The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-02-10

Company, AMI large number of flremen
are at work on the river front at the foot
OF Dorrance street attempting1 to extin-
guish the blaze In about 5000 tons OF soft
coal. This Is the most serious blaze IN
that locality since February 3, 1883, when
q big fire broke out in the pockets OF the
company situated near Dyer street. and
IL was three months TO a day before the
fire was thoroughly extinguished.
The present fire really commenced on
Tuesday morning, when it originated in
a small quantity of soft coal, which has
continued To shoulder ever since,
although the coal company people at once
put a line OF hess In operation, and on
Wednesday put men TO work In drawing
coal away from the smouldering pile.
Mr.. Henry G.. Clark has a special steam
apparatus which floods the coal pockets,
and On lue siay he Informed the hre com
missioners that he thought he could take
care OF the fire.
That this idea was n fsllacv was proven
at about 3 o'clock this morning when
Night Watchman John Ward found the
pile OF coal burning fierc,ly, and he at
once rang in an alarm from box ~, situ-
ated at the corner Of Dyer and Dorrnnc'
streets Bv the time he had done this
the flames had lroken out with renewed
vigor and the blaze began 10 looK serious.
Ward. with commendable presence OF
mind, at once rGn TO the two-storisd brick
building aO joining the burning coal
pocket, in which "a horses were stabbed.
and with the aid of a number or persons
who had been attracted Ly the hsmts.
the amin ais were cut loose and sent out
Of the stable with no delay whatever.
BY the time the depsrtment arrived the
blaze was in full swing and the sky was
lighted up for miles around
Crief Steere sent in ths second alarm
Immediately upon his arrival at the fre.
and he at once set his men to work 10
prevent the srrsad OF the flames 10 the
long brick building which extends toward
Dyer street, aud which, in addition 10 the
ST sbles contains several warehouses and
two large oil tanks For some time IL
looked ss N this building was doomed,
but tho fire lighters worked energetioally
and we'll and in about two hours time
the IRE began TO show signs OF abatement.
and the buildings adjoining he burning
psckets were beyond danger.
In fighting the fire the river was utilized
To some extent, but the streams vera too
weak and did not reach To within several
feet Of the flames. The hydrant service
was also insdet uate, but the hlan pressure
service once more demonstrated It's utility
for stream after stream was thrown upon
the blazing mass ths volume and force
being oil that could be desired. In tie
meantime Ihe fire had eaten its way from
one pocket TO another, until the whols
mass Of soft cosl was burning.
As the tin bers in tire big local pocket
became burned through the entire front
of the big structure facing upon tbs wa
ters in the company dock with the OK
oeption Of abnut 30 feet crashed dcwn.
the charred tim bets and hundreds Of feet
Of corrugated iron roofing plunging into
the water. At once about 1900 tons OF
coal followed the Debris into the water.
throwing up dense cloud Of steam,
which ssmbled heavy fog.
IL was soon after 3 o'clock this morning
when the IRE was uuder control, although
the flames still Illuminated the river
front. feeding upon the remaining tim bers
of the biR pockets. The 1rcmen. how
ever. had still plenty to do. and the indi-
Gail ns are, ,tlat IL will he some dsys tsfore
tho fire is totally extinguishod Fortu-
nstely there was very little wind early
this morning, and this greatly aided the
department in preventing the spread Of
flames 30 the diaoept bulldogs.
Fire Con missioner Luther, chairman
cf the b'arJ. Und fifo Marshal Winsor.
woie early on the scene and remained
untii n la,e hour this morniag. Marshal
WirsDr id that the was more lire In
the remaining mass Cf coal at y o'clock
Continued on Page 2.