The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-17


morning was disturbed yesterday by
the wild alarm of the fire bells and
the slumbers of the slowly awakening
city were dissipated with the mad rush
of the fire teams.
The. people of the city and the fire
men instinctively shuddered at the
clang of a second alarm through the
early morning air, for a Sunday blaze
has often proved terrible holocaust.
Worshippers who had risen with the
first light were distracted for the mo-
ment from their meditations, and thea
began a pilgrimage to the scene of the
fire.
At 7.05 an alarm was rung from box
81, and the fire department responded
promptly to the scene of the blaze, in
the fourth story brick building of Reed
& Prince. at IS fainter street, run as
general mandatory of screws, bolts,
rivets. etc. When the firemen arrived
the building was almost hidden behind
a veil of smoke and the big structure
looked black and threatening Inc
fire had had full opportunity to gain
Roadway, and the black, dingy smoke
poured from the windows and doors.
Chief Vaughn, realizing that serious
fire was before him, ordered second
alarm which was sent by his assist
ant engineer, Frederick A. Mcclure.
BY the efficient work of the depart
ment the fire was soon under control,
so that the loss is much less than an
ticipated The damage to stock is set
vt about $4,000. covered by insurance,
and of the building, owned by the
Forehand Arms company, at 5000, also
INry frnel ivan T,A
Knowles loom works, which adjoined,
suffered but little loss. the windows IN
the front wall being alone broken, while
the shop of the Forehand Arms COM
pany, which Is situated at the other
side. was untouched.
The blaze was first seen by c. A.
Paine. an employees of the railroad, who
saw big tongues of flame and smoke
curling from beneath an empty Bos-
ton and Albany railroad car, which
was standing on a siding about fifteen
feet away from the Reed q Prince
building. The moment he saw the
smoke. he realized that there was
big fire, as the car was terribly
scorched, and the volume of smoke be-
came denser and denser. He yelled to
A. w. Caswell, gate tender at the cross
ing. who Immediately ran for an alarm
box. Mr.. Caswell dashed for box 81,
and after pulling in the alarm, rushed
back to the conflagration. The entire
east side of the building was then en-
veloped in smoke, and the fire grad
ually rose from the basement upwards,
with incredible rapidity.
The department was quickly on the
spot. and Chief Vaughn, directing his
forces with his usual signal ability,
soon had many streams of water play
ing on the fire.
BERNARD ORourke, a call man on
tod 1A-fn
ladder to secure commanding posi-
tion on the fire, when the smoke blind
cd him. and he fell to the ground be-
meath The railroad track at this point
where the hose lines had to be laid,
was covered with stones, and Hoseman
O'Rourke struck his temple on a piece
of stone or iron. inficting a cash three
quarters of an inch in depth. He was
picted up by George Jardine, and car
ried to the police wagon by officers,
who conveyed him to his home, where
he was attended by DR.. woodward, and
although unconscious for nearly an
hour. was not seriously hurt.
With the ringing in of the second
alarm. the department had the fire in
their grasp, and confined it to the east
ern side of the building. The belt holes
extending from floor to floor were ike
hues. and by this means the fire had
spread from the bottom in a very snort
sDaCe of time. The oil with Wnlcn Ile
floors and benches were saturated and
which coated the bolts and screws and
machines. made an easy mark for the
flames, and it was owing to the most
g effective playing of the streams of
water, that the fire was prevented from
spreading through the entire structure.
Watts Of oil on the fainter street side
of the building were untouched, and on
several of the floors there was not
particle of damage either by fire or
water, so successfully was the blaze
COPIED with by the firemen.
3eThomas Prince, one Of the members
Of the firm, was soon at the fire after
the alarm had been rung in, and While
the fire was yet blazing.
The IRE patrol did magnificent work
in protecting the property in the build
ing and worked like beavers to save
Mr.. Prince his stock. The supply of
covers of the department was pretty
well drawn upon, and trip after trip
was made before ample protection had
been secured. But for the prompt work
of the patrol the loss would have been
greatly magnified.
After a we'll directed fight of the fire,
the recall was sounded at $50 o'clock,
and the fire apparatus which encireled
the square was dismissed.
The fire originated, according to the
fire officials in the southeast corner OF
the basement, in the ash dump. IS
thought to have been caused by spon-
taneous combustion. Rags saturated
with oil We're lying with the ashes, ana
II is believed that from these the hre