The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-06-20

iSbAAlN9 i-VNh NOill'NtlS tNllA ny LllC N' w. Reed Button company. The second floor is occupied by the New England Ruf1le company. On the ground floor are the stores of Russell Brothers, s. F. Merwin & Son, and Coe X Field. All the stock and equipments of these various places were more or less in- jured by water, but it was impossible to estimate the losses by water until an opportunity is given to-day to in vestigate the extent of the damage.
 The engines at the fire which re- sponded to the general alarm were Nos. 1, ?, 8, 4, and s, No. transferred to No. As building and took care of that section of the city, while No. did the same at No. 3's building. During the fire, at about 10:30, Chris Langley the veteran fireman lieutenant of the crew of No. was overcome by smoke and was taken to his home, 194 James street.
 The New England Ruffle company, which occupies the second floor, carry an insurance of $7,OOO. while Coe & Field have $2,000 with John c North.
 A hose was taken up through the Westmoreland hotel which adioins the English building, and the carpets of the hotel were somewhat damaged by the water leaking from the hose con- nectiOnS. A large stream of water poured down the front stairway, and in the upper halls the floors were covered with water. What the damage is could not be learned this morning, but it will probably be considerable The guests of the hotel crowded the front windows and seemed to apprehend no danger but on the contrary seemed rather to be more intent on the fire than on look ing to their safety The fire was first noticed by party of men sitting in the hotel office, and when first seen by them a sheet of flame was bursting 1 from the windows of the top floor near where the English building corners with the hotel, This room, in which the fire started, is what is known as | the tumbling room, and in it was stored sawdust in barrels, the sawdust being used for tumbling the iron work manu- factured to smooth it down.
 The question of the origin of the fire is a mystery. There are various theo- ries,s but none of them seem hardly plausible. It seems that near where the fire originated there is a small charcoal forge. but the men who oper- ate say that there is no possible way in which the fire could have originated from this. The factory closed at five o'clock yesterday afternoon, as they are now running on eight hours time, | and the treasurer of the company l.. F. Morse, remained in the factory un- til six o'clock, when he left and locked up the shop. At the time he left every thing was apparently in good order, 1 The only reasonable cause of the fire to advance, outside of that of incendi- ary, which is secuted by the officers of the company, is that of spontaneous combustion.
 The general opinion this morning seems to be that the fire department handled the fire in a praiseworthy man. her, and especially from the fact that the flames were confined to the top floor, but there is some adverse critt- cism expressed at the manner in which the fire was fought. By some it is thought that the fire, instead of being driven through the entire fourth floor, might have been confined to the corner in which it started by taking a hose | up the front entrance on State street. On the whole, however, it would seem that the department did all that was possible, as when the alarm was sent in the flames had assumed considera- ble proportions and had burst out of the building before discovered. Then | the department was somewhat hinder ed in getting at the confiagration by the immense crowds which within five minutes after the fire was seen filled every adjoining street. At the time that the fire was subdued the water was twenty inches deep on the top floor and it was impossible for the flames to eat through to the third sto- ry. The entire damage to the build | ing and the various companies occu- pying 1t will probably closely approXi- mate $S0000.