The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-10-04
SEVERAL MILLS DESTROYED
Disastrous Fire in the Mill District of
Warren, R. l.
LOSS OYER A MILLION DOLLARS.
Three Mills, Two Warehouses, Freight Cars
and other Property Wiped out-Fire-
men Summoned From Bristol,
Fall River and Providence.

WARREN, r. l., Oct 4.-One of the larg-
est fires that has ever occurred in south
eastern New England broke out in one of
the three mills of the Warren Manufactur-
ing company, situated about an eighth of
q mile from the center of this town, just
after z o'clock last night, and before it was
gotten under control it had swept through
three large cotton mills, two warehouses,
small sheds, freight cars and other prop
erty, causing a loss which is estimated at
more than million dollars
The fire started in the wash room, near
the engine room of No. 1 mill, and within
an hour after the blaze was discovered the
flames were roaring through all three
mills. The magnitude of the fire at once
became apparent to the local department,
and help was Immediately summoned
from Bristol, Fall River and Providence.
An engine from Bristol, one from Fall
River, and two steamers, two hose carts
and three companies from Providence re-
sponded, arriving on Cpecial trains.
The scene when he out of of town COM
panies arrived was appalling The whole
of the southern part of the little town
seemed to be a roaring mass of flames,
threatening not only the tenement houses
Of the manufacturing company near by,
but even endangering the business part OIL
the town some distance off.
Almost Immediately after the addi-
tional force had set at work the water sup
ply began to give out, and the combined
department consequently worked under a
heavy disadvantage, and although the au-
tomato sprinklers were turned on in all
of the three mills, and six inches of water
stood upon all of the floors, very little
progress was made
A carload of tar and another of cotton,
standing on track in the mill yard, be
coming ignited, furnished admirable food
| for the fire in its sweep through the great
plant The heat was insuffeTable and soon
it was impossible to get within POO feet ei
| the buildings. At 10 o'clock the flames
threatened two warehouses containing
/ 100000 worth of Sea Island cotton and
completed sheetings.
At 10:3O they caught and in a few min
utes had become a roaring furnace. A few
minutes later the flames jumped from
these buildings to the adjoining lumber
yard of Ezra Martin, and his entire stock
of coal wood and dressed lumber were
food for the fire Shortly before II O'Clock
the walls of two of the mills fell in, anC
the dwelling houses occupied by the oper
atives caught fire, so that it seemed to b'
spreading in two directions.
BY most persistent and arduous efforts
however the firemen gained control of thu
conhagratiOn at midnight, but all tha
was left of the big factories, warehouse
and tenements was blazing pile of ruins
The entire contents of the plant were de
stroyed, with the exception of fifty bale
of cotton from the warehouses, which, al
ter taking fire, dropped into the water an'
were carried down the bay blazing
mass, endangering vessels at anchor.
Several persons in the crowd of specta
tors were injured by flying bricks, bu
none were seriously hurt. When the roo
of the warehouse fell four Providence fire
men were caught They escaped by crawl
ing down the water pipe and then jump
ing a distance of seventeen feet. Two wer
slightly injured.
1t is generally admitted that the tota
destruction of the town was only pre-
vented by the arrival of flremen froI
Dther towns.