The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-30
old MILL BURNED.
Whittemore Factory
Destroyed at
Leicester.
NEARBY PROPERTY IN DANGER.
Prompt Work by the Fire
men Keeps the Loss Well
Within $1,000.
NEARBY PROPERTY IN DANGER.

Leicester, Aug. 9.-Excellent work by
the members of Steamer company No.
l and Hose No. with favorabl weather
conditions, alone prevented a fierce
blaze from becoming one of the most
destructive fires in the history of the
town this morning. Shortly before 4
o'clock Mrs. Hanna. who is staying with
H. Q. Smith. was awakened by the glare
of flames in the old Whittemore fac
tory, just east of the Smith house.
She aroused Mrs. Smith, and that lady
gave the alarm. Mrs. Smith did not
wait to dress, but rushed outdoors, cry
ing Fire" while Dorothy Smith rang
dinner bell with might and main
Then she aWoks Marshall S. Snow, H.
NJ. Circuit and Z. D. Waite. Snow rushed
TO the First Congregational church, got
in through window, and rung the
bell.
When first seen the fire was inside
the building but it so0n broke out and
spread rapidly. The building was a
long structure, so by 100. It consisted
of the old card factory, and a smaller
part. with John H. O'Ccnhor's grocery
store on the ground floor, and the Ma
sonic club room overhead The factory
has been used only as a place of stor-
age for some time.
The buildings are Just far enough
apart to admit of a stairway being built
between and the roof made continuous.
One stairway leads from Main street
70 the club ROOM and another stairway
begins ON the south side of the build
ing just beyond the first When first
seen the fire was in this central alley
way, and apparently started in rubbish
under the stairWays
The fire department responded quick
ly, and had water on the flames in 10 or
is minutes, Everything was damp
from mist and there was little wind.
The factory was soaked with oil and
blazed up rapidly. w. F. Whittmore' 5
house is about 10 feat east of the fac
tory, while Fl. o. Smiths house is 90
feet west, and both would have been
doomed if there had been any wind.
-Four lines. of hose. were laid, and the
houses thoroughly wet down. The
abundant water supply was the only
thing that saved the houses in that Sec
ton, but the factory was the only
building destroyed. Whittemore's house
was scorched on TIE south and west
ends, the roof burned through, and
everything soaked by water. Plastering
and carpets are ruined, and consider
able repairing will be needed to make
the house habitable.
Smiths house is of brick, with a slate
roof on the end nearest the fire, and
that is all that saved it. The caves
We're burned off, and hole burnt UNI
der the roof and windows cracked. The
roof of the barn caught several times
but the hay escaped. The cinders were
carried high up in the air, and some
fioated as far as Grove street, 900 feet.
The roofs. of w. u. Stones barn, the
Warner tenement and the old Wood
cock factory, on Pleasant street, all
caught fire, but the flames were easily
put out. The factory was totally de-
stroyed.
John H. O'Connor loses his entire
stock of groceries and meat, and the
Masons lose all the Furnishings of their
club room. O'Connor's safe fell into
the cellar near corner. Bricks were
pulled out, and 1t was hauled out. After
1t was cool, it was opened and the con-
tents were found to be unframed.
The loss is estimated at between $500
and $500. The factory is a total loss
$4,000; O'Connor's stock. $780, the Ma
sonic furniture, $500 or $500. and the res
idence Of w. f. Whittenore, $500 OF
$500. The insurance counts up to
$1,000 The factory was insured for
$4,000 through the agency Of John r.
Nichols of Rochdale, $3.50 through the
Middlesex Mutual Of Concord. S150f
through the Traders and Mechanics
Company of Lowell, and $3.50 through
the Dedham Mutual of Dedham. O'con-
nor was insured for 500. and the house
and barn for $4,000, divided between the
Quincy Mutual and the Cambridge
Mutual, and between the Nichols and