The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-25
Chase Building Dam
aged By Flames
and Water.
ESTIMATED LOSS'ADOUT $4,000
Bradt & Woods Goods
Were Thoroughly
Soaked Again.

me Chase building, 40 to 48 Front
street, owned by r. C. Taylor, was the
scene of a royal battle between the fire
men and the fiend of fire at an early
hour this morning.
The firemen were victorious in the
fight, but not until damage amounting
to between 100000 and $4,000 had re-
suited.
The heavier part of the damage is
caused by water, tons of which were
poured in to the building from a dozen
streams.
The alarm was rung by officer Enas
Lombard, at 1858 o'clock, and before
the round was struck a half dozen
pieces of apparatus were drawing up
before the building and the greater
part OF the city department was well
on it's way
AS soon as Chief Vaughn arrived, he
ordered a second alarm, to be followed
Immediately by general alarm. This
called out every available piece of APP
paratus, and the chief and his assist
ants ordered every line Of hose manned
and water turned on.
The first men to enter the building
equipped to fight were those attached
to Chemical 2, under Capt. J. S. Couch.
The fire was too far advanced to allow
effective service with the small chem
zeal line, and Chief Vaughn, in view of
the dangers of the building, saw it was
a case of fire or water and determined
to check the fire regardless of the doss
recurring from water. He said that
more water was poured into the build
ing than at an ordinary fire.
The work of the fireraen was free
from accident, although one of them
had to be carried away. The man is
Driver ]. A. Gammell of Hose 4. He
was overcome by a weakness and dir
illness after reaching the fire, and was
driven to Hotel Pelham, in Deputy
Chief G. S. COleman's team, where he
was given medical attendance. His
weakness was the result of recent
sickness.
The fire was discovered by at least
four police officers almost Simultaneous
~. Omeers John O'Connor and David
son were in the rear of the building,
and both smelled smoke. They start
ed in to investigate and tried to enter
the building by the rear entrance, but
were driven back by the volume of
smoke which came from the second
story, as they thought, from the ele-
Vator
Officer Lombard, in front of the build
ing, noticed the smoke, and Immediate
ly ran to box A. at the corner of Main
and Front streets, and pulled in the
alarm officer Matthews, who was
standing near the soldiers monument,
also noticed the smoke.
Hardly a minute had elapsed after
the alarm was rung in before the in
-fgYs fasAI
and chemical followed in quick sue
cession. The front entrance to the
building was burst in, and the draft
afforded by the open door, added fuel
to the flames, and in an instant the
entire second story was lighted up by
a fierce blaze which constantly in
creased.
Engine was the next piece of appa-
ratus to arrive on the scene, and the
members laid line of hose up the
stairs. From that time the blaze was
fought with determination which fl
nally kept the blaze within bounds.
Chief Vaughn arrived Immediately
after the alarm was rung in. He inn
mediately assigned engine l, hose 1 and
hose to the rear, and all three imme-
diately put streams into the building
with a telling effect.
The cry that some people were sleep
ing in the building, was SET up and,
although the firemen strovs 20 get into
the building, they were held back for
five minutes by the fierce blaze and
dense smoke. During that time the tx
citement among the firemeG was in
tense, and they fought the fire and
smoke inch by inch, till the entrance
on the second floor near the elevator
was clear. Windows were broken in the
front of the building with good effect
he h..
able to fight the fire at an advantage
from that time.
Meanwhile, the men who were in the
rear of the building were able to = t
in to the employment parlors, winch
proved to be occupied by Mrs. M. Ed
wards and her sons, Earnest and Cecil
on the advice of officer Robert Mat
thews, who entered the building as
quickly as possible, they dressed, but
remained in their rooms. The smoke
was not very dense there. and they
we're not forced to leave. When seen
py a Spy man they stated that they
were awakened by the noise Of tie
apparatus, and the smell Of smoke al
most stified them.
The fire started in a closet in the CT
flee of Dr. G. S. Bryson in the front
of the building. In the closet wera
nile of old rags, clothes and some bot
CONFUSION was the cause. The rarid-
ifv with which the flames spread must
have been almost beyond conception,
for I'M to the time smoke was seen IS
sning from the building till the time
fine first piece of apparatus arrived, but
a few minutes had elapsed
Next to DR. Bryson's office is paroer
shon occupied by Christopher & La
hen Roth of thes were Quilted by hre
and water. The flames quickly spreai
an that side of the building toward the
roar Had the fire started near the rear
elevator the flames would have shot up
rantdiv and Chief Vaughn thinks II
,vonid have been impossible to have
$40 sffective work. AS il was the ire
men feared that the flames might shoot
~ throueh the passenger elevator smart
snS would have done so without doubt
n fbe FIRE had not been discovered so
soon. -, a. .....+.,7
~ addition to DR.. Bryson. Christopher X
IabeIle's barber shop, there are rooms
',scnnied bv Gilbert G. Davis, the Wepo
,srsnfte and Construction Company A
y n Kinney and Mrs. Edwards en-
,.to,-n,ent parlors Outside OF Christo-
~. 4 Isbelle and DIR. Bryson. none
IN these will be seriously damageo ~
s,oeI Although the Webb Granite ana
s,o,,sfrnction Company and A. =. r.
Srt-,re,- will have a loss by smoke