The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-21
Temporary Arrangements
After the Fire.
The City to Take Down Tow
erS and Walls.
Railroad Company Will Have Things
Ship Shape in Week.

At half past seven o'clock this morning
Chief Steere, who had been up all night,
presented his theory, with beard ali COW
cred with ice, that the fire must have
originated in the "cook room" over the
restaurant, although the report had gone
out that the fire took in the toiler room.
He said it was one Of the toughest fires
he had ever tackled and was glad the
wind behaved so well. At that time En-
giue Il, the first TO tackle the fire, Engine
and Hose Ii, Hook and Ladder /, Hook
and Ladder 3 and Engine 10 were Ill on
deck and the boys of "one" were trying
to "finish the big windows on the south
side.
General Agent George L. Greene and
his right-han man, Sanford, said that
they felt as ii they had lost their home,
but they were glad TO see the local freight
Office still intact. The main part of the
depot was destroyed and only for service
able brick walls, which the original ar
chit.cts and builders provided for, the
two wings would have gone, together
with all the baggage.
"We are still Going business, F" said Mr..
Greene this forenoon, as he invited
NEWS reporter TO take a seat in his tenn
porary Office and intimated that he had
few moments TO devote to being inter-
viewed.
The emergency arrangements are as
complete as can be expected and the pat
rons of the road will su fer no ipconven-
ience. The mig baggage room at the west
end, which escaped the flames, has been
taken for waiting room and seats pro-
vided around rig stove that is sufficient
unto the coolest kind of weather. To reach
their trains these passengers go around
the west end and then walk down the long
platform on the tside.
During the night all trains oper-
ated on the single outside track, but by
daylight the frenea had got their hose
out of the way, the walls of the depot had
been tested, and found to be all right,
and all four tracks were again brought
into use so there is no delay in the opera
tion of trains.
President Allen and General Superin-
tendent Parke came on special irain
from New Haven this morning and arriv-
ed here at 4:30 o'clock. The Mavor, who
had decided not TO go TO New York, the
commissioners of public works and the
inst rector of buildings We're all on hand
and with the two railroad officials re-
tired to the city Nall, where they formu-
lated their plans for meeting the emery
ency. Ii was decided that the city should
take down the two towers and bring the
walls down to line that will be consis-
tent with safety. Tie railroad company
will then erect wooden walls within what
is called the sold concourse" and put a
roof on. so that the depot accommoda-
tions will be practically The same as they
were before the fire.
Mr.. Greene thinks that they will have
things ship-shape in a week or ten days,
and the presence of large force OF car
penters dragging in fresh timbers over
the ice-covered ruins indicates that the
general agent knows what he is talking
about.
A temporary ticket oliloe has been set
up in the baggage room and at noon a
fresh stack of tickets arrived from New
Haven. This forenoon the passengers
paid cash fares as not one OF the little
pieces of Iastebo was saved from the
wreck.
/ he valuable plans relative TO terminal
facilities of the construction engineer, Mr..
Dawley, were also destroyed, but fortu
natetly they are duplicates of those at
New Haven.
The telegraph and train masters Office
has resumed business in the baggage
room, and the headquarters of the general
agent and division superintendent have
been transferred to the eastern extremity
of the old Worcester end OF the depot,
and those officials are sharing desk room
wit the gentlemen of the treasury de-
partment.