The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-10-04
Big MILLS DESTROYED.
Disastrous Fire in the Mill District
of Warren, R. I.
LOSS OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.
Three Mills, Two Warehouse, FRI light Cars
and Other Property Wiped Out-FIremsn
Summoned from Bristol. Fall River and
Providence Saved the Town.

aud Other Property Wiped Out-FIremon
Summoned from Bristol. Fall River aud
Providence Saved the Town.
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 tho Warren Manufactur-
ing company, situated about an eighth of
mile from the center of this town, Just
after o'clock last night, and before it was
gotten under control 1t had swept through
three large cotton mills, two warehouses,
small sheds, frceght cars and other prop.
erty, causing loss which Is estimated ut
more than million dollars.
The fire started in the wash room, near
the engine room of No. 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-
spondcd, arriving on special trains.
The scene when the out Of of town COM
panies arrived was appalling. The whole
of the southern part Of the little town
seemed to be roaring mass of flames,
threatening not only the tenement houses
OF the manufacturing company near by,
but even endangcring the business part of
the town some distance of.
Almost Immediately after the addi-
tional force had set ut work the water sup
ply began To give out, and the combined
department consequently worked under a
heavy disadvantage and although the nu-
tomato sprlnklers were kurned 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 u track in the mill yard be-
coming ignited furnished admirable food
for tho fire in its sweep through the great
plant. The heat was insnfferable and soon
It was impossible to get within 200 feet ef
the buildings. At 10 O'Clock the flames
threatened two warehouses containing
. siO),O00 worth OF Sea Island cotton and
completed sheetings.
AT i080 they caught, and In few min
utcs had become roaring furnace. A few
minutes later the flames jumped from
those 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, and
the dwelling houses occupied by the oper-
ativcs caught fire, so that 1t seemed to be
spreading in two directions.
BY most persistent and arduous efforts,
however, the flremon gained control Of the
confihgration at midnight, but all that
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 bales
of cotton from the warehouses, which, af-
ter taking flre, dropped into the water and
were carried down the bay, blazing
mass, endangering vessels at anchor.
Several persons In the crowd of speota-
tors were injured by flying bricks, but
none were seriously hurt. When the roof
Of the warehouse fell four Providence fire
mon were caught They escaped by crawl
ing down the whter pipe and then jump
Ing a distance Of seventeen feet. Two were
slightly injured.
1t Is generally admitted that the total
destruction of the town was only pre-
vented by the arrival of flremcn from
other towns.