The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-17
H0SEMAN BADLY HURT.
Combustion the Probable Cause
Of the Blaze Flames Spread With I'm
mense Rapidity-250 Hands Out
Of Employment Splendid
Fire Department Work.

arose. The fire is believed to have been
burning through many hours of the
night, before it was discovered by Mr..
Paine and had made good Roadway
before the flames and smoke burst
through the windows and shot from
beneath the Albany car standing near
the building. The basement is used as
an engine-room, and there the fire did
considerable damage. The ground floor
of the building is badly burned, and the
second floor especially at the eastern
side suffered heavily.
The ground floor is a complete wreck,
everything being burned and damaged,
but on the second floor the fire did not
reach the fainter street front. On the
third floor are situated the screw ma
chimes, and here is seen the effective
work of the department in checking the
blaze. The floor is smoky and but little
burnt, and practically no water dam
age was done. The fourth floor, known
as the screw room, is smoky, so that
imprints are left on the flooring, but
there was not a drop of water.
One effective assistance to the fire
department was the private system of
the Knowles loom works. Frank T.
Williams, foreman, who was at the
scene, recognized the danger to his
works, and Immediately brought the
Knowles system into operation. From
the foundry several streams of water
were directed through the broken win
dows in the Reed & Prince shop. with
telling effect. This valuable co-opera-
ton worked great results, and was of
great influence in preventing the fire
in the Reed & Prince shop from spread
ing to it's upper floors.
Mr.. Williams is a former member of
the fire department, and proved a
strong ally. The only damage done to
the Knowles works was the breaking
of the windows. Night Waterman
Michael Murphy and Day Waterman
James Rice of the Forehand Arms
Company, who had just exchanged
shifts, were ready to render assistance
from their plant, but none was needed.
Mr.. Prince stated that the Reed e,
Prince works has no night Waterman.
The day Waterman, Sunday, goes on
duty at o'clock, and is off at 9 O'Clock.
and this accounts for the clear way
which the fire had.
The Reed & Prince Manufacturing
company is one of the best known
firms of its kind in New England, and
has enjoyed a more than local pres
tlge from its manufacture of screws,
bolts and riVets. 1t gives employment
to about 250 hands, in all the different
departments, and these will be thrown
out of employment for some weeks.
The concern is made up of Edgar Reed
and Thomas Prince. Mr.. Prince was
very taciturn and reserved about re-
ferring to the fire loss. He said that
he did not care to make any state
ment. Both he and Mr.. Reed were bu-
sy at the building during the day. One
of the officials of the firm told the Spy
man that the loss to the concern was
probably about $4,000, due in a mea-
sure to the great damage to the stock
in the stock room. Repairs on the
building will necessitate considerable
delay, and it is anticipated that they
will not fully resume work for three
weeks.
The estimated loss upon the building
itself is set at $4,000 or $4,000, and the
entire insurance upon the buildings
both stone and brick, front and rear,
shop, barn and store house, to large
amount is carried through the agency
of A. c. Munroe.
The companies in which the insur-
ance is carried with the amounts in
each, are as follows: Liverpool, Lon
don and Globe, $4,000; Queen, $4,000;
Williamsburg city, $500; Franklin
$500; North Western National, $500:
BuffaloGerman, $500, making in all
$25, 600.
The stock, fixtures and machinery
is heavily insured through the agency
of Washburn, Willis, Greene & Bates,
in the following companies: Aetna
Insurance company, Hartford Fire In
surance company, Phoenix Insurance
company, Connecticut Fire Insurance
company, Home Insurance company
New York Underwriters Agency, North
British & Mercantile Insurance COM
pany, Lion Fire Insurance company,
and North Union Fire Insurance So
ciety.