The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-06-01
Blaze Breaks Out IN the Shoe Department
Of Tho PItts-KImhllI Company.
ADJOINING BUILDINGS ARE SAVED.
Some Il Thm Damaged BY wsisr opsrlas d
fremont Theatre DsI,ysd a Quarter Of an
Hour Loss MAY R,soh $50. 1000.

Boston. June 1.-What proved 10 be
an unusually stubborn fire to hands
aud which at one time seemed certain
:, envelop several large buildings In
damcs practically ruined the stock OF
the large department store Of the Pitts
Kimball company. occupying the six
story building Nos. COZ to els Washing
ton street, last night, causing a loss
which. with that upon the building. will
undoubtedly be between 100000
and $25000o. The adjoining build
ings. from which streams were played
upon the burning structure. suffered
considerable damage from water and
hose being dragged through them.
These included the Park Theatre. which
Joins the Pitts Kimball building on the
south. the New England Piano COM
pany building on Washington street.
separated fromit by Lafayett9court,a and
the fremont Theatre in the rear, sep
arated from II by Haymarket place.
The fire, however, did not reach these
buildings. Several fremen. including
Assistant Chief Muller. received bruises
or cuts about the face. but their in
juries were not serious.
The fre started from some as yet un-
known cause in the shoe department,
formerly the old engine room. in the
new annex, at the rear Of the building,
and shot up almost instantly to the
fifth floor through an elevator well, so
tnat the entire Ave floors of the annex
were a mass of flames when the fire-
men reached the place in response to
the first alarm. So dangerous was the
outlook that the second alarm was
omitted and a third and fourth followed
each other within a few minutes.
Immense clouds OF extremely dense
and Irritating smoke poured through
the entire establishment coming out OF
the front doors and windows on Wash
ingt0n street in such quantities that the
firemen were almost choked and blind
ed, being greatly hampered thereby In
their work. The building extended back
200 feet TO Haymarket place and was
directly reached by lines Of hose
through Fayette court and from Head
place and Haymarket place in the rear.
30 dense was the smoke that Ii was
impossible to ascertain just how much
fire there was or where IL was located,
but IL was evident that the greater part
land as 1t proved later the whole) was
In the annex. and IL was to that spot
that the firemen directed their efforts.
For nearly two and one half hours the
firemen worked like beavers before the
fire could be said TO be under control.
and X was many hours later before the
building was cleared of smoke suf-
ficiently TO be able to make any esti-
mate OF the damage.
The Park Theatre Is closed for the
season. so the fire did not interfere with
the performance at that house. AT the
fremont Theatre. directly in the rear
OF the burning building. although in no
danger from fire. the opening was de-
layed about Is minutes when the per-
formance went on as usual.
The Pitts-Kimball company estab-
lishment. which was one of the largest
stores in the city, was recently or
ganized as the successor OF Pitts, Kim
ball & Lewis, who, In turn succeeded
Hollander. Bradshaw & Folsom in the
same place.
Although used and occupied as a sin
gle store, the structure in reality is
composed OF three separate buildings,
the original store, the addition on
Washington street and the new annex
in teh rear. and the property has two
owners, the Bailey and the Parker es-
tates. Ht
The shoe. drug and music depart
ment. 1t appears. were each conducted
by an outside party so that the losses
thereon will not fall upon the Pitts
Kimball company.
f. r. Tilton. proprietor Of the drug
department, places his loss at $4,000:
Gilbert N. Ware. who conducted the
shoe department. loses $50.0O0 and c.
s. Echell of the music department has
loss OF $4,000. All these parties are
insured. The Pitts-Kimball company
carry total insurance OF over 5000. 900.
and their loss will probably be 100000
to S125.00O. NtA
Loss on building 100000; insurance
500. 900. gsts