The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-20
Partisan Wrapper
Company
is BADLY Quilted.
An Early Morning Blaze on
Winter Street.

The four-story brick building at the
corner of Winter and Harding streets,
occupied by the Partisan Wrapper
Company, was completely Quilted by
fire early this morning.
While an accurate estimate Is out of
the question at this writing, the loss
Is placed as high as $4,000. The fire
started In the basement of the struc-
ture, and spread rapidly to the floors
above. A freight elevator in the south
west corner of the building, served as
an excellent flue, and all the floors were
soon aflre
II is impossible to state how the fire
started James Mars, the night watch
man, passed through the basement,
where the flames broke out, about is
minutes before the blaze was noticed.
Mars says he was sitting in the engine
room, which is located in the basement
OF the factory, when he smelled smoke.
He opened the door leading into the
basement and was met by a wave OF
smoke and flame that blinded and drove
him back. Again he assayed to pass
through the sitting smoke, but was
driven back, his hands and face being
badly burned in the effort.
Seeing that it was impossible to get
out by the usual way, there was but
one thing left, and that the window.
To think was to act, and grasping a
STOOL he hurled it through the window.
following it in person few seconds
later. On reaching the outside of the
building, it was necessary to scale a
high board fence that surrounds the
factory before an alarm could be Civ
en-.
With the skin peeling from his Bills
tered hands, the Waterman drew him
self to the top of tho fence and dropped
into the street, completely overcome for
the time being by the smoke and pain
from his wounds. He cried out to a
young man who was passing and told
him to- send in an alarm from the near
est box
BY this time the flames had spread
from the basement 10 the first floor,
and the entire building was filled with
dense clouds Of smoke that rolled oml-
nously from every opening in the
building.
When the firemen arrived the fire
had gained good Roadway, and as fast
as overcome in one part of the struc-
ture burst out in another. The base
ment of the building is used as a cut
small pieces of cloth, together with the
bales of infiammable goods, burned like
powder
Water was turned on the blazing
structure from every quarter, but it
was over an hour from the time of its
discovery before the frenen could
safely say that the blaze was under
control.
Lieut.. l.. f. Stevens of the Fire
Patrol was injured soon after arriving
at the fire. In company with other
members of his company, he was
spreading stock covers on the first
floor at the north end of the building.
when he missed his footing and fell
head first down a flight Of stairs, lead
ing to the basement.
His companions made their way to
him as soon as possible through the
smoke that filled the building.
and carried him outside. Stevens was
unconscious, and for time It was
thought that he was seriously injured.
There was some difficulty in locating
the police wagon, and the injured fire
man was placed in hose wagon and
hurried to the city hospital, where he
regained consciousness. AT a late hour
his injuries werenot considered serious.
The smoke that filled the building
was in evidence outside as well and
hung in binding cloud of about the
building, making passage about the
burning building extremely hazardous
especially when the tangled lines of
hose. and tho coating Of Toe that formed
over everything struck by the spray
from many pipes. was taken into con-
sideratlon.
Officers Cody and Ryan of the Waldo
street police station passed the building
about 1915, and at that hour there was
no sign of fire. The Waterman, who
makes a round OF the building about
once an hour had passed through the
basement where the fire broke out but
a few minutes before, and there was
no sign at that time. 1t is known that
the fire did not catch from the boiler,
but how it did is mystery.
Mars the Waterman. said he was
sitting in the boiler room, his only
being his dog when the nrst
odor Of smoke was noticed After find
ing escape to the street through the
hre-proof door leading from the base
ment to the boiler room out of the quea-
ton, ne slammed the door to, and got
out OF the room as best he could.
Mr. Kunitz was seen by a Spy man
AZ his home on Providence street soon
after the sounding Of the alarm. lie
was asleep. When awakened and in
formed that his shop was ablaze. Mr..
Kunitz was greatly overcome. He stat
ed that he carried 100000 worth Of in