The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-02-14
FIREMEN KILLED.
Blazing Walls Fell Burying a Dozen
Men.
HELP SUMMONED TO FIGHT FIRE
AT LYNN.

A Destructive Blaze Last Night in the
Reported Killed and the Police Are
Searching the Ruins-Boston g. Maine
Trains Held Up by the Fire.
Lynn, Mass, February 13-At 8 O'Clock
tonight fire started in the hardware
store of W. Ii. Hutchins on Monroe street,
and in about half an hour the building
collapsed like an eggshell. A dozen fire.
men were buried in the debris in an al
leyway. Willing volunteers sprang to
the rescue. The flames were dangerous
iy near to the spot where the men lay
buried, and all the available streams of
water were brought to bear ON that
point. In half an hour or more eleven
firemen were taken out. Three were
dead, or died in a few minutes after be-
ling taken out. Their names are Captain
Henry L. Skinner of Chemical No. 1,
Thomas Murray of engine 8, and John
| Donlan of steamer 3. A general alarm
was sounQed as soon as the building col
lapsed, as the flames then shot high in
the air, the location being the most dam
gerous in the city. Following the gener-
al alarm call for help was sent to Sa-
lem, and a steamer was sent over.
Swampscott also sent steamer, and Ma
hant sent two hose companies. The
flames communicated to a three-storled
wooden building adjoining, occupied on
the ground floor by Peter Donnelly,
wholesale and retail shoe store, and sew
eral smaller firms i'll the upper stories.
This building was soon doomed. In the
rear of Hutchinson's store was three
storied freproof brick building, used as
storehouse. The stOrehouse backs up
to the Boston & Maine railroad tracks,
and served as a check to the flames,
keeping them from crossing the track
and communicating with nest of wood
en- buildings on Har ison court. .The
buildings on Munroe street, opposite the
point where the fire started, at one time
were thought to be in danger, and a
stream of water was directed upon
them. After quitting the Donnelly
bull ling the flames jumped across mar
row alleyway to a wooden building occu-
pied by Thomas Ready, dealer in new
and secondhand furniture, and in fif-
teen minutes this building was doomed.
The Ready building wss four stories. |.
At 1915 the fire was under control. A
wooden building, three stories in height,
adjoining the Ready building, was part
" burned, but the fire was checked
bn66. ulS .UuliuluS was OCCAUIOu vi
the ground floor by Jesse L. Atwell, a
dealer in pictures and picture frames.
SEARCHING FOR BODIES.
Att o'clock the police and fremen
were still digging in the ruins for more
bodies. 1t was then reported that 13 had
been taken out, and of this number five
had died or were taken out dead. The
total loss was about 100000. William
II Hutchinson owned the building he
occupied, and his loss on building and |
stock Will be about $50, 600; fairly we'll
insured, Peter Donnelly, shoe dealer,
loses about $4,000 insured for about
1000. Thomas j. Ready, furniture
dealer, loses 1000; insured for $4,000. |
Three of the four wooden buildings were |
owned by the C.G. Clarke estate, and |
were worth about $4,000.
Some of the injured and dead firemen
were OF a ladder at the time the building
collapsed, and others were on their knees
directing streams into the basement of
the Hutchinson building.
Captain Skinner leaves a widow and |
one child; Thomas Murray was unmar-
ried; John Donian leaves a widow and
several children.
Trains on the Bosom & Maine railroad
were held over three hours, as lines of
hose ran across the tracks.