The Indianapolis journal., 1895-09-09
From Sundays Second Edition.


BOSTON. Sept 7.-Masonic Temple. which
last week was respondent with decorations
on the occasion of the Knights Templars
conclave, is to-day the scene of desolation
and destruction wrought by fire, which was
discovered shortly after 10 O'Clock this
morning, and which gutted the two upper
stories. Owing to am accident a false alarm
was rung in from the Parker House, ana a
delay of nearly twenty minutes occurred
before the department was ready to work
at the Masonic Temple. The fire In the
meantime had gained considerable head-
way. Fire was first discovered IN the ante
room of the Reeve Lodge, on the third
floor, and in a short time mad eaten its way
to the fourth floor and from thence 10 the
roof when Chief Webber ordered a second
alarm, and shortly afterwards a third
alarm was rung in. From that time the
department strained every nerve to keep
the fire from spreading. District Chief Re-
gan, while directing the efforts OF his men
the roof, was suddenly obliged to fly for
his life from the smoke and flames. He
scrambled down and sought safety along a
narrow ledge, four inches wide. After an
hour and a half the fire was under control.
The third and fourth floors and the roof
were gutted, while on the second floor the
fire had scorched a number OF rooms il the
rear.
The loss is estimated at from s15OO00 to
100000 but no reliable estimate can be OBJ
tained until the underwriters have done
their work. All Of the regalia of the Scot
tish Rite, one of the most expensive outfits
in the Masonic order. was destroyed, and
rooms. with their valuable tapestries and
furnishings, were ruined. A number of vas-
liable paintings We're saved. There were
met in the temple, and all OF them will suf-
fer some loss. The Boston commandery
has a blanket insurance of $4,000 on its re-
galas and uniforms, and 1T Is thought the
others are covered in like manner.
Several accidents occurred during the fire.
District Chief Egan was carried by fall
ing roof thirty feet and suffered ,n broken s,s,
injuries Lieutenant Madden's skull was
fractured. he being struck by broken
Downey. of ladder company No. l, was
struck on the head by piece of slate.
Forty Entombed i'm a Burning Mine.
CALUMET. Mich. Sept 7.--At about. 3
o'clock this afternoon fire broke out in the
shaft of the Osceola mine. and at this time
1t Is more than probable that forty men
and boys have been burned TO death or suf-
focated t'Ao
The mine is not as heavily tim
bered as some Of the mines in this
locality, and il will not take great while
thing that can be done for the men. and
no effort is being made TO extinguish the
flames. There is nothing known of how
the fire originated.
Another dispatch says the fire broke out
in the twenty-seventh level. The Osceola
is a copper mine located two miles from
Calumet. Besides the number of victims
mentioned above, many more are known
TO be entombed, but in the excitement ii
is impossible to obtain their names. They
are mostly Austrian trammers: Searching
parties were sent down into Nos. 1 and 2
shafts to try and reach the men from the
drifts leading 10 No. shaft above the
twenty-seventh level, but We're unsuccess-
full The mouths of the shafts have now
been battened up to stop all drafts, and
all hope is now given up OF ever rescuing
the men alive. This is the greatest loss of
life that has ever occurred in the copper