The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-07
A LIVELY BLAZE.
Supposedly Indendi-
airy Fire Occurs In
Leicester.
FRISKY FRANKS OF LIGHTNING.
Many Places Struck and
One Woman Rendered
Unconscious.

Leicester, July GA fire of apparent
next to Hibernian hall, erected last
March, at g.45 o'clock this morning. The
building was occupied by f. ]. Dorsey
and James r. Dorsey as pool room
and bowling alley, and a barber shop
in the front end run by Michael Clary.
Shortly before 2.45 o'clock Mrs. Hugh
Burke, who resides in Trainor's court,
a short distance west of the building,
was awakened by light in the pool
room. She awoke her husband, and he
aroused James R. Singleton in the next
tenement, who rushed to Olney's mill,
the bell.
The fire company made compare
lively quick run, and the hose carriage
arrived on the scene about o'clock.
hose from the fire engine house and
oineys pill were used, and as the two
kinds were not similar and some of it
CErst, valuable time was wasted.
When first seen, there appeared to be
only small flame, but in remarkably
snort space of time the interior was
ablaze from end to end. Before the fire
mad charred the rafters and sides and
burned through the roof all along its
length. The doors were quickly burst
d. and almost the entire lot of fixtures
in Clary's shop removed. The stock
AZ the small store was ruined, the bill
hard alley spoiled and the pool tables
also covered with SCOT and soaked with
water.
T. ]. Dorsey told a Spy reporter this
afternoon, he was sure the place was
set on nre. There was no stove OF
lamp left lighted" he said. land If any
closet where the flames appear to have
! started, it isn't likely they would
shoulder from the time 1 shut I'm at
IL o'clock until 245"
Mr.. Dorsey calculates that nothing
can be saved from the wreck. He es-
inmates the total loss at $4,000, with in
surance at $500. He is undecided wheth-
er he will build again or not.
A short but severe thunder shower
passed over Leicester about 2.30 this
afternoon. The lightning was unusu-
ally sharp, and struck in several places.
large tree near Albert E, Booths
house on Flint way was badly Shattered
Dy bolt. The house of Michael Co.
miskey, on the corner of Brook and
ln0nas streets, was struck and consid-
cradle damage done.
The bolt struck a chimney in the
north end, and set fire to the work.
work near the bricks. It then passed
down to bedroom underneath. knock-
ing on considerable plastering, 1t re-
peated the performance in another
bedroom on the second floor and in tae
parior, sittingroom, and cupboard on
the ground floor. Clapboards were
shocked on the south end of the main
gable and also on the ell part.
There We're several r,a,~co,,e +Na
sltting room, when the building was
struck. Mrs. Bridget Comiskey, Mrs.
Margaret Reeney, Mary Keelan and a
son of Thomas Trainor, Steven Train
or. All were more or less stunned by
the current. Mary Keelan was rendered
unconscious and a messenger from
+ Smiths mill sent in hot haste after
DOCTOR. DIR. G. G. Stearns was called
and found Miss Keelan recovering from
4 the shock. Mrs. Keeney was sure she
was struck on the head by d ball of
fire, but as she walked home and got
or with a lump on the top Of her head
IL is thought a piece of plastering
struck her head.
An interesting program was present
> ed at Smith hall this evening by local
and Worcester talent for the benefit OF
the Baldwinville Cottages before q
q
! opened with an overture, isle of love, .
by Bendix. Victor L. Benoit of Wor-
4 cester gave a reading, Como" by
Wildford and Frank L. Cunningham OF
Worcester sang a solo, There's g
land, ;" by Allitson.
Miss Mabel B. Jennison gave two
piano solos, "Berceuse," Ilylnsky, ant
Butterfly" Grieg. The Duet, ''Da che
tornasti achi misera," by Donizetti
was sung by Miss Matte r. Howell
and Oliver Arnold, Jr., and Mrs. Zella
Baker Estabrook played a violin solo
The first part of the program conclud
ed with three solos by Miss Annie L
Peabody of Worcester, My heart a
thy dear voice." from Samson ant
Deliah'; zone spring morning. Nevin
Swallows Cowen.
The orchestra played the "Imperia
overture" by Eaton, and then the