The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-12-15
TWO ALARMS WERE SOUNDED.
Efficient Service Prevented Spread Of Flames
10 Adjoining Property.
DEFECT IN SMoKE-STACK THE CAUSE
Postal Telegraph COmpanys Cable to the Souh
Destroyed but There Was Little Delay
In The Transmission Of Messages.

The business centre OF the city was
thrown into excitement early this
morning, by an alarm of fire, which re-
suited in n loss of between $4,000 and
$4,000. which was rung in from box -.
at 1923 o'clock. Dense volumes OF smoke
were seen TO be issuing from the upper
story of the building 25, 27 and 29 West
minister street. The alarm was rung In
by Deputy Chief Hill of the fire DEPART
ment, who was driving by, and in
very short time the apparatus was on
hand and work was commenced on tho
blaze.
The indications at the start were that
the firemen would have no easy job to
fight the flames, which had obtained
considerable headway on the upper
story of the building. and for time it
looked serious for the entire structure
and the buildings each side of IL. Ten
ants, who We're on hand. lost no time i'm
getting out their books and transfer
ring the, contents of their safes to
places out of the reach of danger. At
the same time the protective depart
ment was hard at work in putting it's
tarpaulins over the goods in the stores
below.
The entire top story was occupied by
the castle hall of Rhode Island Lodge,
No. 22 Knights of Pythias. which is al
so occupied by Pilgrim Lodge, l. o. O.
f., and Lady Lincoln Lodge. ID. of L..
and here the flames were having full
swing. the smoke being so dense that
ii was with difficulty that the firemen
| could work. In a few minutes all the
windows were removed and this made
| the work, and little later hole was
cut through from the roof, and water
was poured i'm from several streams.
Chief Steere and Deputy Chief Hill
were determined from the start to pre-
vent the spread OF the flames, and the
chief. about o'clock, ordered second
alarm 10 be rung in. SO that he should
have plenty of men and apparatus to
work on both sides of the building, the
alley in the rear being OF great conve-
nience TO the firemen. In the meantime
a number of firemen had ascended to
the roof of the old Hoppin estate build
ing which stood next to the burning
structure, between II and the Rhode
Island Hospital Trust Company's build
ing. -
From this point of vantage large VOL
umes of water were poured on to the
adjacent burning roof, and in about an
hour the fire was fully under control.
and there was no danger for the lower
part of the building from fire. although
an immense amount of damage was
done by water, a perfect torrent rush.
ing down through the several floors To
the stores below. Just how the fire
originated is not yet quite clear, al
though there seems TO be little doubt
that IL was caused by a defect in the
smoke stack of the furnace. which ran
out at the top of the building.
In the building, which is a part OF
the Ninton estate, of which William
III. Wood is trustee, the Postal Tele-
graph company had at the very top or
the back of the building. where there
was one story higher than the han,
what was formerly its old battery room.
but which since the time that dynamos
have been used has been utilized as n
linemen's room and a storage place'for
supplies and tools. In this room was
a switch, through which the cable run
ming south passed. This cable to the
south was destroyed by the fire. but
the company was able to make other
arrangements for it's service without
any delay.
According to a story told TO Manager
Munro Of the Postal company by one
Of the iinemen of the Postal District
Messenger company. the smolestaclS
from the furnace which passed upwards
through the switch room was discon-
nected. one Of the sections being quito
n distance from the other. so that dur
ing the cold weather flames could be
seen i'm the pipe. It Is said that the
lneman called the attention OF the jan-
tor Of the building to the defect in the
pipe. and IL is generally surmised that
IL was owing to this condition OF the
pipe that the fire occurred
The firemen did some great work. and
I'm spite OF the cold weather their
promptness was generally commented
upon by many of the insurance men
who were present. Very little damage
was done TO the adjacent buildings
while fghting the fire. the Hoppin
building of which Gov. Dyer is trustee.
not being touched at all either by firc.
water or axe, but several holes were
cut I'm the roof of tho old Hoppin build
ing. OF which Gen. Frederick Nj. Sackett
is trustee. i'm order that the firemen
could work efficiently.
1t was about II AS o'clock when the
recall was sounded. and all traces ~
fire were then extnguished. The en-
tire. top floor of the Ninton building
was completely gutted the roof was
practically all gone and the extension
floor which was used~ hy the Postal
Telegraph company was perfect
wreck. This was all the damage dnne
| by fire. although the damage done ~
water particularly 20 the tobacco firm
| OF George r. Young & pros.. Is very
| large. and this in spite OF the fact thet
| the goods and show cases were covered
with heavy tarpaulins.
1 When the fire was. ~ IT'S highest orc
! Of the members OF Truck No. /; G"rtor
Kerr. was carried out of the building
| I'm an unconscious condition. and was
| taken at once to GroeneSs drug store.
. Here it was found that Kerr WAS suf-
fcring frsm a blow on the n.aI nom
some falling substance which had