The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-06
FLOCKS TO SEE FIRE.
Crowds atch Blow.
ing Up of Gin
ton Ruins.
ONE MAN DRIVEN INSANE.
Relief Committee Does
Noble Work Among
the Sufferers.
ONE MAN DRIVEN INSANE.

Clinton, Dec, 5.--Hundreds of visitors
came here today to see the smoking
ruins of last nights fire The crowd
included an extra large proportion Of
women, with cameras.
5,l Two young women, whose names
= were unknown, were especially brave
They took a stand on one of the houses
directly behind and almost underneath
the tottering south wall, while the fire
men were making preparations to dy-
Mantle it. They We're ordered down
by an admiring fireman.
The attempts to dynamite the stand
ing portions of the south and north
corners of the rear wall were contin-
ued throughout the day. The tot
tering north corner was brought down
by the first charge Work on the
south wall was less successful Three
or four sticks of dynamite failed to do
the business at first. But after dinner,
1t was continued, and about 230 o'clock
the towering brick fell with a crash in
to the cellar.
The condition of most of the per-
sons who were burned out last night
was truly pitiabe More than 40 per
sons have nothing but the clothes on
their backs. Most of the women were
engaged in doing homework, and were
thinly clad when they rushed from
their homes. Sclnc have nothing but
slippers, and no shoes unless they
were provided Cor by friends.
The relief committee began its work
this afternoon. H B. Merchant and
Z: F. Fa'rbanks are relocating as many
of the untortunales as possible The
conmitte is prepared to help them to
find new rooms and start housekeeping
again on a small scale
The women Of the Clinton Women's
club have already asked the privilege
of cooperating with the relief commit
tee, and will furnish clothing for the
women and children
All the persons who have been made
homeless are respet table, Woodworking
men ard women of sturdy independ-
ence. The problem oC Offering aid is
somewhat difficult in consequence. The
committee wants it understood, how
ever, that it is not extending help that
any self TesF Getting person need refuse
The committee knows that it is not
dealing witt paupers, but with fellow
citizens, who are temporarily suffering
teoe use they bore the brunt of pub
lie misfortune.
IHpdluy lot HdlTlCk r. ana GdlrlCk
A. Cannon is on every lip. They built
the theatre block putting into it all
the'r available capital. 1t had hardly
opened for business when the back
wall, the same that stood so sturdily
during the fire, was blown out, and
had to be ebuilt. The expense of the
building was increased from about
$4,000 TO almost ,000 The block
has b;l threatened by one misfortune
after an0>ncT until within the past
par. The tide turned with the tide
Of prosperity and the structure, es-
peeially the theatre, was beginning TO
yield @ good iroome.
1t is feared that the insurance will
no more than wipe out the Indebtedness
against the building, and that the equi-
ty of the Cannons, which was large,
taking its cost into consideration, has
been swallowed up.
Patrick F. Cannon bears the latest
blow like a courageous man. He said
to The Spy man this afternoon, II sup
pose this means that | must start over
again. It's a little hard, but l mean
to look the circumstances squarely in
the face, and make the best of bad
bargain"
Mr. Cannon is looking for an office,
IN which he will continue his real es-
tate ard insurance business. He is also
looking for a store for p. A. Cannon,
in which the remnants of his grocery
and furniture business can be kept to-
gether.
The destruction of the block and of
four or five large stores, lifts rents to
premium on High street. There is
some talk that the rink will be rapidly
remodclled into two stores, and that
some Of the burned out persons win
renew business under the roof Of the
big structure.
The loss that ] H. Dart G. Company,
p. A Cannon, Sophus Hansen and A.
Hollander have suffered, is greater than
the mere destruction of their
stocks and tools of trade. Bus
mess knows no sympathy and before
they can get re-established and on to
position where they can serve their
trade with the same promptness, some
of their customers may be diverted to
the stores of others in the same line
of business.
Mr. Hanson lost at least $500, in
Guiding about 5000 in money. His in
surance is $4,000.
Under insurance is the rule all along
the line. The places owned by A. c..
Hawkins have been kept nearer to a
safe margin than any other buildings
in the burned territory, apparently. The
Widows and Orphans fund of the A.
o. H. has suffered severely. The safe
containing the DOCKS and papers was
in the office, of Mr.. Cannon, who was
secretary and treasury of the fund
1t is in the cellar of the theatre, with
Mr. Cannon's own safe.
No effort to get at the big iron boxes
has been made. 1t is not known how
the important books and papers within
have Jared There is not in existence
a single of the printed forms, so
many Of which We're necessary in con-
5,,ot;po ba b11SinpSs Of the fund
Div. 8, A. o. H., is confronted with
the neei of a new lodge room and new
paraphernalia. The division lost three
handsome flags, all it's equipment, and
stuff valued far in excess of the in
surance. p. H. Morrison, president of