The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-02-02
BAD FIRE AT PHENlX.
The Conley and Begin Build ings
Totally Destroyed.
Fire Alarm Wires Were Down at Tim:
Fire Was Discovered.

When the blizzard was at It's height
yesterday morning. Phenix wfsa again Wis
tied bv disastrous fire.
When people were sleeping the soundest
i'm spite Of the bowling OF the storm,
Conlsy's block. located on Maiti street.
q short distance from the bridge at Phe-
nix, was discovered 10 be on nre, ana an
vttempt was aAoncs made TO ring In an
alarm, but the fire alarm wires had gone
down during the night. Finally entrance
was gained 10 the Methodist Church and
the Changing of the bells. together with
those of tbs mills. which were rung by
the watchmsn when they Saw the reilec-
tion of the flames against the SKY, arous'
the fremen and few OF the villagers,
who fought their way through the streets
TO the tire station. and attem 9ted To draw
the apparatus TO the scene OF the lire.
Conley's block was large two-s.ory
wooden building with q hip roof.
Ihe entire building was occupied by
Conlsy a. Thornton. Wholesale liqucr
dealers. md it was ut the D.ck OF the
building near the office that the IRE was
first discovered. Next to the Conley
building on one side ana separated from
IL only by q narrow pass &c way not more
than TWO feet in width. was two story
building owned by Achille begin who
occupied the entire lower floor as hnr-
ness and hardware store, while on the
second floor was DIR. Bodwell's office and
OrrIngtons photograph studio. On the
other side Is a large building owned ~
Col. Philip Duffy, the lower ilOor of
which IL occupied by him as grocery
store, and James Duffy rs barber shop
while the second and third floors are oc-
coupled by Col Duffy rs a tenement. This
building il only separated from the Con-
ley block by n narrow passage and 1t was
only by the greatest effort on tho part OF
the firenen that it wns saved from de-
structlon this morning.
The fire was first discovered by Levi
Smith OF the Phenix Hotel, who was
awaksnsd by the barking OF this dog and
he at once arousedW illiam Bligb. one of
the boardsrs, who 10 a member of the fire
department
Dir. Smith attempted TO ring In m
alarm and Mr.. Bllgh ran TO the fire sta
tion, where he was soon joined by other
mem bers of the department., and as 1t
Was seen that IL would be impossible 10
drag the reel through the snow few
lengths OF hose We're unwouDd and AL
Ian A. Campbell hitohed his horse on
one end and dragged it TO the scene OF
the fire. The firemen worked with a
will. but before the water had been
turned on Conley's building was burn
Ing fiercely, the barrels of llouor feeding
the flames and n aking IL impossible 10
subdue the fire. More hose was dragged
from the fire station and several streams
of water turned into the burning build
ing. but in spite of the efforts of the rre-
men the flames gath hsred beadway tni In
a few minutes Beg n s. block caught fire
and for time 10 looked rs though
Duffy's block would also ignite.
1t was soon seen that Conley's and
Begin buildings were doomed, and the
fremen turned their attention to saving
Duffy's block, and Dy keeping several
streams OF water playing on the building
and the fire near il they prevented the
flames from crossing she narrow passage
bit wssn the TWO buildings.
lne frsmen fought tie blaze stub
borply. but all they could do was to save
Daffy's building, the other two being
totally dc troye6.
This morning those who were burned
ont were unabis to make n close estimate
of their loss, bnt il will probably amount
20 over $50. coo which Is only partially COW
cred by insurance
Mr.. Begin stated this morning that he
did not know whether he had any irsur-
ance on his building and stock or not, rs
the policy expired last month, and
although ne had notified the agent to re-
new it, heshad not as yet received a new
policy. Neither DIR. Bodweil nor Mr..
Orrington bad any insurance on their
goods, VII ch Will prove n total less.
Conley * Thornton carry considerable
insuanrce, but 1t will not probably cover
TIM loss