the fire at Cabot street. But
it could not be checked and not until
it had burned Cabot street half way
through to Weric< street and north to
Burke street was the limit OF the
burned districts on the southeast side
of the ball grounds reached.
While the hremen We're fighting on
this side the fire was spreading from
Walpole to Milford place. on the south
west side of the ball grounds. and in
half an hour all the buildings in this
block We're 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 Sanbury street At
Ruggles street, on the west. and Cabot
street, on the southeast, the fire was
practically stopped, and at 7:3O the fire
was practically under control and in
no danger of spreading further.
1t is estimated that about 100 build.
ings have been burned and about 500
families rendered homeless. The new
house of ladder No. 8. on fremont
street, was destroyed. Alderman Bry-
ants residence, on Walpole street. and
his store. on fremont street, are de-
stroyed. Councilman Connors lost his
house on fremont street and many of
his effects:
A special meeting of the board of
aldermen was called last evening to
take action upon the exigencies of the
case, and it was voted to use the sur
plus of 81 200. now held by the trustees
of the Johnstown food, and which was
collected for the sufferers by food at
Johnstown, for the relief of the 1000
peaple made homeless by the fire.
Prominent insurance men place the
loss al 81, ,0o0, 900 and the insurance at
swo-thirds Of the loss.
The Brooklyn heudicap was won by
= -