The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-28
DANGERS |
Serious
Fires, on
ACCOUNT OF STORM
Two Small Blazes Success
fully Disposed OF.

The storm in itself was bad enough,
but when the fire bells sent out their
warning peals, it seemed like adding
insult to injury. The first aIar.n
from box PSI, at 155 in the afternoon,
was caused by a small fire in the par
tition of the house 100 AIilbuy street.
Capt. William Adams of Hose T..
realizing the condition Of the streets
and thinking that he could save time.
started out with a small chemical ex-
tinguisher over his shoulder to walk
to the fire. He arrived ahead Of any of
the apparatus and after few lusly
blows with an axe got at the fire
which was eXtinguished with the con-
tents of one chemical.
The second alarm was from box 1872
at 4.35 o'clock The fire was located in
The blacksmith shop connected with
the machine works of F. Blaisdell &
co. Charles Cutler was looking out Of
window in his stable. on Lagrange
street, when he noticed the flames,
which seemed to be spreading through
out the south end Of the building.
An alarm was sounded and Engine 2
hose company laid a line that proved
sufficient to subdue the flames The
fire patrol and one hose wagon sue
ceeded in getting as far as the corner
OF Main and Jackson streets, where
they We're halted by the almost UNI
surmountable drifts
Members Of the fire patrol continued
to the scene of the fire on foot and
spread one stock cover. There was
little damage.
The cause of the fire is unknown.
There has been no fire in the building
since Friday night when the fires We're
banked. The foreman of the factory
says a quantity of soft coal was put in
Friday afternoon and spontaneous
combustion may have resulted.
In the event of a serious conhagra-
ton, the fire department would be
badly handicapped. The deep drifts
that fill the streets and bank up in
front of doors all over the city con-
stitute an obstacle which for the
heavier pieces of apparatus especially,
is hard to overcome.
Early yesterday morning it became
apparent that steamers located in the
outlying districts We're of practically
no avail, and that it would be neces-
sary to depend on the hose wagons
and lighter apparatus entirely in these
districts.
Engine companies No. 5. at New
Worcester, No. 4, Pleasant street, No
., at Bloomingdale, and No. ? on
Beacon street, We're ordered to double
up their horses with the hose wagon
teams, in the endeavor to provide suf-
iicient motive power to have the Wag-
ons to the scene of a possible alarm
Trucks 2 and We're ordered not to
attempt answering boxes far distant
from Main street. Both trucks are
provided with three horse bitches. but
il would be next to impossible getting
anywhere with the heavy vehicles off
the main thOrOughfare. Ladder l has
four horses attached and being the
lightest of the trucks, will answer all
boxes possible.
Ladder met with an accident while
responding to the alarm from box 1852
yesterday afternoon. Just as the
heavy vehicle entered the drift at the
corner Of Main and Foster streets,
there was a crack, and the evener
broke, stQliug the truck for a few
minutes. The damage was repaired
temporarily and the truck hauled back
to headquarters.
The fire patrol shifted from wheels
to runners early yesterday morning,
and with an extra horse was ready to
breast the drifts Capt. Williamson
says it is the first time since the pa
troll was organized that the change to
runners has been made before the
first of December.
Water Commissioner John G. Brady
sent men to each of the fire stations
early in the day to accompany the fire
men in case Of an alarm and clear the
snow away from hydrants if neces-
sary.