Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-04-18
100000 FIRE At BOSTON
Hoosac Tunnel Docks Grain Elevator Quilted
Largest Less Since 1893.

Boston. April 1.-THE roof of the grain
elevator at the Hoostc Tunnel docks.
| CharleStoWn vas blown completely off
| by Il dust explosion, at o'clock this
| morning. and the fire that followed it not
| only destroyed the remaining portion of
| the immense structure but consumed
| nearly the entire contents of over 100000
| bushels OF grain, mostly wheat. The
| Steamer tambrOmdn. which had lust fin
ishcd leading at the dock. was towed out
without injury but many small tcnementS
adjoining and a building used as Il disti-
| lery by Chaplin & Trull were damaged
more or less by the debris from the roof.
/ The loss is estimated by the fire under
| writer's at nearly $4,000. making a fire
1 loss that has not been equalled in this
city since 1898. The explosion not only
shook the entire Charlestown district, but
was nctceahly felt in the city proper and
| many Of the suburbs.
Coming at such an early hour. the ire
| mendous jar aroused half the city, and
| the flames which followed, shooting 200
| feet in the air. were sufficient to not only
cause q great rush of fire apparatus but
attracted thousands of sightSeers.
| -Four alarms were rung in with rapidity
| and additional engines sent for. until
| threc-quarters of the fire department. in
| GLIDING the TWO horseless engines and the
| fire boats, We're maSSed in the immediate
vicinity. but not before the entire Struc-
ture was a mass of flames. When the
| first iremen arrived they found some Of
tions OF the roof We're flying about in
every direction. Great timberS had been
| blown loo feet in the air by the force of
the explosion and many Of the upper sto-
rcs of neiS hboring property were crushed
and pierced by the great beams.
Fortunately no nerson was near the
exterior Of the building when the explo-
sion came except Archibald Golden, the
floor. He was hurled against the side of
the building. and although fearful shat
tered and torn, managed to crawl to a
place of safety before the fire enveloped
the structure.
The fire burned fiercely for nearly
hours and there was only she'll of the
structure left while bursting from every
side were tons and tons of wheat aild
oats.
Much of the grain fell through the pier
into the dock, while practically the whole
of il was so thoroughly soaked with wa
ter, that the loss will be complete. The
elevator was but d few hundred feet from
CharlestoWn navy yard and many per
bright light. concluded that another
Maine affair had occurred. The marine
guard at the yard was ordered out and
every possible precaution against the fire
spreading in that direction The depart
ment was, however. successful in keep
and by 8 o'clock had the fire under con-
troll.
The entire loss is covered by insurance,
which falls alike on the fire ana marine
companies, much of the grain was in
process of shipment from the West to
Europc The individual losses cannot as
yet be estimated but the grain itself was
valued at 100000. The loss on the strIcA
ture is sl50000 and the damage to the pier
and adj0ining property is about $4,000.
Chaplin and Trull. the distillers. were
almost entirely by water and
flying timbers, and this loss will be about
So 600
OF the 400 eco bushels of grain in the
elevator, the elevator officials stated, to-
day, that over half of it was what await
ing shipment to Europe and owned by j.
W. Letter of Chicago. The balance con-
sisted of oats. corn and other cereals the
property of various parties in the West